Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-09-15

Somebody quite young, quite unsophlstl-
Gated; better than all, quite new"
Il wouldn't go with her if | were you,
Roy" said Felicia, when the door had
cosed upon their hostess.
':Why not-will it create a scandal il
I go in hanson with the beautiful Ger
trude?''
Don't you know-cannot you guess,
Roy, who it is she wants you to call
upon? 1t is Mrs. Desmond
''Kitten--'' 4 pause. Felicia would
not have lifted her eyes for the world;
htr glove buttons seemed to give her an
infnity of trouble.
''How does she know herr? Roy asked
presently, and she could hear that his
voice was altered.
sob, it is very simple. Gertrude met
Mr. Desmond in the park two days ago.
l was with her, and he introduced us to
his wife, and asked us to call on her.
II would not so if | were you, Roy
did she look-happy?' he asked.
ooh, yes l suppose so; she was very
we'll dressed. You have not got over 1t,
l am afraid"
Mrs Talbot came back gay and gush-
ing; the hanson was summoned, and Fe-
licia was driven away in her brougham.
Il don't think I'll come with you
to-day" said the young man hesitating-
ly when he had helped Gertrude into the
hanson.
ooh, Roy''-She dropped the "Sir''
when they were alone-"you promised;
oh, do come"
''Wen, 1 will go little way, then"
| and he got into the cab. You can
drop me, you know
ITO Lowndes square" said Mrs. Tai
bot She had no mind to drop Roy any
| where.
And Roy went with her. 81 can't help
myself" he said to himself; but it was
the old story Of the moth and the candle.
i y
Brian, on leaving his wife to go out
alone, intended to wend his way to his
club. Had he gone there straight from
his own door, he would have received
| certain note which had been waiting for
him there all day, three hours earlier,
and-so little does it take sometimes to
alter the whole history of a mans life
had he done so, it is probable that most
Of the events which ensued would have
so far been changed or modified that they
would not have been fraught with GER
tain important circumstances to himself
and to others. But as he was strolling
| idly along he met an old college friend
who hailed him joyfully and linked his
arm within his. So that it was just 7
! O'Clock when he turned leisurely up the
steps of his own club.
The hall porter gave him a letter as
he entered. He stood with it in his
| hand without looking at it for several
minutes, talking to an acquaintance
whom he met in the hall. Then Brian
| looked down at hiss letter. turning it
round as he did SO.
And suddenly. he recognized the hand
writing! 1t was years since he had seen
it. A whole century of new thoughts
and feelings seemed to divide him like
a yawning gulf from that other far away
| life, in which those even rounded char
acters had played so important part
| 1t was like an electric shock to Brian
| Desmond to see it once more-to hold
| letter from her once again in his hands.
A letter from Rosamond! An unstamp-
ed letter, too-sent not by post, but by
hand. What could it mean? He had
thought of her vaguely, dimly, as some
thing dear, yet dangerous to his peace of
mind, that was on the other side of the
world. She had been to him but a dis
tant memory of past which was over
| forever, a something which he had hoped
and prayed might never again cross the
new life he had built up for himself
| Often he had thought of her thus, in
misty dreams, thinking that he and she
| had drifted apart forever, and would
meet no more, save in that other world
where those who have loved and despair
| ed shall meet again under other condi-
| tions, and be perchance at last-happy!
And 10! she was here-at his very
doors-in London-aliye, and writing to
him! He tore open the letter and read:
| 81 have come home, and am longing to
see YOU. | arrived late last night and
am at the Langham Hotel. Come to me
as soon as you receive this. | shall not
leave the house until | hear from YOU
or see you. ROSAMOND."
He glanced quickly up at the clock.
1t was the minutes past seven. He tore
upstairs three steps at a time into the
| writing room, and wrote two lines to his
wife.
do not wait dinner for me- I shall
| not be back
| This he gave to a club messenger to
take to Lowndes Square, and springing
into a hanson. drove rapidly away to
the Langham Hotel. He had given him.
| self no time to think or reflect. He did
not consider whether it was a wise or
an unwise thing he was doing. A wild
| joy possessed him. Rosamond was back.
and he was going to see her! He could
| think of nothing else. After all the long,
black, empty years they were to meet
again.
She was very tired of the desolate
hotel sitting room by this time-tired and
weary. She had almost given him up by
| now.
He cannot be in town. she said to
herself, in despair. Il wish, now, that
| had written before from Alexandria.
Does he have his letters forwarded,
| wonderland will he get my note in the