Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-07-24
Continued.

hands in hs and stands locking down
at her, an eager light in his eyes.
Miss Dalton-May! Why should I
strive to hide my heart from you?
have known that I loved you for
months past. / think loved you the
first time | saw you. | 10 love you
most passionately. Dare / hope to
win Your love in return?"
Startled ard agitateG. she stands
trembling and in silence.
She has endured much already to-
night, this revelation of good, pure
honest love overwhelms her.
Nothing daunted by her silence. his
clasp on her hands tightens.
q frighten you," he says, gently,
evidently depressing his eagerness
with great effort 81 Go not mean
70 do So I did not mean to tell you
this tonight. I meant to keep silent
for some little time to come. until
until you had learned to know ME bet
ter. But such love as mine is hard
TO silence. I have carried it about
with me, part and parcel Of myself,
for months past Sleeping and walk
ing, your face, your dear voice, has
been beside me. Forgive me if | am
too rough and Imperative" for May
shrinks back and strives. family
strives, to withdraw her hand. "This
love of mine has taken such posses
sion Of me that | am blind to all else.
May, dear May, how could one help
loving you? Not I. at least! I do
love you with all my heart and soll,
and now-what are you going to deal
out to me?"
and anxious.
May looks up suddenly, her lips
tremulous, her eyes moist, looks up
with an appealing, imploring gaze.
ION. no-no!" she murmurs. Don't
don't say this!"
His lips CULVER, but he smiles with a
little earnest gesture.
"But I must say it. You-you will
not tell me that I am not to hope!
Hope! l do not ask you to say that
you return the love bear you! NO,
how could you? But I ask you, most
hunbly, to let me try ana win your
1ove!"
May covers her face with her hands,
AMI the tears course down her face.
She knows as surely as if an angel
whispered in her ear that there is a
love offered to her which the proudest
woman on earth would do well to grasp
and cherish-a love which falls to
the lot of few of the daughters of men.
If she could bu3 put away with a firm
hand that other wild passionate, hope
less love whose lame turns with the
torture of despair in her innermost
heart.
Silently the tears course down her
cheeks, each tear falling like molten
lead in his heart as he stands and
looks at her
May he says, at last, is there no
hope? AM too late? Are you go
ing to tell me what l have dreaded to
near; that there is some one else
some other claim upon you?" and his
voice breaks.
With a wild gesture Of sorrowful re-
gret she raises her face to his and
clasps his hand.
ooh, why did you tell lie this? Why
why should yon love me? You who
are so noble and coed, sc far, far
above ME- am not worthy of such
love as yours. Too late! Is it too
late? I wish wish l had been
dead before I came here to make you
unhappy"
"Hush-hush!" he says, and he
raises her hand to his lips. do not
say any more. Unhappy! You have
not made me unhappy My greatest
happiness lies in my love for you. It
is better to have loved and lost than
never 10 have loved at all! Hush:
Do not cry! / cannot bear that"
NO." says May. CT am not cry
ms. BI!t-but I am so unhappy" and
II the depth of her self-reproach she
draws nearer to him ard lays her hand
upon is arm.
Her half-caress scatters his self-con-
troll to the winds.
With a low cry he takes her hand
and looks down at her with passionate
longing.
MAY, do not send me away quite
quite hopeless! I cannot bear it. Tell
me that 1 may hope, that l may hope
n time-years forward, if you like
to win you! Do not take all hope
from met"
May looks from side to side, tor
tured by his passionate entreaties, her
heart melting with pity and reproach-
full tenderness. II cannot tell you,'
she says. DO not say another word
I-I-let me go now. Do not say an
other word"
''Not one word" he says, earnestly,
a CLEAN of hope flashing in his eyes
mot one word. l will wait, yes,
patiently. Leave me but hope. Good
night, dear-dear May" and with a
reverence and tenderness which would |
have befitted knight of old, he lifts |
her hands to his lps, and lets her go.
n IL = Z