Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-11-03
CHAPTER !.
Ruined.

kens beside the remarkably distinct
animation of the calendar with it's
'''twenty-fifth of December" In red let
tiers and its Christmas Day" in old
English Type.
Old men knew it, for they shook
their heads and grumbled at the cold
and the weather. Young men knew
it, and they smiled at forthcoming
evening parties and friendly suppers.
Young women knew it, and Joined
the young men in anticipation OF balls
and other opportunities of love-mak-
ing; and the schoolboys knew it, and
smacked their lips as dreams of plum
pudding, pantomimes and Christmas
boxes disturbed the last few remain
ing days of their school term.
Others knew it, to whom the ap-
preaching time of merrymaking, of
peace On earth and good will toward
men brought no visions of happiness
and Joy to come. The poor shivered
at the approach of the jolly king and
remembered that for them there were
no plum-puddings, very little peace
and but the mockery of good will.
Some others, high up in the social
scale, were as little pleased at the
proximity of the season of rejoicing.
For instance, let us avail ourselves
of the novelist's precious privilege,
and, taking you, kind reader, with us,
enter unseen the library of a grand
mansion in BelgraVia.
Though we had entered in the or
thodox and ordinary way, we should
have scarcely been heard, for wealth
had spurred luxury to it's utmost, and
the feet of the happy mortals who
lass the threshold of Sir Richard
Wildfangs town house, if they do not
tread On roses, Persian fashion, make
as little noise traversing the thickly
carpeted hall and still more luxurf-
ously covered staircase.
FOotmen, as silent as the statuary
which flank the painted walls, hover
so and fro, ready to do Sir Richards
will. Grooms and coachmen linger
with hands in their pockets, all On the
alert to saddle or harness for him, Sir
Richard Wildfang's high-bred cattle.
The very air seems forced into this
special service, for it is perfumed by
the faintest effiuvia OF a Persian
scented lamp, which burns day and
n1ght-its small flame shut from view
in the upper corridor.
From this and a hundred other signs
forced upon the notice of the least OBJ
servant it might be presumed that
the owner of all this wealth was a
modern Sybarite, voluptuary, and a
lotus eater of the latest approved
fashion.
Let us look at him. We find that Sir
Richard is young, handsome-stay. is
there much of the beautiful in his
compact head, dark, thick hair and
expressive eyes? Is not the beard a
trlfie too sleek, the hair a little too
dark and the eyes somewhat more
restless and evading than those feat
ures should be to reach the standard
of beauty?
It is mooted question Some of
his friends said that Sir Richard was
handsome, others declared that his
lace lacked franEness, and his ewes
especially, that bold, open look which
Englishmen and English women prize.
Sir Richard himself thought-ab,
there again, was there any man living
who knew exactly what Sir Richard
thought on the subject?
On many he said a great deal. In
deed, Sir Richard, for a young man,
was wonderfully fluent and wordv
mad fine phrases and a veneered eIo-
quence ready on the shortest notice;
but perhaps those cynics were not far
wrong who declared that all Sir Rich
ards words were but decoy-ducks or
nest-sharers, used either to learn
other peoples thoughts or conceal his
own.
Sir Richard came of an old family
Wildfang, the Merciless, came over
with William, the robber-and Sir
Richard added to his lineage a large
amount of wealth-at least, so report
says, and everybody knows that re-
port never prevaricates. He was the
owner of great merchantmen, the pro-
schemes.
the proprietor of several snug things.
each, so it was believed, worth a for.
tune in itself. His name was web
known and respected on Change. and
his mercantile honor irreproachable.
OF the honor which characterized his
private life and pleasure, people never
troubled themselves to inquire.
Sir Richard was young man, and
wealthy and that was enough for the
8elgarvia mammas and their mar
viageable daughters also. Had they
inquired into Sir Richards life ten
chances to one they would have found
II blameless-rumor seldom settled
raven or i'll luck as it is, on the head
of prosperous man.
Sir Richard was an eminently lib
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