Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-08-05


his mothers maintenance.
| That his love for Violet was Il real,
genuine thing, was proved by his holding
back three months before making up his
mind to think seriously of marrying the
heiress.
He told himself every hour of the day
that he could never love any woman but
| Violet Surrey, vet it would be madness
for him to dream of marrying a portion
less girl unless he was quite prepared to
give up the manor house, and all the
sweet dreams he had had of living his
life there.
And in his heart was such a tender af-
lection for the home of his ancestors,
such a passion of admiration, that every
stone, every tree was to him like a living
thing, and the wrench of giving all up
would be almost enough to kill him-the
woman he loved, or his old home and
unlimited wealth?
1t was indeed hard struggle between
them in his breast, and his mother took
care TO dilate hourly on what it would
mean to herself, as well as to him, to
give up what it had been the dream of a
lifetime for him to possess.
"And really, my dear Halco, you must
speak soon if you hope TO win Alice"
she urged one day, tired by waiting; "in
fact, l have reason to believe she expects
you to propose tonight. She limited that
she found this place so dull that she
must have a change, unless something
happened to put a new interest into her
life"
So it CHANGED that Sir Halco sat in
the shade quietly making up his mind,
deciding for his whole life. and he had
almost proved himself a craven, and a
despicable fortune hunter, when there
suddenly seemed to float before him the
specter of his dead uncle, with a sad,
reproachful look in the kind old eyes, as
if unutterably grieved and disappointed
at something which it was out of his
power to prevent happening.
1t was Christmas eve, and the one
night in the year when superstitious peo-
pie tell us that living folks can see ghosts
of dead and gone friends or enemies ap-
pear to warn them of coming troubles
or perils awaiting them in the near
future.
Sir Halco was not superstitious, and
had never had the slightest belief in
ghosts, but to the end of his life he was
never able to decide whether it was real
ly the specter of Sir Hilary which ap-
peared to him that night, or whether he
had fallen asleep in the comfortable
arm chair near the fire, lulled to rest by
the soft, sweet, old fashioned carols which
Violet was playing to herself on the
harp, and the whole affair but an un-
usually vivid dream.
1t might have been either a real vision
| / L -
catastrophe which would have ruined the
happiness of his whole life, or it might
lust have been a dream induced by his
own miserable waking thoughts. One
of the wisest men who ever lived tells
us in one of his plays
There are more things in heaven and
earth,
Than are dreamt of, in our philosophy"
And how shall any less wise mortal dare
to gainsay him.
Sir Halco never did. Even if it were
a dream, he believed it was sent as a
warning especially when something came
to light afterwards, unknown to any liv.
ing soul but one, at that time, and only
dimly guessed by a second person.
BE that as it may, the vision, real OF
| "
weakness of the living one, and the die
was cast in moment forever. Sir HalcC
proved himself a true lover, and a true
man, and came out of the furnace puri-
fed.
| What Sir Hilary had done, he could do
He had youth, health, strength, and love
was king of all Doesn't love always
win when he really enters into a battle?
While Mrs. Rochester played an &C.
compartment for Alice Smith to sing
Sir Halco said to Violet in a low tone
Il want to speak to you. VIII you
come to my den for few minutes; it is
the only place where we can be sure OF
being quiet?"
With a smile, but unusually pale, Vic.
let followed him. In her own heart she
felt sure that he wished to break to hel
with his own lips, because it would hurt
her less from his way of doing it less
| triumphantly than the others would do
the fact of his engagement to Alice
Smith. Instead of which directly they
were alone together, he said quietly
Violet viii you marry me, dearest
VIII you take me as | am, knowing that
great wealth can never be ours, that We
cannot live on here, but must, after pro
viding comfortably for my mother, try
somehow to add to our fortune, SO that
later on we may return here in triumph
VIII you forgive all the vaccillation and
stupidity of the last few unhappy
months, and only think of the love that
has triumphed over all?"
ooh. Halco!" she said in deepest Joy
breathess amazement; "but-but do you
know what you are saying? Is not your
very heart itself changed now-am ]
really the one you love?'
Il deserve a punishment, know, Vic.
let" he said, with a repentant smile, "but
hardly so severe as that. Are you the
one really care for? You, who know
me so well, would it be possible for me
to care for that girl2 Be Just to me;
am vain enough to think have better
taste"