Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-03-26

taken her into his house if it had not
been so small and already over
crowded.
The head of the family wrote her a
short note from German watering
place saying that he was in such
wretched state of health that he could
not come to England except at the
risk of his life, and that it would
probably not be long before he Joined
her father lin the realms above"
Amt it dreadful, sir?" said the
landlady tofthe doctor. They don
seem to have a heart among 'em!"
He shook his head. He had seen
similar cases.
4 am afraid that Miss Lisle is not
very well off" Ne said. eff she had
been an heiressg her relatives would
have flocked round her, full of SYM
pathy and offers of assistance. 1t IS
the way of the world, Mrs. Brown. l
fear Miss Lisle will feel the negect
and cold-heartedness very keenly. We
must do all we can for her.
Yes. sir. that we will" said the
woman, with moist eyes. las to feel
inc it. | don't think Miss Lisle feels
anything at present; and since the
funeral she has seemed like one dazed
and cut of her mind, as you may say
| could scarcely move her to see
about her mourning. And it makes
ones heart ache to go into the room
and see her sitting there IN her PLAIN
black dess-she would have it so
simple and no Grape, though | told
her Grape was always worn for
father-sitting there, and just looking
before her, as if she were too weak
and overcome even to think. It's my
opinion, sir, that she scarcely realizes
what has happened to her yet. Since
the day he died she hasn't shed
tear. And sue a sweet, pretty soul as
she is. and so grateful for the littlest
thing one does for her! But, there;
she was always the incest young lady
that I ever took in-always. And II
her relatives is too proud or too heart
less to look after her, why, she shan't
want for a friend while Martha Brown
have got shilling!"
The landlady's graphic description
of Leslie's condition was a fairly
truthful one Day after day Leslie
sat with her hands folded listlessly in
the lap of her black dress, her eyes
fixed on the trees in the square, her
sorrow too great for thought.
If she had overheard the landlady
and the doctor discussing her future,
she woupld have listened with perfect
indifference What did it matter what
became of her, or whether she lived,
or went to join the poor, weak soul
whom she had loved and cherished
and yet-ah, what bitterness was in
the thought.-deceived If she had
not listened to Yorke's proposal, had
not consented to his plan Of bringing
her to London, her father might be
alive now. 1t was true that the doc
tor had assured ner that the weak
ness of the heart, which had been the
immediate cause of death, had been
latent for some time, that her father
had been a doomed and sentenced
man for years past, and that any
shock would have been sufficient to
cause his death; but even this assur-
ance scarcely softened the poignancy
of her remOrSe.
1t was of her father and her loss
she thought during the days i'm
mediateIy following her bereavement,
and it might almost be said that she
had forgotten oYrke and her great
love for hinl-almost, but not quite
1t was lying in the center OF her heart
buried for a time under the load or
anguish and sorrow; but it needed
only a sight of him, only the sound OF
his nome, to arise like a giant and
reassert all it's old influence over her
After while she began to recover
sufficiently to be able to think, to
realize her position, and to look
vaguely and indifferently toward the
future.
The doctor and the secretary OF the
great man had gone into Leslie L1sleS
affairs, and discovered that most OF
his small income had died with him,
and that what remained amounted to
only a few pounds year-not enough
by itself, to keep body and soul to-
gether. There was a little money IN
hand but the largest part OF that
sum consisted of the fifty pounds paid
by "Mr Temple" for the picture he
had bought; and Leslie, directly she
was able to think, resolved that she
would return the money, though it,
and it only, should stand between heF
and starvation.
There was something else, also, that
she must return-the diamond pend
ant which Yorke had given her. That,
too. must go back She could not
summon up sufficient courage to take
it from its hiding-place as yet; and,
indeed, she did not know where to
send it. unless he addressed it to the