Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-05-23

staid, elderly person, who attended to
all his comforts. A wife would have
been sadly in the way.
But a change was coming over him.
No womans face had ever haunted him.
no woman's voice made music in his
ear.
But now one face shone upon him
night and day; one sweet, low voice
was ever in his ears He was uncon-
scious of the spell. He believed him
self to be very jealous over the edu-
cation of children; he visited the
school daily, and remained there long
er than he had ever done.
If any one had told him the govern
ess was the attraction, DR.. Hearne
would have been Mortified; neverthe-
less it was so. She was so quiet, so
modest, so graceful; there was some
thing in her fair, patient face so IN
like anything he had ever seen before,
that the doctors eyes followed her
with pleasure. He liked to see the
gentle hand laid tenderly on the curly
head of a village child. He liked TO
hear the low, cooling voice in which
she persuaded the most intractable
of children. He liked to sit and
watch the graceful movements OF the
slender figure; they pleased him as a
delicious strain of fresh music would
have done.
He did not know-he had not the
faintest idea, but in good truth he had
fallen most earnestly in love with the
governess, and he found it out at lastI
He found that the brightest joy in
life was the one he had completely ig-
nored.
Why did he dream all night of this
face, and think of it all day? He
opened a book or learned lore, and, loi
there it was. He looked up into the
starry sky, and it was shining down
upon him, pure and palel He looked
athwart the waving branches Of green
trees, and it was there; so sweet, so
sad, so fair and true! No brightness
of young beauty, but a gentle calm of
heaven-not earth.
And tn efancy came to him, what
would his home be like if that face
were ever by his Preside? And when
he asked himself that question, the
good rector knew that he must be in
love.
The discovery filed him with dis
may. What should he do?-how was
he to act? How could he possibly tell
her he cared for her, and wished to
make Ter his wife?
Then came a difficulty greater still.
What would the world say il he mar
ried the governess-he, whose society
was ccurted by all the people of note
in the county? Would they receive
her as his wife? The time came when
even that question became Of no mo-
ment compared to his great love. Who
was like her? OF all the high-born
ladies he knew there was not one to
compare with her.
All irresolution died away at last.
The doctor sat this June evening, in
his dining-room, fully resolved to ask
Mrs. Rivers to marry him. But how
W dS nG " w w Lat onOAAN
he use? Surely it would not be ex-
pected that he, a clergyman, should
kneel-that would be decidedly mira
dig. How did people generally make
love? He must try his fate, and do
the best he could. So, while the
sweet evening air thrilled with the
song of nightingales, while the flowers
yielded their sweetest perfume, DR..
Hearne went forth to WOO.
He found her in the little orchard
at the back Of the cottage. Some Of
the fruit was ripe. and Mrs. Rivers
was busy gathering ii. She looked up
with surprise at the sound of the rec
tors voice. 1t was a most unusual
hour for him to call She placed her
little basket on the ground, and went
forward to meet him.
How sweet the air of that orchard
was, laden with the fragrance of
cherry and apple blossoms. How fair
and sad she looked, standing under
the shadow of ripping foliagel
Have I startled you, Mrs. Rivers?"
he asked. 81 wanted to speak to you.
Can you spare me a few minutes?"
'I can spare you all the time you
WISH" she replied. ''Will you go into
the cottage. DR.. Hearne?"