Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-01-08

How tired you look!" remarked
Miss Hatterell, as he put his arm
around her waist.
Not too tired to dance with you, -
| answered Hilary with an odd little
| laugh.
! He was perfect dancer and swung
the girl in masterfuI way without
word. But when the last bars of
the music died away he dragged her
to deserted corner of the drawing
room and threw himself down on an
ottoman beside her with a passionate
| gesture. Those few moments when
| he had held her close to him, so close
that he could note every wave Of her
| FURNISHED hair, could mark the daz-
cling whiteness of her neck, the sweet
scarlet of her parted lips, had been too
much for Hilary's self-control.
EEEllice," he whispered hoarsely,
Selling her hands in his, 81 can't bear
it any longer l must tell you.
love you. Fer Gods sake do not
But the girl pushed his hands away
relentlessly and sat up with an express
sion of horror in her eyes.
Hilary" she gasped, have you
gone mad? Do you forget that I am
your brothers promised wife? How
dare you say such words to me!
thought you were man Of honor
Honor" he said in a shaking voice.
| What is honor when man feels as
I do? I tell you, Ellice, am mad with
|
thing but that"
Then be thankful that | have not"
replied the girl firmly. She looked at
the boys anguished face, and with a
woman's intuition knew what tortures
he was suffering.
Hillary, dear boy" she went on, and
her blue eyes grew serious and ten
der, you were right just now when
you said you were mad, and only be-
cause [ believe you are hardly re-
sponsible for our actions can I ever
forgive you the grievous insult you
have put upon me"
Hilary started to his feet. mot in
suit Ellice," he said; you know
never meant that"
WAS it not an insult to speak of
love to me?" she answered proudly,
when you know that l care for John
with all my heart and soul as he does
for me?'
The young man at her side groaned.
You think | am cruel" she said,
but it is the greatest kindness I can
do for you to convince you Of the ter
Tible mistake you have made. There
is only one thing to be done, Hilary.
You must go right away at once, till
you have learned to control your pas
sionate nature and are cured Of this
madness, and you must not come back
till you are sure that you can take the
hand of your brothers wife in yours
without the least atom Of disloyalty to-
| ward him or the least feeling of ought
but friendship toward her"
Hilary lifted his head and looked at
her. Beneath her woman's dignity, her
stainless purity, his boyish passion had
died as beneath the touch of a frozen
hand; only a sense of great shame and
| desolation filed his breast.
What can I do?" he asked. drearl-
ly. The blue eyes flashed fire into his.
Fight" she answered briefly, ''and
lie if you don't know how to live"
AS a horse springs into life at the
touch of a spur, so Hilary's blood de-
sponded to this call. He leaped to his
| feet. by God! you are right" he
said then STOPPING, he touched her
hand with his lips and murmured.
when I come home you will for
give?"
Before she could answer he had
gone.
1t was fortunate for Hilary that
about this time matters were coming
to crisis in the Soudan. He volun-
teered for active service. was accept
ed, and within a month had betaken
| himself and what he fOndly imagined
to be his broken heart out to Egypt.
There he fought like a gallant sold
Ter, or as the men who followed him
said: Like the very devil always
in the hottest corner Of the battle. al
ways ready for a dangerous job when
one was to be had. 1t was not the
reckless daring Of a man who courts
death, rather was it the cool courage
Of one who is urged on by some resist
less impulse.
At the end of four years Captain Da
milan, DSO. returned to England, al
tered almost out of recognition. The
fair skin was bronzed and weather
beaten, the golden hair sunburnt, and
the firm mouth shaded by heavy
mustache, while a great seam crossed
his cheek from brow to chin.
Inwardly, to, he was greatly changed
The lawless boy had become a mar
with his passion curhed, his broker
heart securely mended. His thoughts
of Ellice were no longer painful, only
feeling of shame still ranked, bu
when he paid his first visit to John:
home and took his nephew Hillary
awl1wardly. yet tenderly in his arm:
and saw the mothers smile of ap
prevail then he felt his old trespas
was forgiven.
But Mrs. John Damian was not sat
isfed She knew that at the bottom
of this mans heart was a wealth o
| love waiting IOf SOlHe one " CIdlLH II
and she felt that it was incumbent UP
on her to get him happily married. S.
her cousin, Beatrice Treherne, was in
vited to spend that autumn at the hal
to be Hilary's fellow guest.
: Beatrice was a tall, fair woman
with grave, gray eyes and sympathet
ic mouth. Her nature was singU
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