Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-04-29
l. E S T Ellie
By the Author Of and Shamrock ETC.
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upon me-"
Darcy unused. 81 cannot fancy Les
telle lending herself to anything dishon-
orable."
The General threw up his hands. DO
not speak Of her! ! shall never cease to
regret the good-natured impulse that led
me to inquire after her welfare. l wish.
she would take an American engagement
and rid us of her presence for a few
years"
"But as she is not likely to do that.
what course do you propose adopting!
Il shall wait for my enemies to show
their hand" was the abrupt reply; land
now let us talk of Ida. The hopes Percy
has disappointed l center in my daughter
and you. Tell me, then, are you still
cherishing the wishes you expressed to
me before you traveled?'
Darcy hesitated a minute or so before
replying Although he saw that the
General was eagerly waiting for him to
speak, he was of too candid disposition
to stoop to an evasion.
ITO say that / come back to you the
enthusiastic boy l was when | left Eng
land would be false, but my cousin S
beauty and my hopes Of winning her
have kept me heart-whole. l have yet
to learn, however, whether my addresses
would prove acceptable to her."
Go, then, and let her own lips assure
you Of this. If l am not mistaken, Ida
esteems you more highly than either of
your rivals. You have my leave to win
her, Darcy. 1t will be the proudest mo-
ment of my life when I give her happi-
ness into your keeping
The young man shook hands with his
uncle, and murnured a few confused ex-
pressions Of gratitude. While absent
from England he had often imagined the
JOY with which he should fly to lda's
side; yet their meeting had been SO very
cousinly and commonplace, and he had
seen so little of her, that he was con-
scious of a feeling of disappointment.
Nor did he lose this as the days went
by, although he would have found it diff
ficult to analyze the cause.
Her mother, q frivolous, naughty wom-
an contrived to make him understand
that she thought her daughter ought to
make a better match; but Ida always
smiled sweetly at his coming; and then
dropped her beautiful eyes, and lowered
her voice with a modest consciousness of
their position, which kept her other adj
mirers at bay. The consequence Of this
was that long before he had advanced
sufficiently in his wooing to mediate
asking the momentous question, it was
known in all fashionable circles, and an
nounced in the newspapers, that mar
riage was on the tapis.
Darcy would have liked to have been
hot
something more than a cousnly affection
before this publicity was given to his
intentions; but, whether from natural re-
serve or that the young lady was incapa'
BILE of the ardent attachment every young
man longs to inspire, he was unsuccess-
full
81 am too fastidious-too eXacting, "
Darcy told himself. "Ida was never a
demonstrative girl, and she has been
taught that to be natural is to be vulgar.
Removed from the chilly influence of her
mothers example, she will expand into q
warmer, brighter life"
He did not see Percy until two or
three weeks after their recontre at Les
telle's, when they met on the steps of
!! the club of which they were both mem
bers. The latter looked thin and hag-
gard, but he held out his hand with a
smile.
II was in one Of my worst humors the
other day, and did you injustice. Are
they all we'll at homer
is that question you, the only and
beloved son, should ask? Dear Percy,
why do you so obstinately absent your
self?"
Percy's lips quivered, but he eyaded
these questions.
$50 you are going to marry Ida?
am glad of livery glad. God bless you,
Darcy! l don't begrudge you any Of the
goods the gods have given you; though
it makes me a little sorrowful some
times, when 1 think how differently their
favors have been melted out to me"'
He turned away as he spoke, but his
cousin slipped an arm through his, and
walked with him.
81 wish you would tell me all your
difficulties, instead of dealing in enig-
mas. l should rejoice to help you to
surmount them. | have a large sum
lying idle at my bankers, to which you
are welcome"
Percy's eyes glistened
Thanks, but / never run into debt
now and even you, though you are the
best fellow in the world, cannot minister
to mind diseased. When did you last
see Lestelle? Did you know that she
sings at Mrs. Castleford's concert to-
night? Are you goingY
81 believe so. Your mother has tick
ets;" and then Darcy began to take
himself to task for the throb of pleas
ure that stirred his heart at the thought
of seeing the young actress. Percy left
him, with a hurried apology, to join an
acquaintance, and instead of returning
to the club, he walked to Gen. Glen
aughton's, to try and learn whether Les
telle's engagement would make any alter
alton in his aunt and cousins arrange
ments.
Tda was standing in front Of her moth
er's easy chair when he entered the
morning room, with her graceful figure
drawn to it's fullest height, and her head