Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-06-18
for, and suppose there isn't. OF course
shall marry him!"
CHAPTER vi.

Il am awfully sorry you are going,
Miss Ford. I'm sure you might just as
well stay another week, you know. Why
won't your The cottage won't run away,
viii it?"
mo, the cottage won't run away, Mel
ly," Verona agreed, with a smile
"And old Hannah would be all right
without you for little longer. She has
Marcus 20 take care of her"
$50 she has. But weeks holiday is
as long as | can take just now. You
forget that l have work to do, dear"
said Verona gently. She was putting on
her gloves in the hall at the farm. She
had just bade "Good- Bye to the invalid,
Mrs. Halstead, and Nelly Burton had
followed Der ont of the big, comfortable
sitting room. She stood looking up at
Verona, with her hands linked behind
her like schoolgirls.
"Well, if you must go you must, I
| suppose" said Nellie unwillingly, "but
do you really mean you would rather
walk all those miles ?''
"All those miles, little more than
four" said Verona, smiling. "You for
get what a pedestrian l am, my dear,
and have hardly walked at all since
have been here"
why, no-why should your 1t is so
much nicer to be driven" answered Mel
ly practically 81 love dogcart; / shall
miss it awfully when I go away" She
turned her head "Mr. Halstead. I'm
just telling Miss Ford that she ought to
let you drive her home, and not walk
all that long WY"
"Why, so she ought" said Robert,
coming up. Just what I've been telling
her myself. Don't you think you had
better, Verona? 1t is a long tramp for
you, and alone. I'll have the mare har-
messed in ten minutes"
mo, mol" Verona exclaimed hastily.
Il don't want it; would rather not"
She stopped, Really I would rather
walk, Robert" she said in a gentler tone.
'I'he distance is nothing to me, YOU
know, and I always think better when
am quite by myself, and l do so want
to feel ready to get on with my work
tonight"
MY dear, just as you like of course"
said Robert easily. He was not at all
sure that he approved of his fiancee's
writing. In his own mind he had decided
that when she was married she would
probably leave it off, but he had a dull
mans respect for the power to do it. II
don't know how you manage to think of
the things at ALL" he said TITS being
so much alone, 1 suppose" He really
believed this. "Of course walk if you
would rather I'll drive over and bring
your trunk tomorrow. I'm sorry You
must 60 so soon, though. The mother
will miss you"
"Not much, I hope. And she has Mel
ly," said Verona
"NellyY Oh, yes! she's quite a fix
ture!" Robert assented. "Well, good
bye, my dear, if you will walk You'll
be at home tomorrow, / suppose?"
"At home? Certainly! Why?"
81 thought you might be going to the
hall. Miss Hesslerigge usually likes to
have you there as much as she can.
doesn't she? I suppose, though, that
just now she's busy with her wedding"
EYES," Verona said. She stopped fer
Nelly's farewell kiss
ITS to be a grand affair, hear. Well.
if millionaire can't dash it, who can?s
said Robert, with laugh Hes rather
a surly looking customer, though, the
viscount. l saw him the other day.
expect he's doing it partly for the Hess
lerigge cash, you know. Not but what
she's a very pretty girl. Is the day
fixed, / wonder?"
81 don't know" Verona answered
quietly. Good bye, Robert, I shall see
you tomorrow"
Verona, walking quickly through the
bright autumnal day, feeling the familiar
crisp air of the moor in her face, the
familiar rough road under her feet, felt
her spirits rise as she left the farm far
ther behind her. For a time, at least,
her beloved solitude would be hers again
At the cottage she need not talk the talk
and smile the smiles of the happy, serene.
contented creature she was supposed to
be.
She had played her part, but the
thought of continuing to play it had
been horrible to her; she had declared
that she must go home AS for the near
ing future, when she must always play
it, when her words, her smiles, her whole
self must be always ready, and her soil
tude no more-she thrust that thought
away with a shudder which she could
not repress and would not acknowledge.
1t was not close upon her yet
ITO Re Contipuad