Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-01-12
Yep

By Bertha VI. Clay.

| wonder as she stood on the terrace;
but now the sense of her great love
illness came over him and struck him
almost dumb He took her down to
dinner, wondering that he had not
been more impressed before, and he
talked more to her than he had
previously.
The dinner-party was pleasant
one. Leah was a charming hostess;
and a more agreeable, hospitable, en-
PERTAINING host than General HattOn
it would have been almost impossible
to find.
When the ladies returned to the
drawing-room, the duchess took up a
book, with some little hope of dis
guising the fact that she was going
to sleep; Lady Maude had several
secrets to talk over with pretty May
Luson; so that Leah was alone. She
tried to stead her thoughts, but she
could not-they were all chOas. She
tried to still the throbbing of her
heart: it was impossible. The girls
every nerve was strained The long
French windows were wide open.
She stood near one of them to see if
the fresh evening air would drive
away the thick crowding thoughts
and fancies from her brain, and
presently a voice near her said,-
"How plainly you can see the river
from here, Miss Hatton!"
She reased her dark dreamy eyes to
Sir Basils.
81 often wonder" she returned,
what I should do if I had to live
where there was no river. 1 should
miss it so much. I look at it always
the first thing in the morning and the
last at night. It is friend and COM
panion to me-"
81 am Of your opinion; no land
scape is perfect to me without water.
l have a childish love of water, from
the great wild tossing ocean down to
the tiniest lakelet. The sound Of it's
! falling or dripping or rushing, as the
river rushes there, is the most charm
ing music of nature. While l was in
Italy, | had a terrible fever, and for
many days l was quite delirious-I
may say mad; and during the whole
time what do you think my fancy
VASE" The face raised to his was
full Of interest. Il thought | was
lying by a beautiful waterfall, under
the shadow of great trees with
| spreading boughs. I could hear the
dripping of the water and the soft
splash as it fell into the rocky basin
below; but, when I stretched out my
hands to touch it, it was boiling
when I bent my head over the rocky
basin and tried to drink it with my
hands, it scalded me. Was not that
a most uncomfortable delirium?"
eyes I should imagine so; but
hardly understand what delirium is
like"
Have you ever INDUCED in
strong fancy" he asked-"so strong
that you hardly knew the fancy
from reality?"
Before she had time to answer him,
flood of crimson overspread her
face; and he wondered to himself
why this proud young beauty blushed
| so deeply for nothing. Even had he
known her fancies, he would not
perhaps have understood them.
Eyes" she replied slowly; 81 know
what a very strong and vivid fancy is.
! It grows into a belief"
''All delirium is belief for the
time" he said.
Then he made way for the duchess,
who reused by the entrance Of a
gentleman, had come toward the open
window in search Of fresh air.
1--WE shall have beautiful moon
tonight" she said, looking up at the
rosy sky, over which the gray shades
of night were beginning to steal Il
like a full bright moon. Leah, you
look like IA poem, with all those
passion-fowers. Does she not, Sir
Basil?"
Miss Hatton is a poem" he re-
piled,
The words were earnestly spoken,
although he meant nothing by them.
They made the heart Of the girl by
his side thrill with happiness.
People have such different tastes, .
continued the duchess. II do not like
passion-fOwers; they always seem to
me mysterious and melancholy.
like the smiling beauty Of hundred
Ieayed rose"
cit is strange" said Sir Basil; but
l like passiOn-fowers better than any
other flower that blooms"
Leah teurned her telI-tale blushing
face away. The duchess laughed.
81 beg your pardon" she said; 81
cannot quite believe my own ears.
Would you mind repeating what you
have just said?"
'T like passion-fowers better than
any other flower that blooms" he re-
peated. q learned to love them in
Italy, where they grow in wild,
beautiful profusion-they look at
their best when they cling round the
old stone crosses and ruined shrines
one sees continually. I think an old
gray cross covered with crimson
40 &c Of -