Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-05-26
CHAPTER w.
A Disaqreeable Subject.

be one must be beautiful, but one
must be something more. Kate was
not only beautiful, but sweet-natured
and clever. 1t was impossible not to
admire her, equally impossible not to
love her.
Her life had been a strange and
lonely one Her mother she could
not remember, she having died when
Kitty was a baby, and Of her father
she had known nothing until he came
when she was about ten and took her
away from the people who had taken
charge of her during her early child
hood
She liveu alone. Her soul was like
a star, and dwelt apart" To her, the
sea-that not even Stamford could
render commonplace-was a daily
companion; she got into the way OF
walking along the sands and listening
to the splash Of the waves when the
sea was calm, and the dull roar of the
pillows when the wind was high, and
both OF the voices seemed Ineligible
20 her.
What was 1t that Kate thought about
as she wandered by herself on the
seas margin, and by the high cliffs
that led to frowuing Hartland? Was
it love? If SO, there was very little
food for such thought. Most of the
men at Stamford were old or middle
aged; retired officers with red noses
and no liyers; and the only young man,
the curatc, whose nose was as white
as the rest Of his face was not likely
to suggest romantic reflections to
Kate
There was 10 young man, excepting
the curate until Lord Carr-Lyon APP
peared. And him Kate hated at first
sight, for there was something about
him which made her soul shrink with
instructive antipathy.
How her father had come to know
him was never quite clear to her,
though the major talked Of him as
quite an old friend. But one thing
was getting clear to her. and that her
father was trying to present Lord
Carr-Lyon in a most favorable aspect,
and endeavoring to interest her in
him.
Lord Carr-Lyon had been in Sand
ford sCmc weeks now, and, though he
was supposed to be occupied in look
ing after the alterations which were
being made at Lydcote, the great
place he had bought he seemed al
ways about the parade or the High
Street and always In Hates way, to
her annoyance.
Why had he come to Sandfcrd and
bought Lydcote, instead of settling
down at his own placa, Caresford? And
why was her father so friendly with
him?
The problem troubled her against
her will, and she found herself, for
want of something else to think about.
dwelling upon 1t until-until she saw
the tramp" in the lane, and came
home Mt night to find him in her
fathers dining.room.
Kate slept little that night, and
when she did sleep, the stranger,
Clifford Raven, came to her in her
dreams; once with shilling in his
hand and a strange smile on his face.
When she came down in the morn
ing, almost her first question was:
Has Mr. Raven left Sanford this
morning."
Raven? Oh, yes, Clarence Raven"
Clifford" said Kate, quickly.
"Clifford-l mean Clifford" he said.
hastily My head aches SO this morn
ing that | don't remember my own
name. It's the club champagne. /
do believe it's rank poison. Clifford
Raven? oh. yes he left this morning.
He has important business in Lon
don"
is he very old friend of yours?"
she said, You never spoke of him.
think. Who is he, papa?"
who is he?" he repeated, the dusky
red creeping into his face, his eyes
glowing at her halfangrily, half-suspic-
iously; what on earth do you mean?"
Then. as Kate locked at him with
grave surprise You are as bad as
catechism this morning, l tell you he
is an old friend of mine met him
years ago" he hesitated: then, as
II struck by an idea he said; Look
here Kate don't ask me anything
about this fellow-er-Raven L
know no good about him"
No good, And he looked so--he is
a gentleman papa"
"A gentleman-oh. yes" asserted
the major, fidgeting with his eyeglass.
But man may be a gentleman and
yet bad lot; that is, shaky and
risky. Clifford Raven is not the
er-kind Of man | should care for
yoa to know. His visit here last
night was quite an accident; quite. Il
couldn't very well turn him from the
door"
mo. poor fellow" said Kate. almost
to herself, as she remembered his
pale face and thread-bare clothes
Although. perhaps. 1t was my duty
To have done so. But am-ahem,-I
not the kind of man to forget an old
friend. even though he has proved
himself unworthy of-er-my friend.
ship"
II am very sorry" said Kate. and