Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-01-30
SO fair, SO false
By Charles Garvice


bad taste in anyone smaller than
nobleman, not very good taste in him
and-and-"
s'TIush-hush!" cried Carrie, spring
ing to her feet "Papa!"
The door is opened, and the little
stumpy figure of the indigo merchant
clad in his bran new evening dress
with huge diamonds glittering in his
shirt front, and sparkling on ais fat,
red hands, the master of all the new
and dazzling splendor against which
the girl has been inveighing-passes
/ in between the two footmen.
At sight of him Mays variable mood
changes from fiery scorn to intense
though suppressed mirth He looks
so uncomfortable in his shining broad
cloth and glittering diamonds, SO
pompous and SO absurd, and so con-
scious of his absurdity.
"Er-have you finished, my dear?''
he says II trust you enjoyed it. Car
rie--er-run into the drawing-room.'
| Carrie walks slowly instead of rum
ming, and Mr. Dalton closes the door,
and stands warming his back at the
empty CRATE.
May, uncompromising as ever, sits,
and looks, and waits. After one or
two blasts on the red bandana, over
which he eyes her with covert nerv-
BUSINESS, he clears his throat and be-
gins:
II need not say that am glad to
see you back, May"
Thank you, papa" comes softly,
but calmly, from the red lips
"And I-er-hope that you are glad
to get back. Your late occupation
ahem-was scarcely appropriate and
suitable to the sphere into which we
have moved, and-I am glad you are
back
mo doubt Carries letter gave you
full account of the changes which
have come over our fortunes
'It would have done, if had receiv-
ed it." says May, cheerfully. "But
Carrie has made up for the loss. She
has been telling me all that has hap
pened. I am very glad, papa"
L
complacently "It is wonderful
change; but, if you remember, I al
ways said that I should make a great
/! it."
May does not remember it, but is far
too wise to say so.
:'Of course, am very pleased and
r-gratified, too, not on my account
so much as on that of my two chill
dren."
"Two?" says May, in a low voice.
Mr.. Dalton blows his nose loudly,
and browns the obnoxious exclama-
ton.
ut is, of course, a great comfort
to me to feel that I have raised them
by my exertions (exertions' is a good
word for speculations)-m own ex-
ertions to positions which-er-to
positions which will place them in a
understand, May, the old life has
gone forever; that what we have to
do is to forget it, and endeavor to fill
the place we have made for ourselves
in the world. And-and-that we may
thoroughly understand each other,
think it well to remind you of the
condition upon which YOU"
"Are allowed to return"
eff you like to put it SO, well, you
must What I want to say is that
will not have the old cause of quarrel
and pickering in this new life
"What you mean, papa" says May,
@is that we are not to mention sgd
ney's name, that we are to forget that
we ever had brother. and are to
make ourselves comfortable in all
this luxury, without giving thought
as to whether he is starving or dead"
That's just what do meant" says
Mr.. Dalton. II wash my hands of-of
your brother. / have done with him
done with him What I said two
years and six months ago, | say now
a vagebond spendthrift, he is no son
of mine. Starving or dead, it matters
not to me. He is no son Of mine.
And-and forbid anyone to mention
his name in my hearing. think
have spoken plain enough
"Quite, and-I promise to obey you
in part. I will not speak of him.
but-but-I cannot forget him."
"You can please yourself about
that. If it's any pleasure to remem-
Der that you have brother who is a
disgrace to the name he bears, know
you too we'll, my dear May, to think
that you will debar yourself that
pleasure for my sake. Think Of him
as much as you like, but don't let me
hear the scoundrel's name"
May springs to her feet and stands
painting for a moment, her beautiful
eyes blazing with wounded love and
indignation.
"Then do not you speak of him to
me, papa" she says, cat least until
sinking down again and shaking with
suppressed tears-"until you can
speak more like a Christian and less
like a heather of your own son. Oh,
Syd-Syd!"