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

leT, ana q vague pam came luOO 0eT
heart. Should she never see him
again? Never! She looked round
mournfully, and 10! the whole world
seemed changed; the sun was still
shining, the trees were still crowned IN
all their glory of summer LEAKAGE, but
it all looked gray and dark to her; all
the beauty and glory which she had
learned to love had gone-vanished at
the mere thought that she should never
see him again.
Slowly she rose. and with downcast
eyes moved toward the cottage. She
passed in at the open door and looked
round the room-that, too, seemed al
tered, something was missing; half
consciously she wandered round, touch
ing with the same Embarrassing ges-
ture the chair on which Jack New
combe had sat, opened the book at the
page which she was reading while he
was eating his supper; a spell seemed
TO have fallen upon her, and it was
with a start like one awakening from a
dream that she turned as a shadow fell
cross the room and Gideon Rolfe en-
tered.
She turned and looked at him ques-
tioningly, curiously, but without fear.
The cry of alarm when he had broken
in upon them by the lake had been on
Jacks account, not her own; never
since she could remember had Gideon
Rolfe spoken harshly to her, looked
angrily; without a particle Of fear,
rather with vague wonder, she looked
and waited for him to speak.
The old mans face wore a strange
expression; all traces of the fierce pas
sion which had convulsed it a short
time ago had passed away, and in its
place was a stern gravity which was al
most sad in its grim intensity.
Setting his ak aside, he paced the
room for minute in silence, his brows
knit, his hands clasped behind his
back.
Una glided to the window and looked
out into the wood, her head leaning
on her arm.
Una" he said, suddenly, his voice
troubled and grave but not unkind.
She started, and looked around at
him; her spirit had fed back to the
lake again and she had almost forgot
ten that he was in the room.
una. you must not wander in the
forest alone again."
mo! Why not?"
He hesitated a moment, as II he did
not know how to answer her; then he
said, with frown:
Because l do not wish it-because
the man you saw here last night, the
man you were with by the lake, may
come again"-a faint light of gladness
shone in her eyes, and he saw 1t, and
frowned sternly as he went on-"and
do not wish you to meet him"
She was silent for a moment, her
eyes downcast, her hands tightly clasp
ed in front of her; then she looked up.
Father, tell me why you spoke so
angrily to him-why do you not want
him to come to Warden again."
Her face paled slightly, and her
eyes opened with wonder and pain.
as he so very bad and wicked?" she
asked, almost inaudibly.
Gideon Rolfe strobe to and fro for
a moment before he answered. How
should he answer her?-how warn and
caution her without destroying the in
nocence which, like the sensitive plant,
withers at a touch?
us it not sufficient that l wish it,
Una?' he said. "Why are you not sat
isfied? Wicked Yes, he's wicked; all
men are wicked, and he's the most
wicked and basel"
'You know him, father?' she asked.
"You would not say so if you did not.
am sorry he is so bad"
look at me, Una" he said.
She turned, her eyes downcast and
hidden, her lips trembling for a mo-
ment
''Yes, father"
Una" he said. what is the meaning
of this? Why are you changed-why
do you shrink from me?"
She looked up with a curious mixture
of innocent pride and dignity.
Il don't shrink from you, father she
said in a low voice.
Gideon's hand dropped from her
shoulder. and the frown gave place TO
sad expression. HAS the time look
ed forward to with fear and dread
come at last?" he murmured, inaudibly,
and he paced to and fro again, as II
endeavoring to arrive at some deci-
sion.
Una watched him with dreamy,
Questioning eyes, IN which shone
tender mournfulness. Why were ALI
men wicked? Why was this one man,
with the handsome face and the must
cal voice, more wicked than the rest?
What was it that her father knew that
should make him hate the youth so?
These were the questions that haunted
her as she waited silent and motion,
I less.
At last. with a wave of the hand, as
If he were putting some decision on
enc side, Gideon Rolfe turned to her