Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-08-15


hold no converse with him. How
much that promise had cost her no one
could say; she herself did not know.
She only knew that whereas her life
had always seemed dull and purpose
less. it had, since Jack Newcomers
visit. grown utterly dreary and joyless.
Was it love? She did not ask her
self the question. Had she done so.
she could not have answered it.
Any schoolgirl of fifteen feeling as
Una felt would have known that she
was in love, but Unas only schooling
had consisted of the few stern lessons
of Gideon Rolfe.
Il can nevr see him, hear him, speak
to him again" was her one sad refiec-
ton; ''but if 1 could be somewhere
near him, unseen!"
Then, through her brain, her fathers
words rang with melancholy persist
ence. This youth, whose eyes had
seemed so frank and brave, whose
voice rang with music so new and
sweet, was, so her father said, I'M
utterably wicked. One to be avoided
as a dangerous animal! 1t could not
but be true; she thought her father
was truth itself
But if it were so, then how false the
world must be, for one to look and
speak so gently, and yet be so wicked.
All day she wandered in the woods,
returning to the cottage pale and list
less, to leave her plate untouched or at
best trifled with. Gideon Rolfe saw
the change which had befallen her,
but held his peace, though a bitter
rage filed his heart; Martha Rolfe
chided her for her listlessness, and
tried to tempt her to eat; but Una
put Gliding and coaxing aside with
gentle smile, and escaped to the lake
where she could dream alone and I'M
disturbed.
The two days passed-on the third,
as she was sitting beside the spot
which had grown sacred in her eyes,
with its crushed and broken ferns,
she heard steps behind. Thinking
that they were those Of her father or
one of the charcoal burners, she did
not turn her head. The footsteps drew
nearer, and a man came out from the
thick wood and stood on the margin Of
the lake, and remained for a moment
looking about him.
Una was so hidden by the tall brake
that she remained unseen, and sat
holding her breath watching him.
He was tall, thin, and dressed in
black, and when he turned his face to-
ward her. Una saw that he was not ILL
looking. She might have thought
him handsome but for that other face
which was always in her mental vision.
He was very pale, and looked anxious
and i'll at ease; and as he stood looking
before him his right hand took his left
into custody. 1t was Stephen Daven-
ant
For a few moments he stood with
half-searching, half-absent expression
on his pale face, then turned and en-
terd the wood again.
Pale with wonder and curiosity, Una
rose and looked after him, and to her
infinite surprise saw a carriage slowly
approaching.
A lady was seated in it, lady with
face as pale as the mans but with a
still more anxious and deprecating ex-
preston.
Una, with the quickness of sight &C
quired by life spent in communion
with nature, could see, even at that dis
lance, that the lady's eyes were like
those of the mans, and, furthermore,
that she was awaiting his approach
with nervous timidity that almost
amounted to fear.
With fast beating heart Una watched
them wondering what could have
brought them to Warden, wondering
who and what they we're, when sud-
denly her heart gave a great bound,
for the gentleman, turning to the
driver, said, in a soft, low voice:
I'VE are looking for the cottage of a
woodman named Gideon Rolfe.'
''Never heard of it, sir. Do you
know what part of the forest it is in?"
NO" said Stephen.
"Then it's like looking for a needle
III a DuuulC VI nays AClOA NCu N4C man.
However difficult, it must be found"
said Stephen. "Drive on till you come
TO some road and follow that. 1t may
lead us to some place where we can
ascertain the direction of this mans
cottage"
The man touched his horse with the
whip, and still Una stood as if SPELL
bound. but, suddenly remembering that
they were going in the opposite direc-
ton to the cottage, she was about 70
step forward, when she heard the bark
of the dog and almost as if he had
sprung from the ground, Gideon Rolfe
stood beside the carriage.
"Ah, here is someone" said Stephen.
Can you tell us the road to the cottage
of Gideon Rolfe, the woodman, my
man?" he asked.
"And what may be your business
with him?'