Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-12-11
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might have been countess had shS
chosen. But she did not choose.
mo, thank you,' she said to on
young man who implored her. wit
something like tears in his eyes, t
marry him what would be tn
use? You'd find out that you'd made
mistake before a month was out
and SO should l. Your people woul
! cut me, and l shouldn't like tina
Besides, you'd want me to give
dancing and turn what you call re
spectacle, and I'm certain | shouldn
like that No, you go and marry on
of your own set, and take a box TO
my next benefit and bring her an
you'll be able to say; See what yoe
saved me from?' You wouldn't? Oh
yes, you would! I know your sort Q.
people too we'll You won't take an
answer? Well, then, the truth is, I've
made up my mind not to marry till
come across a man l can really care
| for, and I'm not mashed on any one
| yet, thank you.
She sent them away when they got
foolish" as she said, and wanted
! to marry her, dismissing them good
temperedly enough. In fact, she was
not bad-tempered woman, and it
was only at times that her passion
ate nature revealed itself. At such
times, when she set out, it was a
revelation indeed. 1t was about as
safe to brave tigress in her den at
the Geological Gardens as to insult
Finetta, and those who tried it once
were satisfied with the attempt, and
did net repeat it. Now, one day, or
rather, one night, there came Yorke
Auchester, and with him a change in
the life of Finetta. They were friends
at once. She amused and interested
him; he liked to see her dance, liked
to hear her talk in her cynical, cock
ney way; liked to drop in at the lit
tie suppers over which she pre-
sided with a light-hearted gayety
which made these extremely pleasant.
He admired her on horseback-ad-
m.red her pluck, her GOODNESS to give
and take in the game of repartee; and
so it came about that of all the men
none were so often in her company as
Yorke.
We are the slaves of habit. This is
by no means a new saying, but it is a
painfully true one. Yorke got into
the habit of dropping in at the Dia-
dem for Finetta's great dance, got in
to the habit Of dropping in at st. Johns
Wood. of driving her down to Rich
Imond, of riding with her in the park,
or into the country; and although he
never gave her presents, never told
her that she was the most beautiful,
the cleverest, the best of her sex, as
some of the other men did, Finetta
liked him better than all the rest put
together So the chain began to be
forged.
When she went on the stage her
dark eyes would search the stalls, and
if she saw his handsome, careless face
and long figure there, a little smile
would curve her lips and she wound
dance her best
At the little supper-parties she man
aged, somehow or other that he
| should sit beside her. If she were
dull before he came, she frightened
up when he made his appearance. If
she had made an engagement, she
wou4a break it if Yorke asked her to
ride or drive with him.
He didn't see this marked prefer
ence for time, but the others did
The quiet little sister, who ran the
| house, once said
Fin, you're going soft on that big
Lord Yorke;" and the next moment
had sufficient cause for being sorry
that she had spoken.
But it was the truth Fineta,
who had laughed love TO scorn, and
broken, or cracked, so many hearts,
was in a fair way to discover that she
had heart of her own.
Sometimes, when he had left her,
she would sit perfectly motionless and
silent, thinking hard; then she would
start UP with a laugh and burst into
music hall song; but 1t often ended
with sigh. She was angry with
| herself, and she fought hard against
| the thralldom that was creeping over
her. but she could no more help feel
| ing happy when he was present, and
miserable when he was absent, than
| she could help dancing in time or
| lropping her chs when she was eX-
| ted.
Nothing stands still in this world
| Love grows or decreases, Finetta's
love for Lord Yorke grew day by day,
until it reached such pass tnat when
| he went off fishing she must throw UP
her part for the nfghv and follow him,
and, failing to find him, come back
wretched at heart, though outwardly
as cool and defiant as usual.
That morning, as she was putting
on her habit, her sister Polly had
again ventured to say few words of
warning.