Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-11-13

NoAuSACu II yOu WOulu come. lou
are the last person, l suppose, from
whom sympathy flows easily; but came
mere on the chance of meeting you just
because l had to tell somebody J. was
happy"
unusual ?"
Your eyes mock so frequently that
mostly they fail to discern" she an
swered, Il am often unhappy and mostly
home-sick. Today / am not. Pretend
to be pieasedl / have to tell somebody,
and, because you are the only available
passer-by, that somebody has to be you"
And the reason of this ioy?"
| There is a whole bunch of reasons"
she said in her low, rich voice, while her
eyes Travelled absently into the flaming
beech-leaves above. First, my sister
Gillian is to marry the best man in the
world next to my father, and-he is rich.
That means such lot to us, who have
had to retrim hats three summers in
succession. Then father has had better
living presented to him three miles from
blakemoor; and-lastly, l am to go
home, If Uncle Nat spares me, next
month. Therei Forgive the stupid con-
tidences-sheer bagatelle to you, and all
the world to me. And forget them i'm
mediately. / didn't think / could be so
ridiculous. But it seems that human
smile and listening ear are necessary
TO me at certain crises in my life. You
can't imagine how bottled up l felt with
Uncle Nat this long morning. Good
Dyer You can 60 home now, and mock
as heartily as you like at a woman's
folly. But rich bachelors can never have
any comprehension how strong the ties
are that bind little family and all its
simple pleasures and pains together"
She came step nearer to him, looking
at him with a sort of diffident compass
sion
Tell me, Mr.. Mcclure, doesn't your
laughter sometimes echo rather-rather
drearily in that big house of yoursf It
1t seems to me"-she looked into the
trees-"it seems to me a little dreadful
to spend ones life laughing at things
instead of with them"
1T was not my intention to laugh at
all at this precise moment" he said curt
Iy. I'VE are all liable to be misiudred.
however. You viii probably consider me
testing if tell you that 1 am delighted
with the honor you have done me, and
more delighted at its cause"
Il am afraid it wasn't an honor" said
she slowly. "You were the only one. I
would rather have told Capt. Jaspar. But
1T is very kind of you to say such nice
things. and | wish"
She broke off in dubious laughter.
"Well, can't wish anything better
than that you could feel as happy as |
do at this moment"
Good day." said he suddenly, and,
springing into his saddle, rode away.
Diana bit her lip, frowning, and went
fleetly back to the house.
The same afternoon, while putting
away her papers in Uncle Mats study. an
irresistible question leapt to her lips. and
IN SO doing brought a color to her cheeks
"Who is Mr.. Mcclure, uncle?" she
asked, with an admirable assumption OF
indifference but with her face turned
away to the window.
i Mr.. Crockett wheeled round in his
chair.
'.Mr. MccldTei What's that to you ?"
he said
Nothing. Yet like to know my
neighbors' histories in the flesh as well
as in your chronicles"
"Humphl" he jerked, fixing his piercing
eyes on her
"The McClures are mentioned three
times in your eighteenth chapter. Is the
present owner of the manor referred to
also?"
NO." he snarled. 81 have no room foI
puppets"
"But history can't deal solely with
heroes"
Heroes, ahal Caud Mcclure hasn't
much of the hero in him. A play-so
der, yeomanry officer beautifully and
delicately clothed, who hears his coun
try's call to action, and at the last min
ute shows the white feather. The coun
tryside is full of numbskulls whose only
thought is running tailors' bills"
Diana turned slowly round from The
window, playing with 8 frayed tassel.
did he volunteer foI me front and gel
out of itf"
eyes. Put up those papers, win you
And lock this box. There, that1l do
Be off with you'll Send Dixon round will
my bath-chair, and tell him to bring Bis
, marck and Wilhelm"
Diana went into the drawing room, anC
at the faded spinnet pretended to prac
tice diligently.
But, above the enthralment of Mozar
and Beethoven, her mind few off to I
revelation, and dwelt amazedly on tn,
flaws in human clay.
'How could he?" she said. 81 though
him a butterfly and eyric, but not
, not that. wish could ask Capt. Jaspa
: about it. But that would be impertinen
|. l-unkind. And, after all, what is tn
poor wretch to me? 1t is stupid to thinl
, about him. But there is no one else T.
think about. And somehow if he weren'
so purposeless and superficial, so cynical
contemptuous and bitter, and idle ant
vain and ephemeral"-the adjective
| trooped across her mind above the flow
ing harmonies of Mendelssohn-"h nigh
, be-oh, no, not fascinating, am sure
> did not mean fascinating in the YER
. leasti" she concluded vehemently.
/ She shut the piano with bang an
! went for tramp on Combe Rig, and tn
first person she came upon across tbos
, lonely stretches was Claud Mcclure.
She sat down resolutely on a boulde
and fixed her eyes in the opposite direc