Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-12-09
Continued.

tin. Am l so dreadful, so unsightly
an object as to inspire you with aver
sion and terror? He drew himself UP
and paused. Eve hastily looked at
him. He was a strikingly handsome
man, with dark hair, wonderful dark
eyes, and finely chiselled features.
I said that l put my life in your
hands. / spoke the truth. You have
but to betray me, and the police and
the parish constables will come in
posse after me. | will stand here
with folded arms to receive them; but
mark my words, as soon as they set
foot on this rock, | will fling myself
over the edge and perish. If you sac
rifice me. my life is not worth saw
ing
I will not betray YOU faltered Eve.
4 know it, You are too noble, too
true, too heroic to be traitress. |
knew it when l came here and placed
myself at your mercy.
But said Eve timidly, what have
you done? You have taken my ring
Give it back to me, and l will not send
the constables after you.
You have mine
4 will return It.
About that hereafter, said Martin
grandly. and he waved his hand. Now
1 answer your question, What nave
done? Certain persons come out
badly in it whom 1 would spare. But
it may not be otherwise. Self-defence
is the first law of nature. You have,
no doubt, heard good deal about me-,
and not to my advantage. have been
p.eiuciced .your eyes by Jasper. He
rs narrow, does not make allowance
has never recovered the strait-laclng
father gave him as child. His cnn-
science has not expanded since in
fancy
Eve looked at Martin with astonish-
ment.
Mr.. Jasper Babb has not said any
thing
oh, there!' interrupted Martin, you
may spare your sweet lips the fib.
know better than that. He grumbles
and mumbles about me to everyone
who will open an ear to his tales. If
he were not my brother
Now Eve interrupted him. Mr..
Jasper your brother!
of course he is. Did he not tell you
SOP He saw that she had not known
by the expression on her face, so with
laugh, he said, Oh dear, no! OF
course Jasper was too grand and
sanctimonious man to confess to
the blot in the family. l am that blot
look at mel
He showed his handsome figure and
face by theatrical gesture and posi-
ton. Poor Martin is the blot, to
which Jasper will not confess, and yet
Martin survives this neglect and dis
respect
The overweening vanity. the mock
humility, the assurance of the man
passed unnoticed by Eve. She breath
ed freely when she heard that he was
the brother of Jasper. There could
have been no harm in an interview
with Jasper, and conse quently very
little in one with his brother. So she
argued and SO she reconciled herself
to the situation. Now she traced
resemblance between the brothers
which had escaped her before: they
had the same large, dark, expressive
eyes, but Jasper's face was rot so
regular, his features not SO purely
chiselled as those of Martin. He was
broader built; Martin had the perfect
modelling of Greek statue. There
was also more manly, self-confident
bearing in Martin than in the elder
brother, who always appeared bowed
as with some burden that oppressed
his spirits, and took from him self
assertion and buoyancy, that even
manned his vigor of manhood.
I dare say you have had barbled
version of my story continued Mar
tin, seating himself. and Eve, without
considering, seated herself also. Mar
tin let himself down gracefully, and
assumed position where the evening
light, still lingering in the sky, could
irradiate his handsome face. That is
why I have sought this interview. /
desired to put myself right with you
No doubt you have heard that got in
to trouble
She shook her head.
We'll. l did. l was lucky. In fact,
] could stay with my father no longer.
| had already left him for a twelve
month, but l came back. and. in Scrip
tural terms such as he could under
stand, asked him to give me the por
ton of goods that fell to me. He re-
fused, so | took it.
Took-took what?
My portion of goods, not in stock
but in money For my part said
Martin, folding his arms, st has ever
struck me that the Prodigal Son was
far the nobler of the brothers. The
eldest was a mean fpliow tho SapOnd