Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-06-05

His face is white and haggard; 1t is
like the face of man who has receiv-
ed a mortal wound, and who is in
creasing his agony in his efforts to
conceal it: it is the face of a man who
has staked his all On the cast of die,
and-lost it!
Her once smooth, serenely lovely
countenance pales and shrinks as she
looks at him, and, almost uncon-
sciously, she stretches out her hand
and touches his arm fearfully and
timidly.
Heron"
He starts and looks at her, as if
suddenly aware Of her presence.
"Well?" he says, quietly, with the
quiet apathy of man who has &C.
cepted his fate. "Well?"
Heron" she says, falteringly, Ct
am very sorry
He smiles a cold, mechanical smile
that is too lifeless to be bitter.
$50 am IT, he says, grinlly. Then he
opens the drawing-room door for her.
eff you will excuse me-" he says, 81
have letter to write
She inclines her head, and still
looking at him, is about to pass in,
when, as if struck by sudden
thought, he turns.
"Rose," he says, his eyes fixed on
her face with hard scrutiny, I want
to ask you one question"
"Yes?"
did you lose your locket tonight,
or was it an excuse to take me to
that accursed wood?"
She falters, aid turns white, but the
light is behind her, and she nerves
herself in a moment.
"Can you ask, Heron?" she says,
| with sorrowful reproach. IT would
have given all I possessed to spare
Enough" he says, cutting her
short. Goodnight"
And he turns away.
AS he ascends the stairs slowly, and
with the tagging step of a man ex-
hausted by some unusual exrtion, his
him with scared face. He is an old
servant and privileged one. Long
years of service and almost COM
partnership have created an affection
ate devotion on the one part, and a
strong liking and esteem on the other.
Seeing his master with his white
haggard face and weary gait, the
man stops and speaks:
care you i'll, Sir Heron?"
mo, Parks, am not ill.," is the re-
ply. ''At least, I think mott think
not / may have taken q chill"
Parks turns at once and offers his
arm.
"A warm bath, Sir Heron.?"
Heron smiles.
'I don't think that would do me any
good, Parks" he says. Don't worry
Il am all right. I'll ring if I want
anything"
Parks goes down reluctantly, and
Heron goes on his way.
Indeed, it seems as if Sir Heron
had spoken the truth. He feels like
man who has taken a sudden chill
A fire burns in his dressing-room
and he draws &C hair up to it, and sit
ting down, leans forward, clasping his
hands and staring at the blaze.
And as he stares, the glowing logs
take the shape of the two faces-the
strange man's-the futigive's-and
the face of the girl-so fair, so false
who in a few short weeks has crept
into his heart but to make it desolate,
and in the cracking of the wood he
hears their notes.-the soft, sweet,
clear voice revealing her own treach-
cry and proclaiming her own guilt.
Sir Heron had had several bad quar-
tiers of an hour-one when he lost
three thousand pounds at ecarte to
Sir Jellaby links Of the Blues. at the
Rump Steak Club; another on the
night after the Leger, when, having
backed his horse heavily, it came in
bad third; and still another. when he
learned from a delicate little missive,
daintily scented. that Madamoiselle
Lelage-with whom he at that time
considered he had lost his heart-hai
gone off with old Lord Mountfarrel.
But this--this is the worst quarter
to win, but is not much surprise1 at
losing at cards; horses, even favorites,
sometimes miss the winning-post, and
ladies Of the MadamoiselIe LaIage
temperament are proverbially tickle
and uncertain.
But when a man gives his heart to a
young girl in the full confidence of
having won her pure, unstinted love
in return-when, in short, a man like
Sir Heron meets and loves a girl like
May, he feels that he has secured for
himself treasure about which there
is neither uncertainty nor fickleness.
He had thrown his old life-a wild,
unsatisfactory life-behind him, cast
it away and buried it utterly, and had
given himself utterly and unreserved-
ly to this first love he had ever felt.
Until this moment he had never
known how deenlv and intensely he