Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-07-19

moved Darlington TO try 10 md OUT
indeed she was fond of him. 1t was
poor setting for romance, the bright sun
shine shedding it's commonplace, prac-
teal light over everything.
81 am going away" Hugh said, rising
and standing by the mantelpiece.
came to say good-by."
s'For how long?" She had become
little paler, but spoke with nervous at
tempt at lightness.
Something in the intensity Of her eyes
made Hugh draw quick breath. Dld
she care. after all? Perhaps it was bet
ter not to know His stupid peryersity,
so stupid it was almost fatality, MADE
him continue
81 don't know" he said, slowly; 1T
may depend on you. Do you remember
what l told you year ago?'
She nodded ever so slightly.
"You have never answered." he con-
tinued. He knew that he was acting; he
was placing her in a false position, no
matter what she said. The cruel side
of his nature, which cared little for suf-
fering in man or beast, kept him on. L
suppose it is the innate coQuetry Of your
SEX You do not want me, nor want to
| let me GO relieve your boredom in
| measure. here where there is nothing
| else to amuse you"
| Her head, usually so proudly erect, was
| bent; the voice, often so cold, was very
low. "You are mistaken, Hugh, but you
may CO."
| Something of the same feeling that had
| possessed him a year before came over
| Darlington. Fairfax was very beaut1-
| full. He felt the absurdity Of healing the
wound after giving the thrust; but he
knelt by the chair and took her hand.
She drew it away gently. II cannot ex-
plain" she said.
eyes, tell me-" he urged.
| She answered. looking straight before
her into the empty fireplace: 1T is all
very we'll for you to say you love me, and
I believe you. But the ceremony that
made me a wife is to me a sacred one,
| although I no longer love my husband.
| cannot be false to my trOth, false to my
| honor, and yet-and yeti love you"
| She began quite calmly, but ended brok-
| emily, her head sinking forward on her
| hand.
Hugh made no attempt to comfort her.
He was too wretched to do anything ex-
cept stare, as she had done, into the emp
ty fireplace, and inwardly curse himself
and his work The sunshine shone in at
the windows, and the birds sang in the
trees around the house, making the con-
trast to the scene within the drearier.
go" she said, raising her head, and
making no effort to conceal the tears on
her face, 81 have told you all, and now
you know"
Darlington did not speak, and she
y
miserable silence. After a little time
she went on: "IfSI could do as l liked
| But we have always been an honorable
race, and I will not be the first to leave
stain on it-no, nor on my husbands
name, either. Oh, Hugh, tell me I am
right. l must be right. Help me, Hugh;
it is 50 hard to do alone"
And Darlington comforted her with
such words as he could find, and promised
a speedy return. By degrees he led the
conversation back to everyday life, and
when he mounted his horse at her door
she came out on the porch and called
good-by to him without any trace of I'M
usual emotion.
Hugh had five long miles of thinking
between his house and the station at
| Eastover junction; and afterwards in
the train the discordant jar Of the wheels
was in tune with his own thoughts for
| miles and miles on end. He cursed his
own stupid vanity to the limit of his yo-
cabulary, while at the same time feeling
an increasing tenderness for Fairfax,
confessing her love for him and yet firm
| ly clinging to her standard Of honor. It
| lifted her to plane above what she had
ever before occupied in his thoughts.
AS the hours went by, the vibrations
of the train lost their Earring effect and
became soothing, and he began to take
more philosophic view of it all. Fair
fax and he had been quite happy in their
companionship, and the future certainly
held as much as the past. Their tastes
were similar, and her house was but
three-quarters Of a mile from his own.
Besides, he had his yearly pleasure of
a trip to New York and the sight of the
| contents of a tin box, all his. Could he
ever care for any one enough to make
him forego his love of accommodating, of
adding little by little to his hoard and
never spending? Pondering this, he fell
asleep in the uncomfortable seat of the
day coach. He smiled grimly at his own
parsimony in denying himself a sleeper
that he might save the three dollars. His
last conscious thought was the question
| as he knew himself
| (To be continued)