Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-12-28


would have made use of his homage,
turning it TO her own greater honor
and glory, hut LADY Selwyn was scar
ed at it. She took it all seriously,
believing every sigh, every idle word,
, every regretful look, until she grew
miserable over what was TO every one
else an idle jest.
How can he, how dare he, speak
and look at me SOP" she would ask
herself. "Ah, he sees am not in my
place. or he would never dare to do
it."
! And to Lord Vivian's infinite annoy
ance she took to avoiding Lord Bale
! cares whenever she could. In vain
her husband told her it was all non
! sense; that sensible people only laugh
ed at Lord Baleca-res; that no one
thought him worth notice He could
/ not make her more reasonable. Beat
rice Leigh laughed with a supercilious
sheer: Mrs. Selwyn wished her daugh-
4 ter-in-law had more tact, and visitors
amused themselves by heartlessly
watching the course of events.
I Men love honor more in the world
I lived in" she said one day to Miss
I Leigh. They are not so refined, per-
haps, as the men Of your world, but
they call things by their right names.
/ They do not make love to their neigh
bors' wives"
by which you mean there is more
morality in the middle than in the
higher classes" said Miss Leigh, with
the languid indifference that always
/ overawed Lady Violante. Neither
plebian vice, nor plebian virtue inter
ests me much. AS for making love,
that is too stronge a term; Lord Bale
cares will never love any one but
himself. The ridiculous compliments
he pays you mean less than nothing"
Then why trouble me with Them
she retorted. Il care for no compli-
ments except from my husband"
''Vivian will not thank you for max
! ing a modern Darby and Joan OF your
self and him. In the world we must
do as the world does" said Miss Leigh.
Avoidance was an incentive that my
lord had never met with before. He
did admire Lady Violante-'there was
no nonsense about it'-but he liked
her very much, and as a necessary
! consequence the less she seemed TO
care for him, the more he cared for
her.
One evening. dinner was over, and
the visitors had all assembled in the
drawing-room. Lady Talmis was sing
ling. and had drawn together charm
ed audience. Some of the elders were
at whist. others at chess. Lady VIC
lante. only too happy 20 see every one
engaged. and to find herself at leisure.
had taken up her station by the side OF
a small table. II was lighted by a
gorgeous lamp, and covered with
choice engravings. She looked very
lovely that evening, in a dress OF pur-
pie velvet, made so as to reveal the
exquisite beauty and fairness of her
neck and shoulders. She wore some
. magnificent diamonds, that shone like
flame on her white breast. Many eyes
we're turned to that fair, girlish figure,
and the serene loneliness of the young
face.
4 She was joined there in a few min
utes by Beatrice Leigh, who wished to
arrange about some dancing. Before
they had been talking two minutes,
Lord Balecarres joined them.
I Il hope / am not intruding," he said,
but remained at the other end OF
the room until could bear it no long
er. May / sit here Lady Selwyn?"
! A woman of the world would have
had her answer ready; a few bright,
quick. witty words, a slight exchange
OF repartee. and all would have ended.
Violante's face flushed. She was at
loss what TO say.
! Then my lord drew from his pocket
book small folded envelope.
/ "See. Lady Violante." he said; Il
have copied these verses for you"
She would have liked best not to
notice it. but he held up the paper,
and she was compelled TO take it.
They are love verses" he said,
sentlmentally; but Lady Violante put
an end to his sentiment by tearing the
envelope IN two. a throwing it away.
Il was not perhaps very well-bred, 1t
was certainly not polite. but it was
the action of an honest-hearted girl
tired of silly compliments.
Lord Balecarres looked up suddenly,
with a CLEAN of animation on his hand
some. inane face.
That is too cruel" he said. What
have my poor little verses done, Lady
| Violante? All. see, | am intruding.
You will be kinder to me tomorrow,
perhaps"
He turned away, and Beatrice. with
naughty, cold face and curling lips,
looked down on the flushed features or
the young girl
To be continued.