Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-12-26
CHAPTER xxxV.

notwithstanding that nearly everybody
who had a country house, or an invita-
ton to one, was away in the shires,
London was by 40 means empty
There were still "chariots and horse
men" in the park; and the clubs were
pretty we'll frequented. Not a few
have come to the conclusion that after
all London is at it's best and cheerful
est in mid-winter; and that plum pud-
ding and roast beef can be enjoyed in
a London square as well, if not better,
than in the country.
Among these was Lady Bell. AL
though she had two or three country
houses which she might have filled
with guests, she, for sundry reasons,
preferred to remain in Park Lane.
Perhaps, like Leonard Dagle, she
thought that there was no place like
London He would have his idea
that there was no place in it like
Spider Court. Spring, summer,
autumn and, winter, with perhaps,
just a short interregnum of a fort
night in summer, Leanard stuck to
Spider Court. and on this winter
evening he was sitting in his accustom-
ed place, busily driving the pen.
There was a certain change about
Leonard which was worthy of remark.
He looked, not older than we saw him
last, but younger. In place of the
weary, distracted air, which had set
tied upon him during the long months
of the search of Laura Terherne,
there was an expression of hopefulness
and energy which was distinctly pal
pable. The room too looked changed.
1t was heater and less muddled; and
though the boxing gloves and portraits
of actresse sand fair ladies of the bal
let still adorned the walls, the floor
and chairs were no longer numbered
with Jacks boots and gloves, cigar
boxes and other impedimenta.
Perhaps Leonard missed these I'M
tidy objects, for he was wont to look
up from his work and round the room
with sigh, and not seldom would rise
and stalk into the bedroom beyond his
own; the bedroom which Jack kept in
d similar litter, but which now was
neat and tidy-and unoccupied.
At such times Leonard would sigh
and murmur to himself, Poor Jack! -
and betaking himself to his writing
desk again would pull out a locket and
gaze long and earnestly on face
enshrined therein, face which strik-
ingly resembled that of Laura Ire
herne, and SO would gain comfort and
fall to work again.
Tonight he had wandered into the
unoccupied room and had glanced at
the portrait two or three times, for he
felt lonely and would have given five
pound note to hear Jacks tread upon
the stairs, and his voice shouting for
the housekeeper to bring him hot
water.
Poor jack" he murmured, where
IS he now?" For some months had
elapsed since he had found few lines
of sad farewell from Jack lying on
his writing desk, but pregnant with
despair and reckless helplessness. And
Jack had gone whittier not even Mr.
Levy Moss, who sought him far and
wide, could discover; and not Mr..
Moss alone, but Lady Bell Earlsley;
fast as she had travelled from Earl's
Court to London, she arrived too late
to see Jack, too late to learn from his
lips the nature of the trouble which
he had spoken of in his short note to
her. And from Leonard even, she
could not learn much. He could only
tell her that Jack and Una's engage
ment was broken off. and by Jack
not tell or guess. And with that Lady
Bell had to be, not content, but pa
tient.
''You were his dearest friend" she
said to Leonard, "can you not guess
where he has gomez
And Leonard had shaken his head
II cannot even guess
He was utterly miserable and reck-
less; he once spoke, half in jest, Of
He was in great trouble"
Money trouble?" Lady Bell had
asked.
Money trouble" assented Len, and
Lady Bell had sunk into Leonard's
chair and wrung her white hands.
Money! money! how hate the
word! and here I am with more of the
vile stuff than I know what to do
with"
THAT would make no difference to
Jack" Leonard said, quietly; and Lady
Bell had sighed-she almost sobbed-
and gone on her way as near broken
hearted as a woman could be.
And then she had sought for him as
openly as she dared, but with no re
suit, save discovering that there were
hundreds of young men who answered
to Jacks description, and who were all
indignant when they applied in re-
spouse to the advertisements and
found that they were not the men
wanted.
And so the months had rolled on,
op5 rho HCoua0o,J uoc nearly f0rpOtfan