Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-11-29
CHAPTER II.

1t is easy to be magn&n imous when
YOU have won all along the line. Ted
Clayton was giving luncheon party, en-
pertaining a few of his more ardent sup
rorters, and by some strange chance his
recent great antagonist found herself in
Guided amongst the guests. The defeat
ed Unionist had fled back to town, but
Miss Braithwaite had elected to remain
in Leachester in the midst of her old
friends. They had all welcomed her
warmly, though she had come amongst
them in new guise.
And now she was here, in Ted Clay
tons house, where certainly she had new
er thought to be. She looked at him us
he sat talking to the mayoress, who oc
cupied a seat of honor at his right hand.
His duties as political agent not being
entirely over, it was Maitland who had
arranged the luncheon party, and he now
sat meekly at the foot of the table, with
Miss Braithwaite by his side.
Ted had only discovered this at the
last moment, when it was too late to
alter it. and now he sat listening vaguely
to the platitudes of the chief lady in the
town, and wondering what Maitland
found to talk about so glibly to girl
he had never seen until a week ago.
Anne was talking, too, quite as if she
liked it; and yet it was all right, of
course They both belonged to the same
world-the easy, pleasant world, in which
the easy, pleasant words that meant
nothn with the current coin, with which
friendship-ay, and even love!-was
bought and sold. But did Maitland mean
nothing? He was a young man, with
keen sense of his own worth, and he did
10
rule. Ted had never heard him say any
thing particularly witty; then why did
Anne laugh like that?
The Miss Braithwaite" had vanished
into limbo, and she was just Anne to
him now And why were they taking so
long over the lunch? What a fool he
had been to ask these people here! He
had thought it would be good way of
getting Anne to come and see the house;
but if he was tied up like this, and if
Maitland and Anne
"You must show me the Conservatives,
Mr.. Clayton said the mayoress, who
had determined he would be a very nice
husband for one of her own girls.
81 haven't got any, have II" said Ted.
eyes, of course-I mean, 1 shall be very
glad"
DuU uOlUlIS ldSUS lOIcNcls JIlc luIlCH-
con was over at length, and he owed
Maitland one for this. Catching him I'M
awares, he introduced him to the mayor
ess, and left her to fasten upon him, and,
forgetful of the other people, he walked
straight over to Anne.
She saw him coming, and a new sweet
light shone in her eyes.
Il want to show you the garden" he
said will you conner"
He spoke little breathlessly. These
other hateful people, whom fervently he
hoped he need never behold again, would
close upon him if he didn't escape soon.
There's way out here" he said,
Through the window. Comet"
They were standing out in the sun
shine. A beautiful world was all around
him. Ted felt as if he had stepped out
of a prison house into the light. But
though he had been so anxious to detach
Anne from the rest of the party, he
seemed to have nothing to say to her
now that they were alone. Miss Braith-
waite did not appear to notice his silence,
and together they walked across the lawn
and through the shrubbery until they
stood on the edge of the moor.
They were all alone here, space and 81
lence around them; before them the wide
heath, behind them the distant hills
Anne turned and looked back the way
they had come to the old gray house
that was so spacious and empty, and
that, for all it's beautiful rooms and mag
nificent furniture, had such an unhomely
look.
'The Scarletts lived here, didn't they?"
she said. "They were unhappy people;
this was an unhappy house. Why did
you come to live here?"
She looked at him curiously, and it was
rather awkwardly that he answered her.
Don't you like tt" he asked. Il
thought-that is, you looked as if you
would like an old house, not new red
brick thing run up the day before yes
terday. Of course, if you don't like it,
we could easily let it or sell it"
There was little moment of silence.
Then Anne spoke.
'We?" she said.
But she was pretending now, and he
knew it, and she knew it, and with a
little laugh they drifted nearer together.
"Anne!" he said.
''Yes?"
"You know!"
81 haven't an ideal"
He put his hand on her shoulders and
looked into her eyes.
'Well, Pm waiting" he said.
She was very still and quiet, and
across the silence came the shrill, high
pitched voice of the mayoress, who was
coming with Maitland and the others to
look at the view.
Tell me quickly" said Ted. 81 won't
let you go till you do"
But Anne escaped from him, and the
others were in sight now; and then she
turned back to say it, as he had known
she would.
at is an old barrack!" she said. 81
don't think I could let you live here all
by yourself; and-Ted, you can do all
the voting I want now!"