Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-06-08

ltsel1 must end; her love for him had
become so entirely a part of her being.
he had so monopolized her time and her
thoughts, that with this final wrench a
part OF herself seemed gone.
Yet. with all her self-pity, amid all her
feelings OF outraged and betrayed love, a
certain tinge of contempt began to grow
IN her heart for the man who could thus
falslfy all his repeated declarations of af-
| lection.
Patricia Drummond was the elder of
the two orphan daughters of the late
Vlseount Drummond At his death title
and estates had passed to a distant
branch OF the family, and Patricia and
her little crippled sister, Babette, had
been left almost penniless A home, for
the sake of the name, had been some
what grudgingly accorded them by the
new peer, who was himself by no means
wealthy; and Patricia had been plainly
! given to understand that she was ex-
| pected to relieve him of an unwelcome
encumbrance by making a wealthy mar
rage at as early a date as possible. But
Patricia, yielding up to a certain point
had not shown herself as plant in the
matter as her cousin expected.
Stonor, man of moderate means and
expensive tastes, had attached himself to
her at the outset of her first season:
Lord Drummond, although deeming that
with Patricia's beauty she ought to have
made better match, did not discourage
the young man, but, as time went on,
and Stonor did not come forward openly.
while Patricia refused other offers. his
dlspleasure became pronounced, and the
undeclared lovers had fewer chances of
meeting.
OF late Patricia had fancied that Sto-
nor was less eager to avail himself of his
opportunities, though his manner when
| they did meet was as loverlike as ever,
his assurances that they were only wait
ing turn of luck, as he phrased it. as
ready as ever
Then had come the rumors discredited
/ by Patricia at first, connecting his name
with that of Mrs. Widely; a period of
slckening suspense for the girl who loved
him, and who yet seemed to feel her
power over him growing weaker day by
day.
Now at last the blow had fallen, and
to Patricia it seemed that her life Law in
ruins around her. She fully recognized
all that the public announcement of Sto-
nor's engagement to Mrs. Widely would
mean to her socially; that it would rem
der her position with the Drummonds a
Tar more difficult one was perfectly OBJ
vious. Lord Drummond had warned her
that this was her last season; his own
daughter was growing up; next year her
turn must come, and Patricia, having
/ thrown away her chances, must prepare
to vegetate in the country for the future
| Probably, she thought, with q scornful
curl of her lip, she would end by doing
as Lord Drummond sarcastically advised
and marrying the curate.
But quite apart from her home difficult
ties she knew that the tie that bound
her to Stonor had been the subject of
much comment in her own circle; and,
though of late it might have been less
discussed, there could be little doubt that
that was accounted for by the fact that
society had accepted it as a fact. She
could imagine now the yelled sneers, the
polite innuendos that would fall to her
I lot in the immediate future, until some
newer sensation should supersede that of
Stonor's marriage.
She writhed mentally as, too much
wounded in spirit to raise herself, she
remained there, vaguely revolving vari
Gus plans for escaping from the scene of
her humiliation, only to reject each in
turn.
So broken and dazed was she by the
blow, which prepared though she ought
to have been by Stonor's previous con-
duct, seemed to her now to have been
overwhelming in its suddenness, that she
lost all count of time.
She had left the ballroom after her
first dance with Stonor; her later part
ners were probably seeking her high and
low, but her corner was a secluded one,
the evergreens screened her from sight,
and she remained undiscovered.
At last the sound of voices on the
other side of the shrubs reused her to a
sense of her position, and with a strong
effort she regained a certain measure of
self control and raised herself once more.
Fragments of talk reached her ears.
Justin Heriot Forman! 1t is not a
name likely to be forgotten"
Patricia knew that Lord Drummond
was speaking. and waited, with no
thought of eavesdropping, but recogniz-
ing that her presence there, unattended,
would certainly cause surprise, and prob
ably excite her cousins ironical com
ment.
rs he man of any education?" The
voice was familiar as that of Sir Alan
Davenant, a special friend of Lord Drum
mond.
CAS- you might suppose" the latter re-
piled carelessly, though l believe he is a
man who has alawys tried to improve
himself, so l have heard Briggs say, for
naturally | know but little of him my
self. Lucky beggar! To. think of com
ing into two hundred thousand pounds
and an unencumbered estate!"
well, well, after all there may be
some mistake. There's many a slip, you
know. Drummond. Remember, you can
not say anything to him until that Ger
tificate comes from America. l. that is
all right-then-"
ct will be difficult though to avoid
throwing a little extra respect for the
prospective millionaire into my manner"
Lord Drummond remarked, with an easy
laugh: "for / feel convinced there is no
mistake. l remember the circumstances
of his mothers marriage too well to ad-
NIT of that. She was the beauty OF
i