Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-12-29


they danced until the very walls !
seemed to rock. The old man told |
me that the bride was like some !
laughing fairy. Just as the ball was |
closing, and when the happiness and !
gayety were greatest, a terrible cry |
was heard. 1t came from the supper |
room, the grand old banqueting-hall |
where kings and queens had Toasted. |
The guest rushed out, only to witness /
most horrible scene. The beautiful |
tride, with terrible cries, was seen !
flying across the nall, her bright |
gossamer robes all aaame. Her light, |
fluttering baIl-dress had caught fire, |
and, the draught of air tanning the |
flames, they met over her head, and |
enVelOped her. For moment every |
one was paralyzed; and then one OF |
the guests, a gentleman, caught up a |
thick rug and rolled it around her.
He was burned terribly, but he ex-
tinguished the flames. 1t was too /
late. When the hapless lover hasten |
ed to the hall, he saw the girl lying !
in her agony on the ground, her |
golden hair burned, her face distorted, /
her pretty dress of white lace and the |
white water-lilies all hanging in !
scorched shreads around her. She |
spoke a few words to him, and then !
they carried her upstairs to die"
What a terrible story" said the |
duchess.
when Lady Carlton recovered from |
the shock" added Sir Arthur, "she
went abroad, and took her son with
her. She died at Naples last year,
and the master, Sir Basil, is coming
home"
Il will be a great trial to him to
return to the scene OF such a
catastrophe" said the kindly duchess.
"You must ask him here as often as
you cam
THE house is so cheerful, so bright
and beautiful, you would never think
that a tragedy had happened there"
There is a tragedy associated with
most houses. but the world does not
know it, said the duchess.
Il pray heaven" said the general,
'that there will never be one in this"
CHAPTER XVI.
| II was a lovely day in the first
week of August. The laughing sum-
mer had taken full possession of the
land; the yellow wheat and the glow
ing fruit had been kissed to ripeness
| Ky the warm sun. The sky was blue,
without a cloud, ana the fruitful
earth fair to view, The river flowed
calmly between the green banks,
rusIlng through the reeds and sedges,
stirring the great leaves of the lilies,
ripping over the dropping boughs.
1t was drawing near noon. Some
Of the men had sought the GOODNESS
of the billiard-room; some of the
| ladies had retired to the shade of the
| great cedar-tree, with books and work
Leah had gone to her favorite spot,
! the terrace, where the passion-foWers
grew in such profusion. She had
taken them under her special protec-
! ton and visited them every day. She
little knew what a beautiful picture
she made while standing there. Her
! exquisite face, with IS dainty color
and sweet ups, was bent thoughtfully
over the flowers. She wore a long
trailing dress Of pale amber. Every
graceful line Of her figure was seen to
the greatest advantage; an artist who
! could have painted her as she stood
there in the shade of the veranda,
with tAe o.O:i0I2 CC1cr;-lG Ct Gurlig-.
and flowers about her, would have
immortalized himself She smiled as
she gathered some Of the passion,
| flowers, remembering the name given
to her.
Then her thoughts went to Hettie,
who had loved the sweet white lilies
| best. How different life would be il
that beloved sister we're here, how
doubly precious this grand domain if
Hettie shared 1T! In the cleaning
light on the river, in the fire of the
| scarlet passion-flower, in the flowers
Of the gay parterre, she saw the
sweet fair face with it's aureole of
golden hair. Would they ever meet
again? she wondered, sadly Love,
even Of Hettie, would help to fill her
life-for life to her was nothing
without love. Suddenly the wind,
which had hitherto teen but languid
NJ SNCAA' 0CCl1Su " SLl SuSLuSu was IL
the quickening breeze that made her
tTemble? Had the thought of Hettie
unnerved her. She found herself still
looking over the terrace walls, her
eyes fixed on two figures that were
advancing slowly toward her. A
strange sense Of unreality possessed
her. She could have believed herself
in the midst Of dream; she could
have believed that the trimming
river, the blue sky, the green earth,
the cluster Of flowers, were all
pictures and not realities. For few
seconds everything seemed to be quite
still around her-still even as death;
then me golden light dazzled her, and
a sweet message seemed waited to her
on the summer breeze. She made a
desperate effort to arouse herself
| from the curious, trance-like feeling