Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-03-19

She was pretty, no doubt; but to
think that Yorke-Yorke, the festidl-
ous-should be caught by a pretty
face! Why, she, Lady Eleanor. was
pretty! She looked at her pale,
agitated face and kind of indignant
rage consumed her for a moment.
She was the acknowledged belle Of
many ballroom. She might nave
been a professional beauty if she had
cared to be one. She was accom-
plished, was in his own rank and
class, a fitting mate, yes-she told
herself with inward conviction-a
fitting mate for him.
With her by his side as his wife, he
could have filed a conspicuous place
in the world-their. world, the upper
ten thousand, the rulers and masters.
And he had passed her by and was
going to marry a half-educated, I'M
cultured uncultivated country girl
with pink cheeks and simperin9
smile.
The thought nearly drove her mad.
| Finetta mad said that she had tried
| to prevent it, and that now it rested
with her, Lady Eleanor, 10 make an at
| tempt
| Lady Eleanor shuddered and red
dened with shame at the Idea of be-
! ing conspirator with such an one as
Finetta Of the Diadem, and yet was
not the object to be attained worthy
even of such means?
She would not ask herself why
Finetta desired to stop the marriage.
She put the question away from her
resolutely, and told herself that it was
of Yorke and Yorke's welfare alone
that she was thinking.
A servant came up to announce Wis
| itors, but Lady Eleanor answered
| through the locked door that she was
not at home.
81 will see only Mr. Ralph Dun
combe," she said; and she longed for
his presence with a feverish i'm
patience, though she had no fixed plan
| in her mind-nothing puJ an eager
idea that Ralph Duncombe, the cute
city man, might be able to help her.
About six o'clock the servant an
nounced him, and she had him shown
I'D to her boudoir. She had had time
to collect herself and regain COM
posture, to change her dress for tea
gown, and do her hair; but her face
was pale, and still showed traces OF
the terrible agitation which she had
suffered, and Ralph Duncombe, as he
took her hand, looked at her inquir-
ingly.
81 an afraid you have found the
heat trying, Lady Eleanor. hope
you are we'll" he said in his grave,
sedate voice.
Thank you-yes," she said, y am
well, quite well. But l am What
is the word you city men use when
you want to say that you are worried?
Pray sit down." and she pointed to a
chair so placed that she could see his
face while hers was against the light.
I'VE find worried good enough for
US, Lady Eleanor; but we are worried
so often that we think little of it, and
take things very much as they come. "
"Ah, then l envy yop!" she said,
with d genuine sigh Il am afraid you
will think me very inconsiderate in
sending for you-you who have so
much to occupy your time and
energies"
81 am always glad to be of some
slight service to yOu," he said, with
grave courtesy, ''and can always
spare time to come to you when yon
send for me- Is anything the mat
ter? Are you anxious about the min
! ing company? You have no cause to
! be, for everything is going on re-
markedly we'll, and succeeding be-
You'd my expectations. Some of the
| best men in the city have joined us,
and, as l wrote to you, the shares al
ready stand at a high premium. You
have made a very large sum of
money, Lady Eleanor, and are on the
way to making a still larger"
Money, money! she exclaimed. 1t
is always money! You talk as if it
were the one and only thing desirable
and worth having! And, after all,
what can it bring? Can it bring the
one thing on which ones heart is
set? Have you found it so all-power-
! full that you set such store by it?''
II beg your pardon she said,
hurriedly, and almost humbly, i did
not mean to be impertinent or OBJ
trusive; but just now I am in trouble
in which l think the all-powerful
money will be powerless."
''TelI me what it is" he said in a
low voice, and rather absently, as if
the Lastly words she had just spoken
were still haunting him. THAT is, l
suppose you sent to consult me about. "
"Well-yes,'' said Lady Eleanor,
more calmly, but with her color com
| ing and going II sent to you be-
cause you are the only friend l have
whom l care to consult about this
| Dooayco T fool that Won