Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-04-15
.IRENE'S vow
BY CHARLOTTE M. BRAEME
BY CHARLOTTE M. BRAEME.

/ the Duchess of Bayard were flied with
gold, and she herself ALMOST wondered 10
fad how mach money she was spending.
until Vane Forester grew desperate and
gave up the Struggle; it was useless.
Every door was shut in his face, every
man seemed to be against him. The men
who had been his friends would have
nothing more to do with him. They told
each Other there was something against
him. and though none of them knew
what it was, 1e rumor grew and spread
until his oldest friends passed him with
out nod, and he was alone in the world.
The end of it was that, gaunt, hungry,
almost friendless, the once brilliant,
wicked man presented himself before Sir
Hubert Estmere.
Il have reserved you,'' he said; you
are my last resofIrce-you must help me
Il helped you.n
Il would not help You more if you
were dying. You did what you pleased
to call a service for me. / did one in
return for you. and now we are quits
| shall do no mere"
Il am ruined, broken-down man." he
returned.
Serves you right" said Sir Hubert
Il deserve shooting myself for my sin;
but l never forget that you led me into it,
But for such men as you, men like my
self would be tea thousand times better
than they are
Il thought you would help me" said
Nane Forester, his face quivering, and
MS voice hoarse with emotion.
II do not see why you should. /, base
" enough, asked your help; you gave it,
and | repaid it. Would to heaven you
had refused me when | asked it. loathe
you for your compliance"
Il could swear to heaven" cried the
man, that | h&ve hidden foe; it is
just as though someone had sworn ven
geance against me. | can never succeed
in any single thing and yet 1 know of
no enemy in the wide world"
He paused abruptly, for Sir Hulbert's
eyes were fixed upon him with an ex
preston of stunned and bewildered
amaze.
What makes you think that he ask
ed. slowly, with curious whiteness conf
ing over his face.
Il could swear it, he cried. Il can
not tell who, or what, or why-it cannot
all be coincidence, there is too much sys-
ten in it. | swear that somewhere un-
der the pitiless sky | have a foe vino
follows me, and tracks me, and ruins
me"
Sir Hubert was silent for few min
utes, Could il be possible that the beau
tiful, injured woman, who had threaten
cd him with vengeance, had absolutely
taken vengeance on his accomplice: 1t
looked like it,
Who found foe you the position you
held in the Inland Revenue OfficeE he
asked.
The answer vas: The Duke of Bay
ard"
How did you lcse it?"
1T was taken from me- given up be-
cause they We're reducing expenses, |
was told"
Have you asked the duke to help you
sinceT'
Yes, | have: but | received a letter
saying that he declined 10 use any inter
est that he might have for me, and that
| was not 10 trouble him again"
Have you ever seen the Duchess of
Bayard? They tell me she is very gem
erous--she might
mo woman can help me, he cried; II
want the influence and interest Of man.
No, have not seen her. if did it would
be of no use-she would not help me"
He never dreamed that the beautiful
woman, Respondent in jewels, who had
looked at him that night at the opera
was the girl at whose mock marriage he
had laughed as the very cream Of jests.
There is no homeless dog in the street
that has been so driven, and worried, and
ill-used, as | have BEEN" cried Vane For
roster. Give me a few pounds
to begin life with in another land, and
you will not hear of me again.
So it happened that he left England IN
safety, and after some years became
quite a famous man in New York. The
price of his crimes was TO be paid him
by other hands than those of the woman
whose life he had helped to mar and
spoil.