Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-01

me very cioSeIy:~
Mrs. FerraIl's wits returned nimbly
from. woolgathering, and she shot a
startled, inquiring glance at the girl
beside her.
''You-you mean the matter of hered-
! ity, Sylvia"
Eyes. | think my uncle, Major Bel
wether, chose you as his august mouth
piece for that little sermon on the dan
gers of heredity-the danger of being
ignorant concerning what women of
my race had done-befOre l came into
the world they found so amusing"
81 told you several things" returned
Mrs. Ferrall composedly. "Your uncle
thought it best for you to know"
eyes. There was, if I understood
you, enough of divorce, of general in
discretion and irregularity to seriously
compIicate any family tree and coat of
arms might care to claim
"Sylviap'
The girl lifted her pretty bare Shout
ders. I'm sorry, but could l help it?
Very well; all l can do is to prove
decent exception. Very well; I'm do
ing it, am not-practically scared into
the first solidly suitable marriage Of
fered, Selling the unfortunate How
ard with both hands for fear he'd get
away and leave me alone with only
queer family record for company?
Very well! Now, then, l want to ask
you why everybody in my case didn't
go about with a sanctimonious face
and dolorous mien repeating: Her
grandmother eloped! Her mother ran
away! Poor child; she's doomed,
, doomedr"
Sylvia, r.
Eyes; why didn't they? That's the
way they talk about that boy out
there" She swept a rounded arm to-
ward the veranda.
Eyes, but he has already broken
loose. while YOU
$50 did NEARLY. Had it not been
for you, you know we'll enough l
might have run away with that dread
full EngIishman at Newport, for |
adored him-I did, did, and you
know it, And look at my endless es-
capes from compromising myself! Can
you count them? All those indiscre-
tons when mere living seemed to in
toxicate me that first winter, and only
my uncle and you to break me inp'
''In other words" said Mrs. Ferrall
slowly, ''you don't think Mr.. Siward is
getting what is known as a square
deaI?'
mo, / don't Major Belwether has
already hinted-no. not even that. but
has somehow managed to dampen my
pleasure in Mr.. Siward."
Mrs. Ferrall considered the girl be-
side her. now very lovely and flushed
in her suppressed excitement.
"After ALL" she said, you are going
to marry somebody else. So why be-
come quite so animated about man
you may never again see?"
81 shall see him if desire to-"
OH
II am not taking the black veil. am
II" asked the girl holly.
"Only the wedding veil. dear But,
after all. your husband ought to have
/, something to suggest concerning a
common visiting list
"He may suggest, certainly. In the
meantime shall be loyal to my own
friends and afterward. too" she MUIR
INJURED to herself as her hostess rose,
calmly dropping care like a mantle
from her shoulders.
Go and be good to this poor young
man, them adore rOwS-and you'll
have a few on your hands, I'll war
rant Let me remind you that your
uncle can make it unpleasant for you
yet and that your amiable fiance has a
will of his own under his pompadour
and silky beard"
What a pity to have it clash with
mine!" said the girl serenely.
Mrs. Ferrall looked at her. Mercy
on us! Howard's pompadour would
stick up straight with horror if he
could hear you. Don't be silly; don't
for an impulse, for a caprice, break off
anything desirable on account of q
man for whom you really care nothing,
whose amiable exterior and prospec-
! tive misfortune merely enlist a very
natural and generous sympathy in
you
interference from anybody-from my
uncle, from Howard?"
Dear, you are making mountain
out of a molehill. Don't be emotional;
don't let loose impulses that you and I
know about. knew about in our school
years, know all about now and which
you and have decided must be elimi-
nated"-
You mean subdued. They'll always
be there"
VERY well. Who cares as long as
you have them in leash"
Looking at one another, the excited
color cooling in the younger girls
cheeks, they laughed, one with relief,
the other a little ashamed.
Kemp will be furious. I simply
must cut in" said Mrs. Ferrall, hastily
turning toward the gunroom. Miss
Lands looked after her, subdued,
vaguely repentant, the consciousness