Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-02-08

''only twenty minutes to dress in-I must
look sharp -
Meanwhile the stranger, Mr.. Pryme,
was following the butler upstairs.
Helen lowered her voice.
Il must speak to you moment Maui
rice; it is six weeks since we have met,
and to meet in public would be too try,
ing. Please dress as quickly as ever you
can and wait for me here at the bottom
of the stairs-we might get just three
minutes together before dinner
Then l must make haste" he said,
and ran quickly upstairs in the wake of
the other guest.
| The staircase at Shadonake was very
wide and very handsome, and thoroughly
in keeping with the spacious character of
the house. At the foot of the staircase,
and with his back to it, leaning against
the balustrade, stood Captain Kynaston,
exactly four minutes before dinner was
| announced.
He stood with his hands in his trous-
ers' pockets, and his eyes fixed upon his
own boots, and he looked as savage as
it was well possible for man to look.
Halfway down the stairs came a wom-
an whom he had never seen before. A
black velvet dress, made high in the
throat, with wide collar of heavy lace
upon her shoulders, hung clingingly about
the outlines of her tall and perfect fig
ure; her hands, with some lace ruffies
falling about her wrists, were simply
crossed before her. The light of dis
tant hanging lamp shone down upon her,
just catching one diamond star that gilt
tered among the thick coils of her hair
she wore no other ornament.
Maurice drew aside to let her pass him
looking at her-for how could he choose
but look? But when she reached the
bottom of the steps, she turned her face
toward him.
''You are Maurice-are you not?" she
said, and put forth both her hands to-
ward him.
An utter bewilderment as to who she
was made him speechless; his mind had
been full of Helen and his own troubles
everything else had gone out of his head
She colored a little, still holding out her
hand to him.
Il am Vera" she said, simply, and
there was little deprecating appeal in
the words as though she would have add
ed, BE my friend"
lie took the hands-soft, slender hands
that trembled very little in his grasp
within his own, and some nameless
charm in their gentle touch brought
sudden flush into his face, but no appro-
pirate words concerning his pleasure at
meeting her, or his qualification at their
future relations. fell from Maurice Ky
naston's lips. He only held her thus by
her hands, and looked at her--looked at
! her as if he could never look at her
! ho,, rs hor
from her feet up again to her head, till
sudden wave of color flooded her face
at the earnestness of his scrutiny.
''Vera-Vera Neyill!" was all he said
I. ''What charming tableau vivantn' ex-
claims voice above them as Mrs. Romer
comes down the staircase. ''You really
| look like scene in play! Pray don't
| let me disturb YOU"
II am making friends with my sister
in-law that is to be, Mrs. Romer," says
Maurice, who has dropped Vera's hands
with guilty suddenness.
How Mrs. Ro1ner hated her then and
there, from that very minute until her
| lifes end, it would not be easy to set
forth! Not another single word was
spoken between them, for at that very
minute door was thrown open, and the
WuOle Ol Tie party III Tic uOuSc Cdnc
/ trooping forth in pairs from the drawing
room in long procession on their way
to the dining room.
j Miss Nevill, of course, was a stranger;
Helen had been on intimate terms with
them all for years; Vera, besides, was
| standing close to Maurice.
'Please take in Miss Nevill, Captain
Kynaston; and Edwin, my dear, give
your arm to Mrs. Romer."
Edwin, who was pleasant looking
boy, with plenty to say for himself, hur-
ried forward with alacrity; and Helen
had to accept her fate with the best
grace she could.
| well, how did you get on with Vera,
and how did you like herr" asked Sir
John, coming round to his brothers. side
of the table when the ladies had left the
ROOM He had noted with pleasure that
/ Vera and Maurice had talked necessarily
| throughout the dinner.
! my dear fellow" cried Maurice,
| heartily, ''she is the handsomest women
/ ever met in my life! / give you my
word that. when she introduced herself
to me coming downstairs, | was SO sur
prised that upon my life | couldn't speak
world could do nothing but stare at
! her"
you like her, them" said his brother,
| smiling. well pleased.
| Il think you are a very lucky fellow,
old man! Like her! of course | do;
she's downright good sortv'
/ And if Sir John was slightly shocked
at the irreverence of abiding to so per-
| feet and pure a woman as his adored
| Vera by so familiar phrase as "a good
| sort" he was, at all events, too pleased
! by Maurice's genuine approval of her to
find any fault with his method of ex-
pressing it.
| CHAPTER VIII.
| Leaning against window frame at
! the end of long corridor on the second