Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-08-28
deaf and incredulous ear.

ago Heron had gone to the seat of war
that battles had been fought, forts
taken, men slain; and vague horror
has fallen upon her that she will never
see her son again.
No word of Self-reproach passes her
proud lips, but within her proud heart
she longs-absolutely longs for Samuel
Dalton to be still prosperous and liv-
ing, and his daughter her sons wife.
IF he had married her," she MUIR
murs to herself as she lies in the still
watches Of the night-"if he had mar
ried her, he would have settled down,
and l should have seen him happy, and
had him near me. Would to Heaven
he had married her."
| Yes, it had come to this now. that
the naughty old woman would receive
would even welcome her with open
arms.
For, with all her pride, Lady Letch-
ford is no fool, and bordering and
thinking, she has guessed during these
weary months what it is that has made
Heron desperate, and sent him to a
probable death.
But never a word of this escapes her
lips. Even when Rose Vavasour speaks
confidently of HeronS return and soft
| ~ mulmurs of the approaching mar
rage, the old lady utterS no prophecy,
makes no wall; only at times when the
beauty mentions his name, mentions it
! n no +riT
On the continent, the old lady looks
up with a glance OF sad presentiment
and Rose Vavasour will take no count
Of glarces, and will not even listen to
Vane's vague murmurs of uneasiness-
ard, to tell the truth, Vane is growing
both anxious and fearful.
Scarcely day passes but he looks
in and inquiries if they have heard any
tidings Of the missing man, and when
Lady Letchford gloomily shakes her
head the beauty invariably laughs
Heard? No! We don't expect to
hear, MY dear Vane. Heron always
was the worst correspondent in the
world. No man hates letter-writing
more than he does We Shan't hear,
we shall see. I give him another
month BY that time he will have
I grown tired of the whole execrable
business and be tearing home by the
quickest route and so heartily sick of
: the Turks and the Russians that we
snan't get a wCrd from him about it. y
And Vane invariably gnaws his
mustache and looks down at his boots
and takes his departure in silence,
Not only to Vane, but to all other in
quiries, and they are many, the beauty
gives the same answer, and the world
in which she moves. the little world
Of the upper ten, wonders and shrugs
its shoulders.
"A rare high-spirited one, the Vava-
sour" says the duke to Cornva1e. |
Looks very much as if Letchford had
become food for powder, and yet she
don't show sigh; no mourning bride
about ner." and the famous, or in
famous. marquis shows his exquisitely !,
made set of teeth in significant smile. !
'"The sort of woman I admire; don't
wear her heart upon her sleeve for
DAVIS like you to peck at, duke. AS for
the fellow, he doesn't know when he's
got a good thing. He'll come back
and find he's lost if he don't take
care" adds her admirer.
Nc, the beauty is not one to wear
her heart upon her sleeves; not even
her maid knows or giesses anything |
Of the long, weary hours in which,
when all is still in the great house,
the famous beauty PAGES, with noise
less feet, up and down her bedroom,
tortured by wild anxiety and cease
less longing.
Tonight, ignorant that he is almost
within reach Of her. she comes into
the drawing-room, dressed for the last
ball of the season.
She is magnifcently dressed, da-
mOnds CLEAN in her yellow hair and
rise and fall on her white neck; so G-
quisite a picture does she make as she
stands in the soft light Of the shaded
lamp that Lady Letchford, as she turns
and looks at her, cannot help but won
Ger that any man should leave so rad
liant and beautiful creature for wild
life of hardship and peril.
"Where are you going tonight,
Rose?'' she asks listlessly, touch of
reproach in her voice.
| Surely this girl cannot love the ib-
sent man or she could not thus array
herself in his absence.
"To Lady Cranebrook' replied ne
beauty. ct is the last ball. Whatwe
shall do afterward / know not. Die of
ennui, suppose. Do you mind mygo-
| ing? Say the word and | viii stay |
| do not care for it."
The Old lady shakes her head.
mo; go, by all means. 1t is fotu-
nate you can enjoy yourself as youdo