Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-04-18

turned to his hotel, more oppressed
than when he went out.
i Did ever time move so slowly before
Would the morning never pass? lie
wrote some urgent letters, read the
damp morning paper, without the
slightest notion of contents, and went
Gown to his breakfast, to come away
again leaving 1t untasted. Eight
o'clock The earliest possible hour at
which it would be proper to call on Miss
Harrison was eleven. Three mortal
hours first. How could he ever endure
It? She might be very i'll. She might
even be dying! Archer with the fool
ish inconsistency Of love, magnifed
every evil until he was nearly beside
himself with dread, lest she. might be
worse than Miss Lee had represented.
Nine O'Clock struck: he was walking
the floor in a state of nervous excite
ment which would have forced him ere
long to have broken all rules Of ETH
quette and taken his way to Harrison
House, had not fate saved him the
necessity.
A waiter entered and brought in a
letter and package. He snatched
them both, and saw they were d.
recte1 in Margie's handwriting. For
moment his heart stood still with a
deadly fear. Great drops Of perspirs-
ton covered his forehead. and ne
dropped letter and package to the floor.
Why was she writing to him when she
must expect to see him in few hours?
And that package! What did it con-
tain?
He picked it up, and tore off the wrap
pings The betrothal ring rolled out
and fell with hollow sound on the
floor. The ring he had put upon her
finger-the ring he had seen her kiss
more than once! He looked over the
contents of the box hurriedly; every
little thing he had ever given her was
there, even to a bunch of faded violets!
But the letter? He had almost for
gotten it, in bordering over the dread
significance of the return of his pres
ents. He took it up and broke the seal
with slow elaboration. 1t would not
tell him any news, but it might contain
RSs%O ~
ashes as he read, and he put his hand
to his heart, as though he had received
"a blow there. Twice he read it through,
and at the last reading he seemed TO
realize it's dread portent.
"She gives me up! Margie renounces
J me! Strangers We must be hencefortn:
, What does 1t all mean? Am | indeed
&r, a,oIx MT dream
He read the few lines of the mlsslVe
third time. Something of the Ole
, dominant spirit of Archer Trevlyn came
: back to him.
There is some misunderstanding
: Margie has been told some dire false
J hood" he exclaimed, starting up. l
will know everything She shall ex-
plain fully"
/ He seized his hat and hurried to her
residence. The family were at break
, fast, the servant said, who opened the
: door. He asked to see Miss Harrison.
Miss Harrison left this morning, sir,
? In the early express" said the man, eye
Ing Trevlyn with curious interest.
went In the early train! Can you
tell me where she has gomez"
ST cannot Perhaps her aunt, Miss
: Farnsworth, or Miss Lee can do So.
Every well = -ihez~xnade desperate eff
fort to seem calm, for the servants OBJ
servant eye warned him that he was
/ not acting himself Twill you please
ask Miss Lee to favor me with few
minutes OF her time?"
Miss Lee came into the parlor where
Archer waited, little afterWaTd.
Archer, himself, was not more changed
! than She Her countenance was pale,
even to ghastliness, with the exception
Of a bright red spot on either cheek,
and her eyes shone with such an I'M
: natural light, that even Archer, alb
sorbed as he was in his own troubles,
noticed It, She welcomed him quietly,
in a somewhat constrained voice, ana
, relapsed into silence. Archer plunged
at once upon what he came to ascer-
tain.
. "The servant tells me that Miss Har-
rison left New York this morning.
I. am very anxious to communicate with
; her. Can you tell me whittier she has
> gone?"
'T cannot. She left before any of the
family were up, and though she left
notes for both her aunt and her bust
: ness agent, Mr.. Farley, she did not i'll
either of them mention her destina-
ton"
"And did she not speak to you about
+ it?"
. "She did not I spent a part of last
| evening with her, just before you came,
but she said nothing to me of her in
tention. She was not quite we'll, and
= desired me to ask you to excuse her
from going to the opera"
! "And did you not see her this morn
tng?"
> mo. I have not seen her since left
her room to come down to you last
!, night When 7 returned from my inter
view with you, I tapped at her door
in fact, tapped at it several times dur
ing the evening, for I feared she might
: be worse-but I got no reply, and sup
posed she had retired. No one saw her
: this morning, except Florine, her maid
:, and Peter, the coachman, who drove
her to the depot"
: "And she went entirely alone?"
"She did from the house. Peter took
: her in the carriage"
From the house! But after that
he asked, eagerly.
"M-. Trevlyn," she said, coldly, Eek
cuse me-"
"I must know he cried: passionately
n - ss4n1I roo did cho GOT