Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-16

heart-strings. He forgot his wife, he
forgot Angela, and left them standing
alone while he went slowly up to Miss
Hane, walking like one spellbound.
"Gladys!" he said; and then all fur
| tier speech failed him.
She laid her hand on his arm, and
they walked away together. For
some moments there was perfect 81
lence between them; then Gladys
spoke:
'"This is the first time I have seen
you since your marriage, Vance. l
was in the church. l witnessed the
ceremony"
Il wish to Heaven that it was you
who had been by my SIDE" he said
| in low voice.
"Are you happy?" she asked; and
her voice trembled.
"Happy!" he cried 81 am happy
enough, SO far as money and luxury
can make a man happy; but | am hor-
ribly tired of all the rest
! "Then your wife" she began.
But he interrupted her
my wife, he said, hastily, lis the
most beautiful, most loving, most
| soulless and inane woman I have ever
| met. She has never abused me for
| five minutes since we have been mar
ried. She thinks Of nothing but max
| ing me costly presents and giving me
THE whole of her tiresome society"
II understand" said Gladys, softly.
"I was obliged to marry for money!
| he urged, apologetically; "and certain
| ly my wife is all that any man could
| desire, except that she is q great deal
! too affectionate; but Well,
must not complain; no man can have
! everything. Life at home bores me.
! Gladys, you will take compassion on
! me; you viii iet me come and see you
| sometimes 90
YES; but you must not come too
cften Vance. My aunt will not like
| it."
81 wish your aunt were at Iimbuc-
tool" he said, hastily.
''In that case / should probably be
with her, SO that you would not gain
much she replied, with a forced
smile.
But, Gladys, you will be kind to
me-you will let me spend some of my
come here too often; but there are
many other places where We can
meet"
"But, Vance," she said, sadly, chow
will it end? You know it is useless;
you know that | must not learn to
care for you more than l do. 1t will
make me only the more unhappy.
How will it end?"
Neither she nor he had the faintest
/ idea.
Never mind the end, Gladys; we
are far enough from that, hope. Be
kind and generous to me. You know
that the only real pleasure l have in
the world is being with you; ana why
should we deprive ourselves of what
is a great pleasure to both? Remem-
Der our compact of friendship was
made for life."
Eyes, friendship" she repeated, hes
itatingly.
"No one has ever defined the limits
of friendship yet" he said. "Of course
| know we must be prudent, careful,
and I should be sorry to do anything
which would draw public attention to
us; but we can have many a pleasant
| half hour together, if you will con-
sent"
"It is always a pleasure to me to
! see you Vance,-you know that; but
we must"
| She did not complete the sentence
| for the music of fascinating waltz
reached them.
/ "You will give this waltz to e?" he
said.
II could not refuse" she replied.
And the next moment Lady Laura
Wynyard, crossing the ballroom to
speak to her hostess, saw, to her
great surprise, her husband Waiting
with Gladys Rane.
Gladys Rane and Captain VINEYARD
were old friends who had danced to-
gether hundred times before, and
would in all probability dance to-
gether a hundred times again; there
was nothing surprising in it, But
any one who saw Lady Laura Wyn-
yard when her eyes first fell on the
pair would have thought that some
thing terrible had occurred Her face
grew perfectly white, the color died
even from her lips, and her eyes
cleaned even with a strange light.
She stood watching them in silence
for few seconds, and then passed
on. There was nothing unusual in
their manner; but it seemed to her as
though she had received some deadly
wound Then she tried to laugh her
self out of her unpleasant thoughts.
There was nothing in it; her husband
was merely dancing with an old
friend. Yet, at that moment Lady
Laura's martyrdom began.
The ball was most brilliant one
Angela seemed to enjoy it thoroughly,
and she and her mother were sur
wounded with ndroirprc odu aura