Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-05-01

CT beg your pardon!" he says,
pulling up in a hurried pacing to and
fro and dropping into chair again
Angry with you! No. I should be
an ungrateful beast, for, of course,
know whom l have to thank for my
mothers altered mood. 1t is you who
have brought her around. You have
been trying to make things pleasant
and comfortable for me, while +
have been most possibly neglecting
YOU Upon my word, feel ashamed
of myself! Forgive me for being SO
selfish, Rose" and in his earnestness
he puts his hand on her arm. "Why,
how cold you are!" he says, with
concern. "Come nearer the fire." and
ne goes down on his knee and stirs the
great logs of wood on the dog-irons
into a blaze. Comet" he says, and
he draws her chair, with kindly eager
ness, to the glow.
The beauty laughs softly, and holds
out her white hands to the red, leaping
freight, which falls in warm CLEANS
of color on her exquisitely beautiful
face.
"I'm rather cold"
cold as ice!' he says, and he puts
mis- hand on her arm again.
But it is not cold now; his touch has
sent the blood coursing through her
veins, and the white, soft skin burns
beneath his fingers.
oh CO. wit
soft, undulating music in her voice
which she can summon at will. "Tell
me about-May," there is just the
slightest hesitation at the name, III
tie catching of the breath, but he
doesn't notice it.
about May?" he says, in the vague
way characteristic of the man-lover.
"tYou are, l suppose, formally en-
gagged to her now?"
"En! yesl" he says, and, with lit
tie touch of color on his face, he holds
up his finger, on which Mays ring re-
poses. Eyes, quite formally. Mr.. Dali
ton saw no objection"
A smile of scorn swept for a second
over the beautiful face.
Indeed, he wanted to be particu-
larly generous, to play the benevolent
father-in-law-in short, he offered to
make me present Of forty thousand
pounds on our wedding day. but, OF
course. told him that was impos-
sible."
HYou refuSed?"
to1 1as hot a
liked to settle it on May, for her own
separate use, l would settle like
amount also; but that as to handing
me forty thousand pounds as a dowry
it was not to be thought Of"
''You offered to settle forty thous-
and pounds on her. says Rose, slowly,
her lips set tight, jealous, envious
fire consuming her. Eighty thousand
pounds, this underbred girl-from no.
where, whom no one knew-was to
have, while she-she-the great Lon
don beauty, was set on one side. 1T
is large sum- she says, almost in
audibly
mot too large" he says, careless
iy; 1.-The estate can stand it, and we
must not be outdone by the father. Oh,
no, not too large. And my mother
has withdrawn her objection! I can
not understand why she should object
SO strongly
You see, she knew so little of her
knows SO little Of her now. Of course
she has told you all about her past
life?'
'.N-o! don't know that she has!"
Mo- with a faint little smile of
surprise. Really, MOI Girls are
usually so very communicative under
such circumstances. I should have
thought that she had told you every
thing, concealed nothing
'<Everything!' he repeats. Con
cealed. What on earth can she have
to conceal?'' and his hand goes up to
his mustache.
The beauty looks at him from the
corner of her half-closed eyes, some
what as cat might look at a mouse
with whom she is playing.
Conceal Oh, nothing!" she an
swers, with a soft little laugh Though
I think no girl can reach womanhood
without having something to conceal,
and her life has been so-varied."
Heron makes an irritable drive at
the log, which sends up an angry
shower of sparks.
"Of course goes on the soft, must
cal voice, "of course, Lady Letchford
is only too ready to be suspicious and
will have it, though I have laughed
her out of the idea, that May is some
what Of a firt. I tell her that she
has only seen her twice, and that one
must not draw conclusions from a
girls conduct at a ball. Of course,
there will be rumors about new peo-
pie, but it is ridiculous to listen to
them.''
"Rumors?' he says, gnawing his
nlustache and frOwning at the fire as
the barbed arrows insinuate them