Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-10-18


him, and he WINGED. Bringing the check
had been only an excuse that he might
see her again. He had been in love with
her ever since he had known her, and
without the slightest return. AS girl,
she had refused him; married to the gen
eral, she had tolerated him; later, she
had hated him, and with reason. After
seven long years he again sat by her
side, could see her face in the moonlight,
and watch the sparkling stones on her
hands. He had been rude; his tongue
had said what his heart did not feel. he
leaned forward suddenly: LET us be
friends again, Fair. I am lonely man.
1 have spoiled my life. My young days
with you are my happiest memories, and
you know how little you did to make them
happy Think that they should have been
my happiest ones"
Rob" she answered. using a name he
had not heard for years, lit is not posi-
BILE. am very sorry, but it is not. You
have spoiled your life through your own
folly. You lost what little affection l had
for you in the same way. l am going
away, to France, and I may not be here
for some years. If you care to be forgiV-
en- for the offense for which l said, so
long ago. that l never wished to see you
again, forgive you. It shall be as if it
had never happened. I could not have
done this a year ago. have learned
good deal since then, l hope. L used to
think it was what we got out Of the world
that counted; but it isn't; it's what we
put in. Your sister has no one in the
world except you; don't let her be asham-
ed of her brother, as she will be II you
live as you have lived. Make her
home"
She held out her hand to him, the feel
ing of antipathy with which she had
begun to speak almost changed to friend
ship during her appeal. Tazewen clasp
ed it, all the best in him uppermost.
''Listenv' Fairfax said, withdrawing
her hand.
The steady hoofbeats of a galloping
horse sounded plainly on the stiffness of
the night over the sod pasture at the side
of the house. Tazewell cleared his throat.
"Some admirer Fastening hither,' he said,
in his old mocking tones.
The gallop slowed down to a canter,
changed to a trot, and then they saw
the indistinct forms Of the horse and
rider, the horses four white stockings
SululuS III Tie CLEAR LuOOullSuL AZ TIE
side gate through the hedge Maude threw
the reins over post and vaulted the
gate, every movement indicative of high
spirits and superintendent vitality. Fair
fax stood up impulsively and went down
the steps to meet him. She held out her
hand.
81 couldn't resist gallop on old Buck
ingham," Maude said. "How do you do,
Mrs. Tazewell? But, l say, you aren't go
ing to France soon, are you"
Eyes" she answered.
The tone of her voice was not the tone
Major Bob had been listening to all the
evening. He noticed the difference, and
spoke to himself grimly, back in the shad-
ow of the vines: $50 Buckingham wins
again, in a canter; Hugh Darlington also
ran-and Bob Tazewell left at the post"
The enforced rest and early hours of
his life on the plantation gave Major
Bog better health than he had known for
years. Yet he was not grateful; he be-
grudged every minute he spent in the
lonesome silent house; he hated the broad
fields. His sister, with eyes puckered by
much staring through the hot sunshine,
rode about the plantation every day, try
ing with all her might to carry on a bust
ness in which she had no training and of
which she had little knowledge 1t was
not woman's work. Often at night she
would lean out of her window and look
across the fields to the woods, trans
formed by the frefies into fairyland Of
moving lights. All that shadowy land
was hers; and she must leave it and go
o1t he ~
quiet country life, the yearly miracle of
springing vegetation, the beauty of the
river and of the mountains.
One day at the noon hour she sat in the
feed passage of the stable. The plough
men had all gone to their cabins. Down
the long passage was steady sound CT
grinding corn and a vista of mules heads,
their great ears wagging with the motion
of their jaws. Honest, faithful workers,
doomed to unremitting toll from their
second year, part and parcel of the plan
tation, cuffed and kicked and ierked
about, their mission to pull always the
heavy loads.
One old mule gave a sidelong glance
at the sober face of her mistress and.
her corn, began on her hay, pick
ing it up near her mistress skirt Some
one came into the barn, and Mamie look
ed up, expecting one of the transfers,
but Henry beamed upon her, hat in hand. |
They told me you were here. and l |
would not let them send for YOU" he said
Il have been doing little work at the |
Court House on some papers of Gen. |
Tazewelrs. There was no way out of
It, and Mrs Tazewell was so very nice to |
NE l couldn't we'll refuse. I've been
stopping at her house the last few days. |
left for fear of the epidemic"
Epidemic? OF what" Nan asked,
nnocently.
Heart failure-brain fever-mdsun1-
ner madness; it has many names. | felt
t coming on-and you know didn't even
ike her when I went there. | was afraid
hat should forget the etiquette of my
,rade and make love to my client. Can
you keep secret?" Henry asked; ''be-
cause L can't. OF course, l am only