Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-07-14
lines that furrowed the tnln

IL
love that other girls divide between
mothers, sisters, brothers, friends,
have given to you
There was something pathetic IN
the girls deep attachment to ner
father. Listening to her, one coui4
have fancied her a mother talking TO
child.
'eNow tell me- she said. 81 wish
could know it without, as telling Will
give you pain; but that cannot be-
A dreary, far-off look came into the
old mans eyes; his thoughts seemed
to have wandered. She recalled them
by touching his forehead with her
lips; he started as though she hao
reused him from sleep.
"I have been trying to think,
Ianthe,' he said, "how far I am guilty
but cannot tell; my thoughts are in
tangle. For example, if a man be
born with an overwhelming tendency
to any one thing, how far is he cut
pable in yielding to it?"
"You cannot put such a question, !"
replied Ianthe. There is the limit of
right and wrong; no strong tendency
can excuse wrong-doing."
ct suppose not" said the old earl
witt a sigh. Some men are born
poets-they must paint pictures.
was born a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
have been compelled to speculate"
But Lady Ianthe had been raised
too far above the ordinary grooves of
life to know how much the term
"speculator" may be made to convey.
She repeated the word dreamily-it
had no terrors for her.
"a speculator, papa? There Is
nothing dreadful in that, is there?"
she asked.
eyes, he replied, "if man is never
content, never satisfied
"'But you," she said, wonderingly-
"how could you be that?"
81 cannot tell you, child, when l was
ever anything else The first thing
did when came into possession of
my estates was to speculate. Some
times won largely; sometimes I lost
Winning or losing, the madness grew
on me. Do you understand the kind
of speculation I mean, Ianthe? Per
haps / should rather call it gambling
1t is gambling after all; and the
same fever fires the veins of spec
ulator and gambler. One day through
my agent, who turned out afterward 20
be most INSCRIPTIONS rogue, would
purchase stock, hold it for few days.
and then by selling it realize some
thousands On pounds; afterward / lost
even more heavily than I had won.
Fifteen years SINCE" continued the ola
earl, with deep sigh, II lost what
was to me terrible sum. To meet it
I was compelled to mortgage Croombe
abbey; a continuous run of i'll luck
left me no other resource. Listen,
Ianthe. That ten thousand pounds Iot
which I mortgaged this fair house
and broad domain was lent to me by
John Culross, a wealthy manufactured.
You remember his son, Herman
Culross?"
A smile of unutterable contempt
curled the proud lip of Lady Ianlhe.
but she made no reply.
THAT" he went on, "did not trou ole
me very much. I might have savea
the amount, but that l have always
lived up to my income. / thought
one good speculation would pay for
all. Two years since was previously
tempted, Ianthe. A new company was
started. 1t was to be confined to 9
few, and great hopes were entertained
of it. 1t was for the working of a
silver mine in Mexico. My agent
came to see me about it. He could
think and talk of nothing save the
enormous profits to be realized-the
vast sums to be made. I was greedy
-ah, Ianthe, how my greed has been
punished! They told me that any one
who could invest two hundred thous-
and pounds in that mine would soon
be a millionaire. read all the
papers, I studied the figures, thought
long and anxiously about it. Then
the love of greed and speculation
mastered me. l went to London, an
met several men of business. They
all spoke highly of the mine. So |
gathered all the money | could from
every source mortgaged my income
for the next three years. raised the
two hundred thousand pounds. After
waiting impatiently for some return
for cheerful news-on Christmas-ev
the blow fell. Then were realized nv
worst fears. The mine has proved d
complete failure, and l am a ruined
mana ruined man." repeated the
old earl, with a terrible gesture of
despair. Maurice, Lord Care is
hopelessly ruined; he is the first
Care who has brought even the
faintest shadow of disgrace on the
name Oh, Ianthe. have you any pity
for me? Have you anything save
contempt?'
'You did it for the BEST" she MUIR
INJURED.
"You nave not heard all yet, Ianthe.
Six months since they wrote to me
those men who have ruined me-and