Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-05-30
CHAPTER XIV.

radiant day hiding it's bushes on the
breast of night, Lulu CIendenon's heart
was full of strange, aching pain. She
had, as Captain Fontenay had told WI
mans, removed to the hotel where Mrs.
Conway had taken rooms. to remain until
Mrs. Winans recovered from her attack
of impending brain fever.
And yet she had not seen Mrs. Winans,
no one being permitted to enter the sick
room excepting those who were in close
attendance on the patient; and, truth to
tell. Lulu was lonely. She missed Bruce
Conway. For many weeks now the twi
light hour had been the peasantest Of
the day to her, for it had been passed
in his companys Now as she sat at the
window, cuddled up in a great easy chair.
her cheek pressed down in the hollow of
her little white hand. her wistful brown
eyes watching the fairy hues of sunset.
Lulu was waking to a realization Of her
own heart.
The little sister that Captain Glen
demon had wanted to keep a child for
ever was a child no longer. Love--the
old, old story, old as the world, and vet
new and sweet as the blushing flowers Of
to-day's blossoming-had opened for her
Lulu was learning the strength, and depth
of her woman's heart first by it's intense
aching. The pretty lip trembled a lit
tie, and Lulu felt as if she wanted to
go home, like a tired and weary child,
to her mother. Mrs. Conway's light
footsteps, as she entered softly. startled
her from her painful reverie. She rous-
ed up into a more dignifed posture, and
in c+o of ha
patient.
'She has been delirious to-day, but is
now for the time being quite rational,
though still and silent. l want to take
you to see her, my dear. You will have
to help nurse her, and 1t is better to have
her get acquainted with you now, and
accustomed to seeing you about her room.
You can come now, if you please, dear.
have spoken to her of you, and she
will be prepared to see you"
Lulu rose from her easy chair, shook
out her tumbled skirts, trying to shake
off a portion of her hearts heaviness at
the same time, and smoothing her dark
braids a little, followed her friend But
her heart rose to her throat as they
crossed the threshold of the sick room,
and stood in the presence of a woman
who had always been such an object of
interest to her.
The fading winter sunshine gimmered
into the apartment and shone on Nora,
where she sat, grave and anxious look
ing, at the side Of the low French bed,
whose sweeping canopy of lace thrown
back over the top revealed the form of
Grace Winans lying under the silken
coveriet like some rare picture, her
cheeks flushed scarlet with fever. the
white lids dropping over her brilliant
eyes. her arms thrown back over her
head, her small hands twisted i'll the
bright drift of golden hair that swept
back over the embroidered pillow.
Dear Grace" Mrs. Conway said,
softly, this is my young friend, Lulu,
Mrs. Winans, Miss Clendenon."
Slowly the sweeping lashes lifted, and
the melancholy gaze dwelt on Lulu's
face, but the lips that opened to speak
only trembled and shut again in that set,
firm line with which proud women keep
back sob. One little hand came down
from over her head, and was softly laid
in Lulu's own. AS it lay there, warm,
feverish. fiuttering like wounded bird.
the young girls heart swelled with a
throb of passionate sympathy. She bent
impulsively and pressed her cool, dewy
lips on the fevered brow of the other,
while she registered VOW in her UNI
selfish soul that she would stand between
Grace Winans and every sorrow that
effort or sacrifice of hers could avert.
How potent is the spell of sympathy.
The light pressure of those soft lips
touched chord in Grace's tortured heart
that never in after years ceased to VI
brate. Her husband had spoken truly
in saying that she had no intimate wom-
an friend. but it was scarcely her fault.
Her nature was a singularly pure and
elevated one: the majority Of the wom-
en- she knew had few feelings in common
with her, and she was too much superior
to them not to be an object of envy
rather than a congenial friend to most.
She had found a kindred spirit at last in
the sister of Willard Clendenon; and if
the shifting current of fate had ordered
her life otherwise than what it was
had she married Willard Clendenon,
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