Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-01-10
,,rrp xII,-(Continued.)

'oa-D53 nring my absence, and seeing all
s6a! I,f- him In my sitting room |
SD' mr. Audrey waiting to see me.
iol|' 90, T,gnn's horse outside, and [
:, to know if he were here. [
d'o4 I5 lfl,o 10 see him before he goes, if
;3o'L 5o1,t mind my waiting here"
!0 uc w. in and see him at once" said |.
i, have done with him"
! No I't thanked ne and went into the Office,
n, ~ ~ slipped into my dining room,
7anT os Lave said, is divided from
gl'' la;ea bv half-glazed door, that in
u ' sound so slightly that what takes
ls',Fi N one room is audible in the other
p T..nrono thinks it is wrong to play at
t..uosdropDir2. let them remember that |
s1'' onI, = lawyer. I have no compunc-
an T., listening in a case of this kind.
"y Tbor had cot through their first greet
~ r.ban reached the door, but as l
.5 rbronch the old green taffety cur
~% ., tbpv still held each other by the
hand. n. III Doie,
,,oneb at first; just enough to keep me
f.,m running about, you know" Lynn
roc saving in his bluff, open tone.
1Wby on earth didn't you write word
\. +wo to u.s." asked Audrey.
oOb | didn't want to make fuss
,bont triAe-especially at such a time
and Won know what women are when
tb.ro's ANYTHING the matter with fell
Inv" Lynn replied, throwing himself into
chair.
"vonr silence made us think that the
accident was not a tride," Audrey said,
half seating himself on the table and fac
Ing his friend. =,
~ see now that l was to blame. I'm
.orrv for it. That's all | can say, my
dear fellow.
~ am sorry also. 1t must have trou-
bld Miss Dalrymple; it would have Of
Tended her had she been an ordinary girl.
ON Keene here doesn't like you; l war
rant he has put a bad construction on
vour silence and done his utmost to set
her against you Indeed 1t taxed my
ingenuity to find excuses for your neg
lect"
Lynn toyed with his riding whip in ST
lence for few minutes during which
his quick brain had conceived a plausi-
bic means of escape), and then he said ::
"Awdrey, old fellow, l must tell you
all. | can't keep a secret-at any rate,
from you. | purposely stayed away
was purposely silent"
Why? Let us have the whole matter
out from beginning to end
Some months ago this old rascal here,
Keene-for what purpose l cannot i'm
agine-let me to believe that | was heir
to FIexmore's fortune. In the belief that
should before long be in a decent posi-
ton to maintain a wife, l sought to win
Gertrude-Miss Dalrymple. Well, on the
day of FIexmore's death | discovered the
truth-that | had nothing to expect from
him."
The barefaced effrontery of this lie
nearly took my breath away.
Il had been living rather extravaganza
y" continued Lynn-''beyond my means,
in fact-relying on being able to recoup
myself sooner or later, and then suddenly
| realized that | was thrown upon my
own resources, in debt, and incapable of
providing the woman l loved with the
home | had absolutely offered her a few
days before. Of course, | am to blame
know that. | ought to have been pru-
dent, ought not to have counted upon
FexnOre's generosity, | ought not to have
offered my hand before | was assured
beyond the possibility of doubt that l
had enough to marry upon. But you
know what | ana headstrong, impuls-
i've, tboughtless, reckless, thriftless, I'M
happy wretch" His voice faltered, he
covered his face with his hands, rose alb
ruptly, stamping with impatience at his
own weakness, and turned in silence to
the window. 1t was not bad piece Of
atIng it took Audrey in completely He
rose, went to the window, and, slipping
Ms hand through the others arm, said
There's nothing objectionable in that,
Lynn-nothng that she will not readily
forgive"
Il know it, Audrey, and that's the
worst part about it. l must break off the
engagement, but | know not how with
such a generous girl as that. | know
what she will say when l tell her l am
Oegsar; she will say, No matter, 1 can
wait till YOU are rich Wait-good gra
elouS am in debt now; a penniless
0eSgar | must remain. / haven't the
aolIlty to gain fifty pounds a year, and
never shall have. No; it must be broken
on l said that from the first. Do you
Know, | forced myself to affront her, that
ME might throw me over-I pretended
gEaIalIy cruel feeling towards dear little
Laure. poor child! that Gertrude might
Cn.nA me unfeeling. I went off to Lon
u0n without a word of farewell, l re-
framed from writing one kind word-all
with the same purpose Don't you see
now"
Yes; but all that must be made clear
/" ner said Audrey, slowly.
Made clear to her? Is that the way
10 break off this unfortunate engage
menr?"
No; but there is no necessity to break
0D The engagement"
What do you mean? Surely you
Ioo-on have me ask her to wait till
S.o" rlch-rich! 1, who never did a
1sI ,,,l days work in my life"
J., No you will not ask her that. She
a-u not inquire whether you were rich
y P0or when she consented to be your
@Ie' she will not refuse you now for any
n.oSon OF that kind. You must explain