Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-08-18
of my own great, mighty, passionate

had confessed LQaC you 1OV6Q any
one else, I would say no more; but
you are to be won-therefore will l
give my whole life to the winning
of YOU"
"You will not succeed" she said.
''It were better that the whole race
of the Cares should sink into OBJ
security than that the last of them
should stain her name by such a
marriage"
"You refuse me because l am a
commoner-because have no ped1-
gree. am not of noble BIRTH"
eyes, for those reasons" she said.
LADY IanOne," he continued,
earnestly, edo you think that noble
souls belong, like hereditary estates,
to men Of noble birth?'
81 have always believed So" she
replied.
'Have you never heard of a noble
man being a thief, a forger, robbing
his ward, betraying his trust?"
'"Those are the exceptions, not the
rule" she answered.
"Still you have heard of such?"
81 do not deny it,"
"And you have heard of poor men
who have not hesitated to give
their lives to save others-of SOL
diers receiving the bayonet-thrust
meant for their captain-of sailors
giving their place in a life-boat to
a woman and child and dying in
their stead-of firmemen content to
save little one and die in it's place
you have heard of such?"
Yes" she replied, slowly, 81 have"
"Then how can you say that noble
souls belong only to men of noble
birth? You see that it is not so.
Some of our greatest men have
sprung from the people. Lady Ian
the, let me prove to- you that com
moner's son can be chivalrous and
true-let me prove to you that L,
though sprung from the people, can
love you as Loyalty and nobly as
any peer of the realm
81 cannot" she said, with more of
pride and hauteur than he had seen
in her yet. at is an impossibility.
For a few miutes silence fell over
both. Herman was the first to
break it.
81 repeat, Lady Ianthe," he said
that, if your heart was colder and
harder tnan this marble Psyche
would win you by the might of my
passionate love. You think that you
would make a great sacrifice if you
married me, and that the sacrifice
would be all yours?"
81 do think So" she put in
'"Then will yor listen to me for a
few minutes longer3 If l could
hope to interest you n my father,
I should tell you of how he worked
necessarily, how he toi1ed almost
night and day, how he accumulated
a vast fortune by his own talent and
industry, how he lived and died with
one great hope-it was the hope of
being the founder Of a family"
ga poor ambition" she replied.
Poor in your eyes, Lady Ianthe,
great in HIS commented Herman;
and then he resumed-"He talked to
me Of nothing else. He hoped and
prayed that in time the name of Cul-
ross might be a power in the land,
and he trained me in that hope.
When your father spoke to me and
told me his troubles, I buried that
hope-I laid it at your feet | told
him that if you would learn to care
for me I would consent to his wish
I would take out by letters-patent
the right to bear your name, so that
it should not die; and, believe, me
Lady Ianthe, .scOrn me as much as
you may, l make as great a sacri-
fee in renouncing my fathers ia
vorite idea as you would do in Civ
ing up the cherished prejudice of
your life. It is a sacrifice to me,
but I make it most gladly, as ]
would the sacrifice of my life, were
it pleasing to you
II do not respect you the more
for it., she replied, coldly. GA man
who had any name to be proud of
would not SO lightly give it up
''It is for your sake, Lady Ianthe
Oh, listen to me! Let me plead to
you, pray to you! In time you must
appreciate my great love-must
learn to- understand it-must return
it am content to watt
'Yet your great love will not per.
nit you to save my father without
sacrificing me?"
mo; for in so doing I lose my
only chance of winning you. Dc
not send me away! If you will not
be kind to me for my own sake, be
SO for your fathers. You would
smile on me if you had seen his face
brighten when I laid all my plans
before him. Lady Ianthe, I only ask
permission to lavish my wealth on
you-to use it in your service. ]
will make your fathers heart glad
with inexperssible joy. I will clear
off all his debts. I will restore this