Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-09-01


they having talked not unpleasantly
and then Herman thought of his
wife's fatigue.
"You have had hard days travel
ing, Lady Ianthe,' he said; twill you
not go to your cabin and rest?"
She looked up into his face and
laughed.
"You do not yet know my whims
and caprices,'' she said. 81 never care
to enter those close sitting cabins. A
night on deck is my greatest delight"
'"Then I must find you comfortable
sheltered seat, and plenty Of wraps"
he returned.
''Thank you; my maid will do that"
Seeing him draw back vita a sad
dened face, she added:
perhaps you will manage it better,
though l shall be glad if you will at
tend to it"
He looked delighted, and fastened to
obey.
He made for her a pleasant little
nook, sheltered from the wind and
she was compelled to own that she
''You are quite sure" he said, chat
you will not take cold?"
F'No, there is no fear"
And then he stood for a few mo-
ments thoughtfully by her side.
'Ianthe,' he said, eff in our strange
life there is to be any degree of COM
fort, we must be perfectly straight
forward. 1t will give me the great
est pleasure to sit here with you; but
I am afraid of presuming. If you
would rather be alone tell me so.''
''I would rather be alone,' she said.
If he felt any pain at her words, he
would not betray it to her He held
out his hand, and then, remembering
his agreement, drew it suddenly back
again
Good night" he said-"good night,
and Heaven bless you!"
She had forgotten all about him be-
fore he had been five minutes away
from her. He crossed to the other
side of the vessel and sat where he
could see her without being seen.
The first few days of their travels
passed happily enough. The novelty
charmed her, his kindness and atten-
ton pleased her-indeed his attention
was something wonderful. He never
seemed to forget her-her least WISH
her slightest desire, her faintest
caprice, we're all gratifed before she
had hardly expressed them. He never
spoke to her of love-he never spoke
to her of himself-but he surrounded
her with an atmosphere of affectionate
care which soon became indispensable
to her. She began to rely upon him
for the comfort of her life-but, as
for loving him, the idea did not even
occur to her.
They went wherever she expressed
wish to go. She saw Rome,
Venice, Naples, Palermo. She reve1led
in the new and enhancing life. Her
husband, too, when she could forget
that he was her husband-when she
could forget that he was a plebeian-
was a most intelligent companion.
His store of information bewildered
her-dazzled her; he seemed to know
the history of every picture and
statue, of every place of interest; he
knew something of the lives of all
great men.
They went one lovely morning in
June to visit an old picture-gallery in
Venice. Amongst the paintings was
one entitled An Unhappy Marriage.
There was young wife with a sweet,
fair, patient face, and fair waving
hair-a sad face, never forgotten when
once seen with the most plaintive ex-
pression-watching the sleep of her
husband young man, handsome, dis
sipated, with flushed countenance and
tangled hair. There was a world of
regret in the woman's eyes, a history
in the sweet, hopeless face. Herman
drew Lady Ianthe away
''Do not look at it, he said, hastily
81 do not like it,
"But I do" she opposed. "Why 90
you not?"
cit is too painful a reminder he re
piled; and she laughed.
cit does not concern us-ours is not
a case of disappointment. l do not
think we are disappointed in each
other; ours was not SO much mar
riage you know as a mere business
arrangement. Why should the picture
affect your"
He turned from her with a sudden
moan, as though his pait was greater
than he could bear.
He tried to make himself happy. If
he had loved her less passionately, it
would not have been so difficult. He
tried to engross himself in the scenes
around him; he purchased all that
was most beautiful and that he fancied
she would like-cameos, laces,
bijouterie of all kinds. If she ad-
mired statue, and he could not OBJ
tain the original, he would order a
copy; it was the same with pictures.
Whatever she admired-if money
could purchase it for her, she had it.
He sent home such hosts of treasures
to Croombe that the Earl was startled.
They met many English people