Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-03-18

incline you to 60 % your way and leave
me in peaceg"
He bowed his head before her. remem-
bering how many such good thoughts had
come to him.
There is a reason for it. Irene." he
said.
Twill you tell me what thar reason is?'
she asked.
He was silent for a few minutes think
ing deeply; then he answered her:
Yes, l will tell you the whole truth,
Irene. OF course You can, in certain
fashion, ruin me by betraying me; but
you will not. If you do. you must. You
will not. you are too true and too loyal
for that; but / viii tell you the truth,
Irene"
She covered her face with her hands as
the bitter words fell OBJ her ears; words
that burned her as with red-hot flame.
Il ought to have told you before; but
was afraid that / should lose you.
could not make you my wife for this
reason"
He spoke slowly, and the words were
long in coming; they seemed to die in
hot gasps on his lips.
1T was not all my fault, Irene; my des-
tiny was, after a fashion. settled for me.
While / was quite boy ny father ar
ranged that / should marry Lady Lira
Gerant-while we were both children
that compact was made. Earl Gerant is
a powerful man, great statesman; his
name is power in the land; and | can
not break the contract. When | left
Oxford Lord Gerant sought me out one
day"
:" Sir Hubert, he said, 4 want to talk
to you about this contract made years
ago by your father and myself. l want
Lady Lira to have few years in the
world before her fate in life is fixed. She
is eighteen now; let nothing be said of
the contract or the marriage until she is
twenty
81 assured him that his wish should be
complied with. He went on:
You will wonder, Sir Hubert, why
l have sought you out to say this. You
bear a name as proud as my own-the
Estmeres of the Mere are second to none
in the land. | viii tell you why | seek
you as husband for my only child. l
have no son to succeed me: my whole life
is devoted to politics and to statesman
ship. l have worked as few men work,
and | dislike to think that when I lie
down to die there will be no one to carry
on my work. | have mapped out line
of politics which, in few years, would
change the face of Europe. | have given
the labor and the thought of a lifetime to
it, and / dislike to think that when |
die there will be no one to take it up,
to think of it or to make it succeed. If
| had been blessed with son l should
have trained him to take my place. You
aye ambitious, are you not, Sir Hubert?
Il told him yes; that it would be
pleasure to me to serve my country.
Then take to me a sons place. he
said. You are young yet; | will give
you three years to enjoy life-to go
about, to seek your gayeties and your
pleasures as you will. During that time
come to see us when you will; call on
Lady Lira. go out with her at times, but
let there be no word of the contract be-
tween her and you-or you and myself
$50 we parted lrene-I knowing that l
had but a short time for enjoyment. and
that the rest of my life must be given
to hard work. And though have seem
ed to like idleness, and have enjoyed to
their utmost, all gayeties and pleasures
yet L hnd myself looklng forward TO the
time when my life will be great and no
ble.'
Great and noble" she cried. With
the stain of your disgrace on your hands,
how can yoa be great and noble? You
are meaner than the meanest-smaller
than the smallest-for you have done the
meanest deed"
but is there no excuse for me, Irene
none? / was content enough with my
life until [ saw you. The prospect of
marrying Lady Lira Gerant, the most
beautiful woman and the richest heiress
in England. was pleasant enough until
saw you. Mind. | was never in raptures
over it; but | saw most brilliant fu-
ture waiting me-sich as falls to the
lot of few. When | met you-oh, Irene.
believe me. with all my faults believe me
when l met you | knew the first pas
sionate love of my life; and, my darling,
if | have been selfish, forgive me, | can
not give you up!'
He tried to clasp her in his arms, but
she withdrew Indignantly
H.. \