Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-05-25

Isaid she should die if she lost him. l
love him as much, but it will not kill
me-"
Would you wish that it might,
Hettie?" asked Leah.
mo. love you, and. shall find
out many pleasures in life; but shall
be true as steel to my lost love.
wish you could have seen him, Leah.
To have loved once such, even if I'M
happily, is JOY enough for a lifetime.
have told you my love story, dear,
and you will now know why, as / go
through life, all men will be to me
but as shadows"
Il hope it will not be so, Hettie. AS
the years go on you will forget this
incident, which is but a dream, and
meet with some one who will maxi
you happy"
Hettie shook her golden head.
Could any other man have such face
as the man who had kissed her by
the sea? Could any one ever replace
him? She laughed the idea to scorp.
How strange, Leah" she said,
that We two sisters have a fate so
different To you-mind, darling | do
not envy you'll am not even ever so
Slightly jealous of you-to you every
thing has come, even 1--we
you forget one thing" remarked
/ Leah. You had your fathers bless
ing. had his curse; although no
arm has followed it, still it lies upon
me-"
Il have wondered" said Hettie,
with a sad smile, whether it has not
fallen on me by mistake"
NO, am quite sure il has not" de-
clared Leah, warmly. You deserve
every blessing. My life is not
finished; it may overtake me yeti
words which she afterwards re-
membered as prophetic.
Just at that moment the general
came down the terrace TO them.
: In your favorite spot, Leah?" he
said. do you know how long you
girls have been talking? More than
an hour. What is it about? Neither
bonnets nor lovers, of that / am sure"
Neither sister spoke; and then Sir
: Arthur saw that each face was pale
and grave. He thought to himself
that they had probaly been speaking
of their father.
/ Leah, / want YOU" he said Il
will not keep you very long; but
should like to talk to you before Basil
comes"
/ IIo..;o hoor1 +ho ,,a~,o 81 -
peated it to herself. "Basil?" 1t was
an unusual name, and one she had
hardly heard before.
THAT must be Leah's lover" she
said. Happy Leah! Heaven bless
her!"
No knight would ride down the
avenue to WOO her. She wonderd if
many women gave their lives for love.
Come to the library, Leah" said
the general. Il like bracing, clear,
! frosty weather like this; but l felt
twinge in my right arm this morning,
and | must not neglect it," Seeing
that Hettie looked at him inquiringly,
he continued: IAN old wound is like
an old friend. | received a sword-cut
on this arm more than twenty years
ago, and sometimes on very cold days
! il leases me even now. the moral of
which is that il is easier to give
wound than to cure a wound. Do not
leave your cczy corner, Kettle; ! will
send Leah back TO you in ten
minutes"
As they walked down the terrace
together, Hettie wondered if the time
would ever come when they would dis
cuss matters before her, if she would
ever be really one of themselves, if,
when Leah was married, she would
take her place in her uncle's con-
fidence.
Not caring to watch Leah and her
uncle, Hettie looked down the avenue,
and saw a gentleman walking up to
the house. She drew back, thinking
that is was some visitor for the gen.
eral, and the next minute had fol
gotten all about the occurrence.
CHAPTER Xiv.
Sir Basil walked slowly up the
avenue; he looked tired and pale
not at all like a gay bridegroom.
Shadows in his eyes told of sleepless
nights, of weary days, of sad thoughts.
Yet he had in is manner something
of the man who has fought a good
fight and as overcome. He reflected,
as he walked betU zen the long lines
of leafless trees, tat after all he was
more fortunate than many men. He
had known the rapture of true love,
even though it had lasted so short n
time. Many men lived and died
without ever knowing one such hour
as had fallen to his lot by the sweet
southern sea. The glow of il, the
warmth of il, would last him through
life, even through the chill of lons
years.
How we'll he remembered the first
morning that he came TO Brentwood,
and the beautiful face shining in the
midst of the passion-fowers! What a
fatal morning it had been for him!
He could recall the peculiar eA
preston Of Leah's face the first