Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-06-26

ever Tune OF n1SuC-OT mOfu1uS III
might be, they were always sure of
finding some one to take hand of
cards with them, or to pick the grilled
bones which supply the place of break
fast and supper to the man-about-
town, who. like the owl, knows no
night.
It is long past midnight-tne night
On which May had decided to accept
the situation of schoolmistress at
Warley-and the 'FRoOkery" is at it's
height. Footmen in the gold and blue
of the club livery are hard at work
conveying the far-famed claret and
grilled bones to the card-room.
| Hard-worked members of parliament
are grouped about smoking their last
cigar in the smoking room, harder
worked do-nothings are lounging in
the drawing-room. the hardest-workcd
of all, the card players are playing III
the cayd-room.
Baccarat, that now famous game,
against which the judges Of the land
have pronounced their august condem-
nation, is in full sway.
| At one table sat a duke. a mere
! hoy, with q rent-rOli Of fifty thousand
year, which, large income as it is,
is all too small for his spendthrift
habits; with him is legislator, one Of
the men to whom England looks with
confident hope, and next to him sits
Vane Vavasour.
Handsome, beautiful as ever, Vane
reclines in the satin chair. without a
wrinkle on his smooth brow, or a
shade of care in his eye.
He has been losing for two hours,
losing steadily, but his mind is un-
changed, his light, buoyant air undis-
turbed. In between the details he
talks to the duke with careless non
chalance-talks of politics, the drama
anything and everything, with the
same airy grace; presently some one
near the duke mentions a familiar
name.
"Where is Letchford tonight?" 1t is
far beyond night, but 10 matter.
Vane smiles and shrugs his Shout
ders 81 don't know-he ought to be
here by this time. His mother is in
town; perhaps he is there
II hope he'll come" says the young
duke, that's the extraordinary part of
it. You can ever take {; rise out of
Letchford Win or lose it seems the
same to him. What's the matter with
him, Vance"
Don't know says Vane, shutting
the ca, is: ."he's mystery. He's my
cousin, yes; but he's a mystery, all
the same"
Some love affair, suppose" says
the duke, with smile. Don't believe
in love affairs myself; make you un-
fit for the cards. Sorry for Letchford,
he used to be such jolly good fellow.
Helloa! here he comes"
Notwithstanding their natural alb
straction, there is an undercurrent of
interest among the card players, as a
tall figure enters the room, and stands
looking from one table to the other,
and as he stands men look up with
curious chances.
For Sir Heron Letchford's name has
uSSu Ou Hlduy IpS uul1hS CAO AdoI
month, as the name of one who, I'M
like the prodigal. had returned to the
world, which, after ringing with his
exploits, had been prepared to lose
and forget him.
1t is not often that the prodRal
does return, but when he does return,
it may safely be affirmed that the last
state is worse than the first, and with
this difference: that whereas he used
to take his wild pleasure with enjoy
ment, he now takes it YEARLY and
bitterly.
For the last month Sir Heron has
been, as Vane puts it, going it." Not
going it, with the old buoyant hilar-
ity, with the old keen sense of enjoy
ment, but with a steady intensity that
is, Vane says again, "ferocious.
With candid, unconcealed earnest
ness he has plunged into all the
various modes of dissipation which
our modern fashionable world sup
plies us. There is, perhaps, one form
which he avoids, and that is the in
toxication of the flowing bowl. He
drinks little-it would be better,
thinks vane. if he would drink more,
for if the flowing bowl does no other
good, it certainly does drown the sor-
row Of the moment, let the after cost
be what it may.
Sir Heron doesn't drink. but he is
ready for anything else, and more
especially for the green tables in the
comfortable car1-room of the Crook
cry"
Five weeks of bitter sorrow and cruel
disappointment have passed over
Mays head-ani heart-and left her
but little changed; but the same can
not be said for Sir Heroni
AS he stands, tall and stalwart in
his evening dress, the carefully-toned
lights fall upon his face and show how
hard the time has gone with him.
He is thinner; he looks almost