Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-11-25
Continued.


her mind was not with the subject of
Ewes conversation. She was thinking
then, as she had been thinking at
Bradstone, whilst the floor throbbed
with dancing feet, whilst singers were
performing, of the bouquet of yellow
roses which she had flung away. Was
it still lying on the grass in the quad
rangle? Had Jane, the house maid,
seen it, picked it up. and taken it to
.sprn the kitchen table?
She knew that Jasper must have
Aken long walk to procure those
NO punches of roses. She knew that
1e could i'll afford the expense. When
he was Ill, she had put aside his 1T
tie purse containing his private
money, and had counted it, to make
sure that none was lost or taken. She
knew that he was poor. Out of the
small sum he owned he must have
paid a good deal for these roses.
She had thrown her bunch away in
angry scorn, under his eyes. She
had been greatly provoked; but-had
she behaved in ladylike and Chris
tian spirit? She might have left her
roses in a tumbler in the parlor or the
hall. That would have been cour-
teous rebuff-but to fling them away!
There are as many conflicting cur
rents In the human soul as in the
ocean. some run from east to west,
and some from north to south, some
are sweet and some bitter, some hot
and others cold Only in the Sargas'
so Sea are there no QUEENSLAND
that is a sea of weeds. What we De-
lieve today we reject tomorrow; we
are resentful at one moment over
wrong inflicted, and are repentant
the next for having been ourselves the
wrong-doer. Barbara had been In
fiery indignation at three O'Clock
against Jasper; by five she was cooler
and by six reproached herself.
AS the sisters drove into the little
quadrangle, Barbara turned her head
aside, and whilst she made as though
she were unwinding the knitted shawl
that was wrapped about her head, she
looked across the turf, and saw lying,
where she had cast it, the bunch OF
roses.
The stable boy came with his lam
tern to take the horse and carriage,
and the sisters dismounted. Jane
appeared at the hall door to divest
them of their wraps.
How is papa?' asked Eve; then,
without waiting for an answer, she
ran into her fathers room to kiss him
and tell him of the party. and show
herself again in her pretty dress, and
again receive his words of praise and
love.
But Barbara remained at the door,
leisurely folding her cloak. Then she
put both her own and her sisters
parasols together in the stand. Then
she stood brushing her soles on the
mat-quite unnecessarily, as they
were not dirty.
You may go away, Jane said Bar
bara to the maid who fingered at the
door.
Please, Miss, I'm waiting for you
to come in, that may lock up
Then Barbara was obliged to enter.
Has Mr.. Babb been with my ia.
ther?' she asked.
No, Miss. I haven't seen him since
you left
You may go to bed. Jane. 1t is
washing day tomorrow, and you will
have to be up at four. Has not Mr..
Babb had his supper?
No, Miss. He has not been here at
ALL
That will do. She signed the maid
to leave.
She stood in the hail. hesitating.
Should she unbar the door and go out
and recover the roses? Eve would
leave her fathers room in moment,
and ask questions which it would be
inconvenient to answer. Let them lie.
She went upstairs with her sister,
after having wished her father good
night.
'Barbie. dear! said Eve, did you OBJ
serve Mr.. Squash?'
Do not, Eve. That is not his name
I think he looked a little discon-
certed. l repudiated.'
What do You mean?'
/ refused to be bound to the en-
gagements we had made for a qua
drille and waltz l did not want
TO dance with him, and l did not.
Run back to your room, darling,
and go to bed
When Barbara was alone she went
to her window and opened it. The
window looked into the court. If
she leaned her head out far, she could
see where the bunch or roses ought to
be. But she could not see them,
though she looked, for the grass lay
dusk in the shadows. The moon was
rising, and shone on the long roof
like steel, and the light was creeping
down the wall. The long roof was
over the washhouse, and next morning