Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-05-09

She bowed, then rallied from her sur
prise sufficiently to say that an old and
valued friend like Captain Clendenon
needed no excuse to make him welcome
in her home. A faint flush of gratiica-
ton tinged his white forehead an in
slant then faded as q look of pain on
the lovely face before him showed that
some indefinabe dread of his mission to
her filled her mind.
II am not the bearer of any Ill news
he FASTENED to remark.
"Ah! thank you'll am glad" the fad
ing color flowing back to her lips. I'VE
women are so nervous at thought of i'll
news-and-and get so depressed some
times-I suppose all women do
Yes. | presume all women do Get de-
pressed who preserve such inyioaEe Sc
clusion as you do, Mrs. Winans,' he an
swered. gravely land that brings me to
my object in coming here this morning.
l had letter from your husband yes
terday, in which he made special mention
of you in abiding to various reports
which have reached him relative to your
utter retirement from society,"
We'll" she asked coldly, as he paus-
ed, little Disconnected by her steady
gaze, and by his consciousness of touch
Il
And" he went on, "your husband
seemed annoyed, or rather fearful that
your health might suffer from such IN
wonted seclusion. He begged me to speak
with you on the subject, and assure you
that he would rather hear that YOU took
pleasure in the society of your friends,
and passed your time in walking, driving,
and, in short, all the usual pursuits that
are so conducive to your health and the
diversion of your mind from brooding
over troubles that cannot at present be
remedied."
She slightly bowed her head.
HE wished me to tell you that should
you still desire it, you are at liberty to
visit Memphis now, or whenever you
wish to do SO, to remain as long as you
please."s
A mutinous CULVER of the red lips an
swered him; just then it seems impossible
for her to speak. A great, choking lump
seems to rise into her throat, and pre-
vent her from speech. Her heart is in
a whirl of contending emotions-joy that
her husband remembers and cares for her
comfort-grief, pain, Indignation evoked
! by his message-he is willing she should
go far away from him, he is indifferent
about seeing her, while she-she has
been so wild to see him. While she
stands thus, the captain says, in his
grave, singularly sweet tones:
Mrs. Winans, | have known you so
| long, and am so much older, and perhaps,
wiser, than you'll have learned wisdom
knocking around this hard old world, you
, know-that you will pardon a word of
advice from an old friend, as you were
kind enough to call me just now. Try
and overlook what seems to you injustice
! in your husband. His course toward you
seems to him the wiser one, and he is
perhaps the best judge of what was right
for HMM this lately expressed wish of
his he seems actuated sWkely by desire
for your comfort and happiness-he
wishes ardently that you may content
| yourself during the period of his vclun-
tarily enforced absence. Think as kind
~ as you can of him. 1 am sure that
all this tangled web of fate will come
| straight and plain at last"
| She responded to his wistful smile
with another, as chill and pale as moon
light
Thank you; and, Captain Clendenon,
you may tell your correspondent that l
shall avail myself of his gracious per-
mission to visit another city-not Mem
present"
! He looked down at the sweet, flushed
mutinous face with yearning pity in his
eyes, and a great throb of pain at his
heart-the anguish of man who sees a
woman that is dear to him bowed be-
meath sufferings that he cannot alleviate
All he could do was to clasp the small
hand in sympathetic farewell, and beg
her earnestly to call on him if ever she
needed friends services.
"Since you will not go to Memphis"
he said relinquishing the small hand.
''No, will not goat least not now"
she answered, supplementing the harsh
reply by a very gentle good-by.
When she did go, Paul Winans would |
have given all he possessed on Garth to
have recalled that freely accorded con-
sent.
Norah in the evening asked, timidly, |
if she were quite resolved on going to |
Washington next week Mrs. Winans' |
soft eyes fixed themselves on the bright |
anthracite fire in the crate, AS if an |
answer to the question might he evoked |
from its mystic hearth. Her baby seized |
the opportunity thus afforded to catch |
the nearest end of one of her floating |
ringlets, and dip it in the bath with mis-
chievous fingers. She caught it from his |
fingers with a ftful smile, and began
wringing the water from the golden ten
drills.
Yes, I certainly do so intend" decis-
lively, and leaning a little forward, twist
ing the damp curl into a hundred gilt
tering little spirals. she went on: ''for a
few days only though. as | believe l
told you this morning"
You will not take much baggage,
then, l suppose?'
NO." smiling at the baby's antics in
the water, and lodging the drops he
mischievously splashed in her direction,
''only small trunk with necessary
changes for baby and myself. I GER
tainly shall not stay more than three
days at the most
Shall not? On the mystic page of our