Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-05-21

IL was TIC AdppAOol, pAOOAOOI OSNS
of my life when he asked me to be
his wife; and-and in the conviction
that I could and should make him
happy, did not regret the means by
which l had won him. | forgot, you
see, that the day of reckoning might
come 1t has come, and I face it.
All the world may know the story!"
mo, no. oh, MOI" painted Lucy.
Il do not care who knows. 1 have
made my confession, and l have done
with it, l do not ask your forgive
ness, Miss Leslie. If l stood in your
place I should find it impossible to
forgive as you do 4 will not utter
the conventional wish that you may
be happy. I tried TO ruin your hap
piness in securing my own, and have
failed Let that console you as it
will torture me. If you want further
consolation take it in the assurance
that he has loved you all the time
he has been engaged to me. Yes,
have felt that all through. His heart
was always yours-never mine. II
this evenings work had never been
if we had been-been married he
would have bone on loving you, and
my punishment would have been
greater even than it is. That woman
lied when she spoke of YOU Yes,
I can understand how he came to
choose you before me-
She turned and drew the cloak round
her and moved to the door. Yorke
started as if aroused from a kind of
stupo@, and went forward as if to ac-
company her; but she drew away
from him.
Your place is here, not with me. >
He stopped irresolute, half dazed
by conflicting emotions and she look
ed over her shoulder at Ralph Dun,
combe. s,
81 ordered my carriage to- foil low
me, will you see if it is on the roads
Mr.. Duncombe?"
He started forward and. offered his
arm; but Yorke motioned him aside /
and took her hand. Us
"No," he said, hoarsely, my place
is by your side. You are myEprom.
ised wife, Eleanor"
She smiled bitterly as he drew her
hand from his.
Pardon me, Lord Auchester,8
pointing to Leslie, there stands your
promised wife," and with one more
look into his face she turned and
left them.
Yorke was a gentleman. He could
not let the woman whom he was
pledged to marry in a few hours go
out into the night like an outcase.
He followed her and Ralph Dun
combe.
Eleanor, you will at once come
home with me?"
The sound of wheels was heard,
and she stood and listened to them,
rather than to him.
Eleanor, think what you do he
said. 81 stand by my promise, my
engagement, Notwithstanding"
Notwithstanding that I obtained
it by fraud Yes, I knew you would
say that, and am grateful. But you
forget, Yorke, 1 heard every word
you said. You could give me
what? Not yourself, not your heart.
You could not You belong to her.
Forget me. Oh Yorke, I loved you
so! No, do not come near me! l am
not so degraded as to accept such a
sacrifice. You love her, and l do
not wonder. No, 1 do not wonder!
She is more beautiful that I am, and
better-a thousand times better. She
VIII make you happy, and ali! how
much more is this-you will make
her happy. Goodbye. Go back to
her! Plead to her, kneel to her to
forgive you. She will find it hard;
these good women are always harder
than we are. She would not have
done so much to win you as l have,
and will, therefore, be all the slower
to forgive. But go, and-and"-the
carriage was drawing near; she
threw back the hood of the cloak and
flashed all her proud, white lowell
ness upon him-"and when you think
of me, think of me as l am at this
moment-at the moment l relinquish
you "
near and laid a white hand upon each
OF his shoulders, looked into his
eyes, lingering feverish look, then,
as Ralph Duncombe opened the car
riage door, she let her hands drop
slowly and got into the carriage.
Ralph Duncombe was for following
her, but she stayed him with a gest-
ure.
mo, no. Alone, alone!" came
from her parted lips.
The words alone, alone!" fell like
funeral knell upon Yorkes ear.
They were the last words he was to
hear from Lady Eleanor's lips for
many a year.
The two men stood and gazed af-
ter the carriage. Then Yorke turned