Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-02-13

malicious tongue, which so black
ened it that, at your first meeting
with me, you treat me as if l were the
greatest scoundrel unhung."
In his conversation he takes step
nearer to her, and gains full view
of her face. There is moments
silence. A pause in which surely one
or both should realize the absurdity OF
the situation which has resulted in
two strangers-a handsome man and
young girl-talking in this intimate
manner. But in truth they are so abb
sorbed, she by her wounded pride and
the remembrance Of last night, and he
by his desire to conquer this strange
repugnance of a pretty girl, that con-
ventionalities are forgotten and go for
nothing.
"Scoundrel!" she says, blushing. I
did not say so"
"But your eyes did," he retorted. eff
ever dislike and repugnance were OK.
pressed, you have looked them since
the moment you set eyes on me, and
yet, until today, we have never met
you yourself say that we have never
met"
"And hope that we shall never
meet again." she says, lifting her eyes.
in which wounded pride and passio-
nate anger fight for predominance.
Sir Heron regards her with earnest
amazement.
"This extraordinary" he says;
"this is a mystery which" Here his
voice grows grave and solemn. "Will
you tell me how and when have OF
Tended you?" he says.
mo" she replies, turning upon him,
81 will not say anything more. / have
said too mucn. We are strangers,
Sir Heron, and you have no right to
keep me talking on the-the public
road. We are strangers and will re-
main so. Good-morning!"
And with glance that was as much
one of defiance and dislike as of fare
we'll, she turns and goes swiftly down
the road.
Amazed, mortified and interested
more than he has been for many
long day, Sir Heron leans upon his gun
and watches her, and not until the
1.-THE, graceful figure has turned dis
tant corner does he tuck his gun un-
der his arm and turn toward the Void.
In all the course of his experience,
and it has been a varied one, he has
never met with anything like this.
At one moment he is inclined to
laugh aloud; the next, the vision of
the sweet face, all flushed with anger
and scorn, strikes the laugh from his
lips.
Vainly he recalls the events Of the
past seven years, and racks mis- brain
in the endeavor to summon up some
recollection Of brown-eyed girl with
golden hair, of face like that Of the
strange girl with whom he has been
having SO singular a conversation;
memory will not help him.
He is sure that he has not seen her
before and yet she had his name
his title-so pat!
With an eagerness which surprises
him, he goes over the many fair faces
ne has met in town and country;
tracks back to long-forgotten balls and
concerts, dinners at Richmond and
suppers at st. Johns Woods; but all
in vain. And she herself admitted
that they had not met. Had some busy
body been spreading tales of the old,
wild life in town, and had some story
of one Of his many exploits reached
the ears of this unknown country girl
and inspired her with a virtuous re-
pugnance of MIN? 1t was possible
just possible; and yet the expression
Of positive dislike and scorn which
had flashed from the brown eyes was
too marked and personal for that
hypothesis.
Then at last the absurdity Of the
whole thing broke in upon him, and,
stopping short in the middle Of the
road, he laughs aloud.
But there is a sharp ring of annoy
ance and perplexity in the laugh, and,
though the pheasants fall to the right
and left of aim and his hand is we'll
in for slaughter, the most absorbing
of an Englishman's amusements, he
cannot dispel the vision of the young
girl standing erect and scornful, with
fiery light in her brown eyes, and the
curl of proud indignation on her red
ripe lips; and powerless also in the
noise of the now jubilant dogs to