Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-02-12

rather sudden, think, but fancy he
is erratic in his movements. I want
you to send him a receipt, and-er-to
ask him to allow the picture to be
exhibited"
Eyes; tomorrow, papa" she said,
family.
"Why not tonight" he asked, testify.
Il am tired, very tired" she said,
going to him and leaning her head on
his shoulder.
you've walked too far" he said, in
a tone of complaint. You'd better
go to bed at once. The receipt and
the letter must wait till tomorrow,
suppose. Oh-there was something
oh. yes! did you see the duke? He
came up to me on the beach and in
CURED for YOU"
She turned away from him, lump
rising in her throat and threatening to
suffocate her.
Eyes"
Did he say anything about that
sketch of st. Martin
St. Martin! How the name brought
back the memory of that happy, hap
by day!
T don't quite know about that
SKETCH" he went on with an air OF
importance. II may be too much en-
gagged on important pictures to-er-
spare any time for small sketches:
However, the matter can rest for the
present. The duke has gone back to
London tonight, they tell me. By the
way wish you would prepare fresh
canvas for me-"
"Not tonight; oh, not tonight, dear!"
she said, in al ow voice. Il will go to
bed as you said, for am very, very
tired. Tomorrow"
She left the sentence unfinished,
and crept up to her own room.
Tomorrow! What an awful line
of dreary tomorrows stretched before
her, was her thought. AS she took
off her dress the diamond pendent
flashed in the candle-light, each gem
seeming to glitter mockingly in derf-
sion of her love and faith and trust.
She covered the sparkling thing with
her hand and bowed her head over 1t.
The very day he had sent It to her he
had given his portrait-his Portrait
to that other woman.
She took the pendant off the ribbon
and put it away out of sight in box
and as she did so she saw Ralph Dun
combe's ring.
Ones own misery recalls to one
that ot other people, and in this, the
hour Of her trouble, Leslie remem-
bered Ralph Duncombe; and for the
first time she realized something OF
what he had suffered. With rush
his passionate avowal came back upon
her, and she took the ring in her hand
and looked at it with a tender longing
in her eyes.
He had sworn to help her if ever
she should be in trouble, had sworn
to avenge her if ever she suffered
wrong. How feeble had been his vow!
| Neither he nor any one else could
help her in this strait, and as to ven
geance, she wanted noe. Alas! alas!
| false as he had been, she loved Yorke
still.
| She fell asleep at last from sheer ex-
haustion, and did not awake until past
nine then it all came crowding back
upon her in that first awful moment of
waking. Surely, to the wretched and
unhappy, there is no more awful hour
in the twenty-four than that which fol-
l. lows the morning awakening. Sor-
row seems to have had time to sharp
en- her arrows during the night, AID
plunges them with fresh vigor into the
aching heart.
While she was dressing, Leslie went
lover the whole of the incidents of the
previous day, bit by bit, and suddenly,
with the sharpness of flash OF
Tightening, CLEAN of hope shot
| across the darkness of her misery.
Suppose the woman had lNd! Such
women as she would find no difficulty
in STOPPING to falsehood and decep-
ton. Supposed she had got possession
of Yorke's portrait, had forged the let
ter, had concocted the whole story
The supposition seemed far fetched
and improbable, but it sent thrill OF
hope through her, and she finished
dressing with feverish haste and hur-
ried downstairs.
All through the breakfast she felt
like one in a dream-as if she were
suspended between life and death, and
waiting for the verdict.
Her father talked of his picture
of all he meant to do now that he was
on the high-road to fame, and his
voice sounded in her ear like that OF
some one speaking afar off.
Yorke-her Yorke-might prove to
be true still Oh, blessed hope! How
mad, how wicked, how foolish she
had been to put any trust in the wo
man who had slandered him!
The revulsion of feeling was sc
great that it sent hectic flush to her
fooo and n fovoricb 1ioht tn her ewes