Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-04-14

to a. sense of danger, to a perception
of what might be passing around,
to the knowledge of a terrible
tragedy that was being played before
her eyes while she herself was quite
Of it. Fortunately, she
did not even ever so family dream Of
it. Brilliant, graceful, and beautiful
&C she was, Lady Laura was not a
clever woman She was sweet,
gentle, and amiable, refined and SEN
sitive. but no one would have de-
scribed her as clever. She was &C
complished and well read, but she
had little of that valuable quality
that people call clevernesS. She haG
the most implicit trust in Angela, and
in some vague way that she could
never explain even to herself, she
had long had a feeling that Angela
was older, stronger, and wiser than
herself: and she felt now that her
daughter would not have done what
she had without some urgent reason.
The best complexion was put upon
Angela's absence. SO as to avoid scan
dial. The captain, in speaking Of
Miss Roodens departure as very sud
den and unforeseen, was careful to
add that she would join them when
they went to town. The secret of
her mysterious flight did not get
known in the neighborhood at all.
All friends were told the same story
no icif
and would join the captain and Lady
Laura Wynyard in town. But, if the
secret lay lightly on the household,
il was a weighty burden on the
minds of Lady Laura and her hus-
band. The captain could not under
stand the occurrence; Angela had
been so reticent with him.
IT'S no love-affair,' he said to him
self-"I should not care so much if it
were; she is not like other girls-she
has never cared about lovers. For
what can she have gone away? The
matter has nothing to do with her
mother; yet how the girl could have
a secret from her I cannot imagine
they were so devoted to each other"
1t was curious to see how this
strong, usually careless man was af-
fected by his step-daughter's dis
appearance He did not sleep well;
he did not eat well. His usual high
spirits deserted him. and he became
moody and silent He was always
asking himself how much did she
know, had she any suspicious con-
corning him, had she found him out.
To him it seemed impossible that
she could have discovered anything.
He had surrounded himself with pre-
cautions, he had made himself secure
behind a whole rampant of explana-
items. He had made it impossible
that he should be taken by surprise.
She could never have the faintest
suspicion of him. though he was
bound to confess to himself that he
had not liked the look of her face
on that morning when she declined
to rIde or to drive. Had she known
the secret of the will, he could have
understood her conduct: but she did
not know it.
myself about the fancies of a girl
she has a thousand unknown to me-"
But, when he was alone with his
thoughts, the same agitation, the
same uneasy apprehension tortured
him. Had she found him out, and
had she gone away to seek advice
and strengthen her case? The fear
haunted him.
The captain was so unlike himself
that he had no inclination to go up
to town. 1t was of little use, he told
himself, now that all his schemes
were upset. In the depths of his
dark apd deererate heart he had
made his yillainous plans. The first
and foremost was the comprising OF
the death of Angela. She was the
one great barrier to his path. Lady
Laura was a fragile, delicate woman,
whose long martyrdom, he saw, mus
soon end; ner health and strength
were failing daily. Now, with Angela
escaped from his power, he realized
that he was in an awkward position.
If anything happened to this delicate
wife of his, the property would go to
Angela; and the almost certain prob
ability was that she would never
see him or share it with him in any
way. Then he would be a poor man.
The will about which he had taken so
much trouble would be absolutely
yalueless
Il have mismanaged the whole
matter most fearfully," he said to
himself, with darkening brows; "I
should have been more prompt in
action. There is no one to blame
but myself"
If Angela did not return, if she
never fell into his power again. even
the loss of his wife would not bring
him one step nearer to Gladys Rane;
the insurmountable barrier of poverty
would still be between them. It was
such a complete downfall, such a
complete crushing of all his plans,