Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-03-02

understand each other even better
than now.
Sir Arthur and Leah were quite will
ing; they were even delighted. Leah
liked the Abbey better than any other
place on earth, because she most i'm
plicitly believed that it was there Sir
Basil had learned to love her. She
should see gain the marble Undlne
with it's grace and beauty, and the
ripping waters that had sung that
night Of love.
August found them at Dene, we'll
and happy, without the faintest knowl-
edge Of the doom that was fast draw
ing nigh The Abbey was built near
Southwood, a pretty town on the
slope of a green hill, and SO close to
the sea that when the tide rose high
some of the little houses were not I'M
| frequently in danger. The little town
ran I'D the hill after quaint fashion
of it's own. and the houses seemed to
climb with the social position OF those
who occupied them. The fishermen
and the boatmen lived at the base;
but nearer to the summit stood the
pretty villas inhabited by the gentry
picturesque little houses half buried
in foliage and overlooking the bound
| less, restless sea.
Partly on account of it's bracing air,
and partly because he at times had
few engagements in the neighbor-
ing towns, Martin Ray had for some
wears made this place his home. His
health was bad his spirit broken,
his means were small, his life was
spoiled, saddened, blighted, his heart
restless and embittered. 1t seemed
that only hatrd kept him alive
hatred that burned in his heart more
yirulently than ever-hatred of all
rule, all authority The spirit and
courage of his youth had left him. For
four years he had lived in a cottage
standing alone on the slope of the hill.
When the tide was in, and one looked
from the upper windows, it seemed as
though the house almost hung over the
sea. 1t was called Rosewalk, be-
cause the hedges of the lane in which
it stood were covered with roses.
ROsewaIk was one of the beauties OF
Southwood; and here where the MUIR
MUIR of waves lulled him to rest and
the song of the birds woke him in the
early morning, Martin Ray made his
home.
AS he sat watching the crimson sun
set over the waves, what visions
came to him! His life had all gone
wrong. He had intended to make for
himself place in history, and he had
mistaken self-love and self-interest
fer patriotism Most of all, as he
sat hour after hour watching the blue
sea from the rose-wreathed windows,
he bfOOded over the loss of his daugh-
ter, the child that had voluntarily left
his side and clung to q stranger. He
never forgot that scene. The names
of his daughter and Of the hated
stranger had never been breathed;
yet, when the crimson sun sunk into
the neighbOring villas, she sung in the
dream Of amber skies" it was Of his
beautiful Leah he dreamed and
thought. the child whom he had in
tended to succeed him.
A man like Martin Ray is soon lost
to memory. He lives on popular agi-
tation; and when strength and health
fail him, and he can no longer 60
among the people with words that
''fret and stir" he is soon forgotten.
Martin had few friends; his name was
no longer a tower Of strength. He
learned in that beautiful home by the
sea some of the most bitter lessons.
The one JOY Of his life was his fair,
sweet Hettie-the child who loved
him with such faithful, tender love,
who had devoted her life to him since
she made her choice five years before
He could not have lived without her
Hettie made the most Of her educa-
ton; she gave lessons to the children
of the weI1-tO-dO people who lived in
the neighboring viIals, she sung in the
fine old Norman church, she made
pretty little sketches of the lovely
scenes around them, and so earned
money enough to supply her father
with all that he needed. 1t was char
acteristic Of him that he never noticed
his daughters shabby dress or her
worn shoes. She gave him unre-
servedly all she had-her love, her
money, her time, and her attention.
The only break that ever came to the
monotony Of her life was when her
father, going out on business, took
her with him for a few days. She
thought it an act of kindness on his
part, while he knew that without his
most loving and devoted daughter he
should enjoy very little comfort. She
had never spoken to him Of what she
read and seen Of Leah. She knew
that he perused thenewspaper but no
word or look from him revealed the
fact that he had seen her name. Het-
tie was compelled to preserve silence
on the subject, but her thoughts ever
reverted to Leah. So it often hap
pened that, when father and daughter
sat together in the porch Of the pretty