Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-06-01

from you. II was by my desire, my
wish that nothing was said. Leah
would have had it otherwise, if l had
let her have her own way. The fault,
if there be any fault, lies with me.
You can Judge when ! have told you.
Let me add this-if anything which
tell you should be adverse TO your
tastes and opinions, you are as free
as air, Leah would not bind you. You
have but to say the word
Nothing can free me from Leah, 4"
he said; and, Sir Arthur, in his salts
faction at the words, did not notice
the tone of the speakers voice.
Thank heaven for that Now
listen to my story, Basil. will begin
from my earliest recollection Of the
one being loved then better than the
whole world-my little sister"
He did not think it strange that Sir
Basil turned his face to the window,
so that no change passing over ii
could be seen.
At first Sir Basil seemed hardly to
realize the words he heard-they
passed over him as it were; then they
began to strike on his brain. Some
faint glimmer of the truth came TO
him when he heard the name of Mar
tin Ray-enough to turn him faint
and dizzy, to make his heart beat
wildly.
He never forgot that hour. From
the window he saw the sunshine on
the distant hills and woods, on the
bare branches of the trees, on the white
stone terraces and the evergreens; q
little robin redbreast flew up and
down; the wind blew the brown
branches of a dead guelder-rose
against the window-panes. He never
forgot one detail.
The generals voice went on in dull
monotone; and presetly Sir Basil's at
tention was caught and riveted by the
names of Leah and Hettie, the two
fair sisters. He listened intently as
the general told him, with some dra-
matte skill, the story of the choice they
made. He was back again with Mar
tin Ray in fancy, listening to this
same relation, but told in so different
fashion; and he remembered with a
bitter pang that when Martin Ray re-
cited the story he (Sir BasiD had con-
Lemned Leah-he had judged her
cold and selfish; he had admired Het-
tie, the daughter who chung to her
father, a thousand times more than
her who had left him. And now the
girl whom in his own mind he had
| considered selfish and heartless was
she whom he was to make his wife.
He blamed himself that he had not
| discovered the truth; il all seemed
now so easy TO understand He could
not even imagine how he had been so
blind, save that IL had never occurred
70 him TO connect Martin Ray and his
family with the generals household.
While these thoughts ran riot
through his brain, the general went
on with his story. and Sir Basil
listened in silence to the end.
1t was true then; he the most IN
fortunate of men, stood between these
two loving sisters. He loved one with
his whole heart, and he was bound in
honor to marry the other, and both
| loved him. Was there ever such
misfortune, such a fate? He was
silent from sheer excess of despair.
Who could have thought that the
beautiful, queenly woman and the fair,
winsome girl were sisters-one the
very queen of beauty and fashion, the
otner earning her living and support
ing her father by teaching? Fate must
nave been laughing at them when it
led him to Southwood.
The general wondered at his silence,
and, when he had finished his story.
waited for his young companion to
speak. Still, Sir Basil sat with his
face to the window, silent and still.
You will understand" said Sir
Arthur that il was no question of
social inequality. If my sister had
married one greatly her inferior in
rank, and he had been a loyal, honest
man, / should have respected him;
but a man like Martin Ray / could not
tolerate. There is no use in speaking
III of the dead; but my sister would
never have written to me without due
reason to ask me to save her children.
However it may be, whether | did
right or wrong, it cannot be altered
now. If you find any reason, Basil, in
what l have told you for bringing
your engagement to an end, you will
be justified in doing So
The general was struck by the pain
and the pallor of the face turned TO
him.
Il do not complain" said Sir Basil,
| though ! wish that / had known the
truth from the first. | understand
your motives and respect them. |, in
your place, should probably have
done the same thing; but ] think bet
ter of Martin Ray than you do; and
the fact that he was the father of the
girl l loved would never have made
the slightest difference to me. hope
you will not be annoyed when / say
that Martin Rays daughters would
have been the same TO me as daught-
ers of your own"