Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-08-09

all there at the bottom of the bag"
Then chuck her in and jump up, .
grunted old Martin. We be late al
ready"
But Mr.. Slime mad told an untruth.
The Lorme letters were not all in the
bottom of the bag, for Cyril's letter to
Leola was snug in his, Mr.. Shines,
pocket. and before another hour had
passed Mr.. Philip Dyce had Leola's
first love-letter in his safe keeping.
why Martini exclaimed the post
mistress-who kept a small general
shop in the village, and considered the
postoffice business nuisance
there's the string of the bag untied,'-
"Ah," grunted Martin, that's them
fools at Halsford; they don't know to
tie knot. So long as they dab a bit
O sealing wax on somewhere, they're
satisfied"
And that was an end of the matter.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Before the evening had closed ali
Lorme, all Westbury, all Montsford
knew that Polly Mardsen mad run of
with Cyril Kingsley.
To write "all" is perhaps too sweep,
ing; there were exceptions of igno-
rance-Lord Beaumont, for instance,
had not heard of it.
The event created considerable sur
prise, and not little disappointment
amongst the better classes, for they
had always regarded Cyril as some
thing better than the usual run OF
farmers, and it was well known that
Lord Beaumont treated him as an
equal and friend.
There were few persons who still
refused to believe the rumor. But
what could those friends do to stem
the tide Of popular rumor, backed as
1t was by the suspicious facts that Cy-
ril had been seen to leave the station
by the midnight train-by the same
train If not in the company of Polly
Marsden-and that he had LETT no ex.
PLANTATION of his sudden disappearance.
1t was certainly very black, and con
spicuous indeed.
1t was black, black, black That is
what Leola kept repeating to herself
as she wandered about the magnificent
house of which she had up to this mo-
ment been so proud, but which now
seemed to aggravate her misery by its
grandeur and the responsibilities it
imposed upon her.
She longed to be alone, to hide her.
self away, and wait his coming and
his explanation, for though all looked
so black she would not believe him so
hideously treacherous and deceitful.
But she was Mistress of Lormei
She could not go to her room as if she
were a laborer's daughter, and hide
herself. If this engagement had been
made known it would have been differ.
ent; then she could have sought soli-
tude consistently; but at his request
1t had been concealed.
Why did he make that request?
Her cheeks paled and burned alter
nately as the thought suggested itself
that though he would not give up his
guilty love and treachery he was anx-
ious to spare her public shame.
But she spurned the thought from
her
Her love was so full so passionate,
so deep, that it kept doubt at bay for
the present.
1t so happened that afternoon that
there was quite a run of visitors,
some had no doubt heard of the sudden
disappearance of the manager of the
Home Farm, and came to gather a lit
tie information, but neither Mrs. Weth-
erell nor Leola opened their lips on
the subject, and the visitors went
away unsatisfied.
They remarked that Leola looked
pale-but then she was never one to
show much of the rose--and that she
was very quiet, but then she was al.
ways quiet.
Then came Lady Howth. She was
by far too well bred to mention the
subject, but she was very gentle and
kind She did mention Cyril's name
accidentally.
Gerald was to have come with me,
she said 'Sbut he and Cicely have
gone to make a sketch of an old tree
at Montsford which Mr.. Kingsley had
discovered
At Cyril's name Leola WINGED
slightly, but her countenance was I'M
der control, and she said words proper
to the occasion quite calmly.
The day wore away. She was
still watching, listening for his foot