Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-03-20

May, while she talks with apparent
ease, has one ear open-sensitively and
acutely open to the other two voices
the thin, subdued one Of old Lady
Letchford, and the hard, coarse one or
Mr.. Dalton.
"Yes, my lady," he is saying, Il like
the place. Can't say I've any fault to
find with it There's everything
man could desire-soil's gravelly, stu
walton Ugh, and the uniting is first
rate. Toes Sir Heron unt?-of
course he does, though"
"My sou has been away from home
for some years. The hounds were
kept here for forty years until his
time"
pity Sir Heron don't take EN-
over again: Shamefully mismanaged
now; I-ahem-thought of putting up
for the mastership myself, but, OF
course, if Sir Heron"
eyes, you thoroughly understand the
duties, no doubt"
"Er-well, there doesn't seem much
to understand l suppose it's easily
picked up. 1t seems to me that the
principal thing that's wanted is-ahem
money"
"And you have that?" says the old
lady with fine irony.
"Well-I-er-I wouldn't let money
stand in the way, my lady. It's not
my 'abit to do so. If you mean doing
thing, do it well, 1 say Mays ears
burn Don't spoil the ship for an
extra bucket of tar, is my motter and
always has been. And"
| At this juncture, and to Mays un-
speakable relief, the door opens,
and Van Vavasour comes incomes
| in looking like an Apollo Belvidere,
his his graceful figure clad in evening
dress, which bears Poole's unmistak-
able cut; his short, golden hair cluster
ing on his white, even forehead, his
mustache shining like FURNISHED gold
with the recent cold water, his blue
eyes twinkling with the anticipation of
the fun that Is to be got out of pere
Dalton; but as he comes up to the
group the twinkle dies out, and the
eyes, as they rest on Mays face, glow
with appreciative admiration.
Late-as usual" he says laughing
alphabetically, as he shakes hands.
"'Pon my soul, l ought to be fined
How would it be to deprive me of my
soup every time was five minutes
late, and the fish if it got to ten, and
so on? Halloa, where's Heron?"
AS if in answer, the door opens, and
a servant says, in a. low voice:
"Sir Heron has come in late, my
lady and begs you will not wait"
With word Of excuse, Lady Letch-
! ford lays the tips of her fingers on Mr..
Dalton's arm, Vane takes May upon
his, then Rose Vavasour and Carrie
bring up the rear. They cross the
hall, pass through another curtained
doorway, and enter the dining-room.
| A portley butler-who loooks like a
duke-and two footmen in the dark
livery move noselessly about, and the
soup is about to be carried to Lady
Letchford's end Of the table, when a
white hand thrusts the curtain aside,
and the stalwart figure of Sir Heron
strides into the room.
"Just in time" he says. "Mr. Dali
ton, how do you do? Pray accept my
excuses, Miss Dalton!" and he comes
up to her chair and holds out his hand.
| His entrance has been so sudden
that May, whose face was turned to
! Vane's, is almost guilty of a start,
but as he turns she sees that Rose Va
vasour's eyes are fixed on her. and
with an effort she keeps back the color
that threatened to rush to her face,
and silently gives him her hand.
"And this is" says Sir Heron,
turning to Carrie.
MY sister Carrie" says May.
Then he shakes hands with Carrie,
goes to his place, leans with both
hands on the table, after the manner
of an Englishman, says grace, and at
once proceeds to ladle out the soup,
and all with grave self-composure.
1t is not until he has handed the last
plate to the footman, and Mr.. Dalton's
spoon begins to clink, that Sir Heron
turns to May, who is seated on the
left, and then all he says is:
"Are we going to have any snow
before Christmas?" and this in the
most conventional of tones
And as May answers in set phrase,
and looks at his composed face-ff it
has any expression at all, it wears one
of hard, grim weariness-he almost
asks herself if she hasn't been the
victim of delusive dream, and if the
stalwart figure plunging into the cold,
blue waters is not the creation of
distempered fancy.
Not the acutest and most watchful
of observers could detect anything in
his voice or face which would lead
them to suspect that anything beyond
the most ordinary civilities of society
had passed between them. And yet
May wears the locket which he re-
covered from the water, and his eyes