Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-12-04
Continued.

Oh he says, carelessly, there's a
string of 'em: Yorke Clarence Fritz
hardinge Auchester."
'And Rothburg?" she says, with
sudden gravity.
He starts slightly and colors
Duke of Rothburg!" she goes on,
gravely, and with an almost troubled
smile. II had forgotten"
Go on forgetting" he says, draw
ing her arm closer
Eyes. Z You will not be angry %
AT nothing you can say, unless it
were, I do not love you"
Il was going to say that I wish l
could; that I wish you were not a
duke, and had no title of any kind"
so do I, if you wish it," he says.
What does it matter?"
But will it not matter?" she asks.
her brows coming together. "WiIl
not the people-your people, and those
great folks who belong to you, your
relatives-be angry with me for
for"
STOPPING to love such a worthless,
useless creature as I? Why should
they?"
Tt don't know. Yes, do. Vt Is
not girls like me-girls with no title,
or-or anything-poor girls who know
nothing of the fashionable world, and
haven't relation above plain Mr.
who ought to marry nobleman. |
know enough to know that. They viii
do right to be angry and-and disap-
pointed"
Not they!" he says, lightly, but in
wardly chafing against the bonds
which his promise to the duke has
wound round him. LET them mind
their own business!"
But it is their business" she says.
What a duke, a well-known noble
man, does must be everybody's bust
ness, and everybody will be aston
1shed and-sorry."
Wait until they see you,' he says,
confidently.
DO you think everybody will see
me with your eyes?"
Il think every man win envy me,
and wish himself in my place. he re-
SpQRQS, promptly.
mo, no! They will say when they
hear of it, that you have done wrong,
and say it still more decidedly when
they see me. Why, shall not know
how to address you, your grace!" and
she looks up at him with parted lips
that smile but tremble little
''You are only chafng me-" he says;
Il can see that. You are the last
girl in the world to be frightened by
anybody. You'd just take your place
in any set as naturally as if you'd
know it and moved in it all your
life. Why, do you think I don't
know how proud you are?"
Am I?'' she says, self-questioning-
ly Eyes; I think l was yesterday
until-until now. But now my pride
seems to have melted into thin air,
and l am only anxious. Do you know
what 1 should do if I were to see that
you were even the least bit ashamed
of me?"
What would you do? Something
terrible?"
Il should die of shame for your
sake" she says, slowly.
IF you wait till you die of that COM
plant, you'll live to be as old as
whats -his-name ?-Methusaleh!" And
he laughs. why, I feel as proud of
winning you that I'm trying all know
not swagger."
ooh, how foolish, how foolisn!" she
murmurs. "To be proud of me-me!"
Il dare say; but l am, you see.
mean in the world for wife, and
shall get beastly conceited I expect
and perfectly uncomfortable. 1t isn't
every man who wins the love of an
angel"
ooh, DON'T" she says. can angel?
They will not think me that, but only
a commonplace girl who knows moth
ing and is not fit to be-a duchess!"
She utters the word as if she did not
like it, and he colors again. Tell
me-" she says, after a moment-"tell
me whom l shall have to fear most
You see, I don't know even if you have
a mother-a father don't know any
thing!"
He was silent a moment, mentally
execrating the chain of circumstances
which compel him, force him, to-yes
deceive her"
They are both dead, he says, truth
fully. 'T haven't any near relatives;
no brother and sister, mean. I've an
uncle-Lord Eustace and his two
sons. He's the next to the dukedom
he and they"
after you?" she says. 81 don't I'M
derstand; how should II"
cit does not matter" he said hur-
riedly.
"Tell me about him, then. Is he
nice? Will he be very angry?"
mo; he's not very nice. He's the
miser of the family You see you'll
have cause to be ashamed of some Of
h1 u,