Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-11-08
TOM LANDERo' w FE.

Sometimes have fancied she has some
thing on her mind"
Mrs. Vanderveer frowned. Nonsense"
she said quickly. "Black makes any girl
look pale; besides, Elinor's mother has
not been dead xix months. and her deep
mourning naturally shuts her of from
all the gayeties of a summer resort. |
try my best to make her feel less lonely.
but she cannot forget that she is an or
phan."
Nevertheless, she felt worried. 1t was
no small responsibility to chaperoh an
heiress, but when she had undertaken
ElinOr Haywood for the summer fit
of melancholia was the last thing in the
world she had looked for. She had ex-
pected to have a battle with scores of
ineligible men, the kind that always
crowd around a girl with money, but
Elinor did not seem to care for atten-
ton, and kept to herself as much as pos
siblc
In fact, the one eligible man in the
place. the one whom Mrs. Vandervecr
had picked out as the only desirable
party, she had kept at a severe distance
This was Tom Landers-a handsome
young lawyer of good family with some
means OF his own. He seemed more than
willing to try to make Miss Haywood
life pleasanter, but lately her avoidance
of him had been noticeable Mrs. Van
dcryeer wondered if there was another
love affair, of which she knew nothing,
somewhere in the background She de
termined to find out.
why don't you ike Mr.. Landers ?"
she asked when the two were alone to-
gether. The girl flushed painfully. and
turned away. Il don't dislike him" she
faltered, but / don't care to talk to
him, you know | like to be quiet. In
fact. / was wondering"
Wondering what?" said the elder
woman, anXiously.
There are SO many people here. /
thought we might be more comfortable
if we moved to some other place"
Mrs. Nanderveer raised her eyebrows
tride. my dear girl, that's ridiculous.
You yourself chose this place, and Won
know our rooms are taken for the en-
tire season"
The girl sighed and said nothing more.
She was very unhappy. She longed TO
tell Mrs. Nanderveer what she felt it
would blister her lips to utter, and vet
it seemed strange that she did not see
Tor herself what all the people in the
hotel knew. For though Tom Landers
had sought her out from the very first,
and seemed to have determined to make
her like him in the end, he did not con-
ceal the fact that he was a married man;
IN fact, he was spending his vacation
with his wife.
Elinor had not known it at first. Mrs.
Nanderveer had presented him. and she
had taken it for granted that he was un-
married. He had been so kind and
thoughtful, and in her loneliness her
heart had gone out to him; without in
trudmg upon her great sorrow or even
mentioning it, he seemed to understand
everything, and by the very sympathy
OF his manner helped her TO bear her loss.
Ii he had only told her them
EGnor could not remember without n
certain humiliation the day when she
had first discovered the truth. A party
of girls had chartered coach and had
persuaded her to drive with them.
Without listening, she overheard the con
versation of the two Just in front of her.
and found that they were talking about
the subject of her own thoughts, Tom
Landcrs.
YES, he's awfully handsome" sand
the first speaker, but | think Miss Ian.
| dors, his sister, is the sweetest thing.
She came this morning"
she isn't Miss Landcrs. she's Mrs.
j-andcrs: most people make that mis-
| take said her companion. He was
| speaking about 1t the other day. They
think it il great Joke"
~ IT,
self to dress and 90 downstairs to meet
| Tom lander's wife. She was at least
no coward. He himself introduced her
that very evening and Elinor got
! through it somehow without breaking
! down, Mrs. Landers was very prett :.
ana very young, with frank smile and
a very cordial manner.
One afternoon several women were dis.
| CuSslng husbands in general and tobacco
IN particular. One speaker said that size
allowed her husband three cigars dav,
but when he was away from her she
supposed he smoked all the time. Mrs.
ianders seemed TO find this very anus
ing
Tom is the best boy in the world =
ste said, and | dare say he would give
up smoking to please me, hut would no
| more thlnk ot trying To limit the number
OF cigars my husband smokes than /
would the number of clean collars he
wears. Would you. Miss HAYWOOD"
1T Is subject in which | take no in.
terost. said Ehnor, coldly, and walked
away.
y few days later Eliuor met Mrs. Ian.
der~ alone IN the hallway one morning.
Il want you 10 come into my room for
a moment, Miss Haywood | have some
thing particular to say to YOU" EHnor
could not refuse, and followed her. Mrs.
Landcrs sat beside her. and took the
girls hot hand between her own cool
palms,
Now I want to know what Tom has
done TO offend you, and why YOU avoid
him sou She said, THE poor boy is
desperately unhappy over il. and | am
sure it is only a MISUNDERSTANDING. and
! all can he explained"
Elnor tried to draw away. Mr. Lam
ders has done nothing to offend me" She
| answered.
just then there was a hustle AT the
! door aud a hall b+,,r k,,l,l