Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-23
CHAPTER XXI.

And the girl followed her mother
to make the most foolish will that was
ever drawn up"
The boudoir was looking its bright
est. 1t was nearly the end Of May
now and the room was filled with the
sweet fragrance of flowers, and the
sun, shining in brightly, touched the
| golden head of Lady Laura and the
! fair face of her daughter.
! But Lady Laura's eyes We're filled
with tears and her face was pale. one
seemed to have lost much of her
bloom and radiance.
angel, come and talk to me-" she
said.
Then the tears that filled the usually
bright eyes fell, and Lady Laura burst
| into a passion of weeping.
'FOh, Angel she sobbed; Il am so
unhappy! I must speak to you, am
so unhappy that fear I shall die!"
| And, before another word was ut
tered, Angela knew to what her moth
er referred, and she realized that the
sorrow she had always foreseen was
about to fall upon them.
Come and comfort me, Angel
cried the hapless lady. 81 am in sore
distress. My dear, you said, not once,
but often, that the captain did not
| love me, and that he was going to
marry me for my money. Did you
mean it? Did you believe it?"
If her mother had taken her warn
| ing at the time, Angela would have
been grateful, and would have per
sisted in all she then said But the IA
| tai knot had been tied. and there was
nothing for it but to make the best of
| it.
"You must not remember what
said then, mamma, darling. 1t is use
| less recalling the words now"
But, Angel, you said that the cap
tain did not love me because he loved
| Gladys Rane. Oh, my dear was it
| true-was it true?"
! 81 hope not, mamma" she replied.
ct is of no use thinking of such things
, now"
81 cannot help thinking of them, and
must speak Of them. or my heart will
| break" she sobbed. ooh, Angel, you
who love me so truly, can you not see
! how I suffer-"
Angela drew near and kissed the
pale sad face.
Il will comfort you and help you all
l can, mamma" she said, gently.
| II am so unhappy, Angel" said her
ladyship; "and yet I cannot bear to
! tell you why. 1t seems like treachery.
But I have borne it in silence until I
| can bear it no longer"
perhaps, darling mother, I can
guess what it is that distresses you
! II almost wish you could, Angel,
It would save me the pain OF telling
you"
Angela bent her fair face over her
mothers head
Il do know" she whispered. ''You
are unhappy because Of Gladys Rane."
| Heaven knows am, Angel SO I'M
happy that I cannot go on bearing this
pain much longer"
Angel was too noble to say, as many
! in her place would have said, 4 knew
il would be so; odd you so; warned
you" She only kissed with added
/ love and tenderness, the face of the
1 beautiful mother whose maTtyrdom
would be. she knew, so terrible.
Tell me-" continued her ladyship,
have you noticed it? Have others re-
marked it? Tell me all. Angela; do
not keep anything from me. Is it
spoken of, gossiped about?'
81 cannot tell you. have not heard
! ii ment' oned, mamma"
| ''Then you have noticed it yourself?"
cried Lady WynTard.
| Il could not help seeing thar the cap
tain spends great deal Of his time
with, and pays great attention to-,
Gladys Rane. But. then, mamma dar-
ling. they are very Old friends, and it
IS quite natural that they should have
much 10 say to each other"
To be continuej