Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-09-12


reached the bottom, he filed glass
with water from the crystal filter that
stood on a side table III the pOrer's
box, and sailed out.
The night air struck upon his hot
brow in a cool and welcome fashion,
and Jack stood for a moment or two,
fighting with the hazy and Supplying
enects of the nights work.
Il won't go home yet," he muttered.
Lien will be cut up; he. always is.
He's as bad as father-almost as bad
as a mother-in-law. Well, / didn't
had not been for those two idiots, Ark
and Daily, l shouldn't have got so far
into the champagne. How bright the
stars shine-an unaccountable number
of them tonight" Poor Jack! Never
saw such a quantity! No, won't go
walk till tomorrow morning. Where
am [? All! where is she? Thank
Heaven, she isn't near me now! I'm
not fit to see her; not worthy to touch
her hand. But l did touch it; and,
with kind of wonder at his audacity,
he stretched out his hand and stared AT
it under the gaslamp. ,s#ss.
Then he walked on perfectly indit-
ferent to the direction, perfectly indif-
ferent to the WEAKNESS which was
gradually-no, rapidly-coming on
him.
Just at this time, while he was walk
ing off the drowsy dream that had got
possession of him, stream Of car
riages was slowly moving down Park
Lane, taking up from one of the best
known houses in town-Lady Meri'
vale's was to be acknowledged as one
of that small but powerful portion or
humanity known as ''the upper ten"
1t was one of her ladyship's grand
balls, and not only were the ball and
drawing-rooms full, but the staircase
also, and any one wishing to enter or
exit had to make his way down mar
row line f1anked on either side by the
youth and nobility of the best kind Of
society.
That it had been a great success no
one who knows the woodland Lady
Merivale-needs to be told. 1t had,
perhaps, been one of her greatest, for
in addition to two princes of the blood
royal, she had secured the great sensa-
ton of the day, the young million
airess, Lady Isabel Earlsley.
And this was no slight achievement,
for Lady Bell, as she was generally
called, was a wilful, uncertain young
parsonage, from whom it was very
hard to procure a promise, and who,
not seldom, was given to breaking it
when made, at least, SO far as accep-
ton of invitations went.
But she was there tonight; as the
next issue of the Morning Post would
testify.
Jack had been really too careless and
scornful in his Indifference. Lady Bell
was not only beautiful, she was-what
was more rare than misunderstanding
She was rather short than tall; but not
too short She had beautiful figure;
not wasp waist by any means, but a
natural figure, full of power and grace.
Her skin was, well, colonial; delicate
ly tinted and creamy; and her eyes
it is difficult to catalogue her eyes, be-
cause their lights were always chang
ing-but the expression which general
ly predomnated was one of half
amused, half-mocking light.
With both expressions she met the
open admiration of the gilded youths
who thronged round her, amused at
their foppery hooking at their protes-
tations of devotion.
Tonight she was dressed neither
magnif1cently nor superbly, but with,
what seemed to the women who gazed
at her with barely concealed envy,
artful simplicity.
Her dress was of Indian muslin,
priceless for all it's simplicity; and she
wore glittering in her hair, on her
arms, and on her cream-White bosom,
pearls, that, in quantity and quality
would have made the fortune Of any
enterprising burglar.
By her side stood-for they were
moving, toward the door, on their way
to an exit-an elderly women, with an
expressionless face, simply and plain
ly dressed. She was generally spoken
of as the watch dog; but she scarcely
deserved that name, for Lady Bell
was quite capable of watching over
herself; and Mrs. Fellowes, the widow
of the Indian colonel, was too mild to
represent any sort Of dog whatever.
Surrounded by a crowd of devoted
courtiers, the great heiress and her
companion moved toward the door
where the hostess stood receiving the
farewells and thanks of her guests;
and when one thinks Of the many hun
dred times Lady Merivale had stood
by that door, and undergone that ter
rible ordeal, one is filed with amaze
ment and awe at her courage and ply
steal strength.
For forty years she had been stand
ing at doors, receiving and meeting
guests; yet she stood tonight as smil-