Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-06-02
Continued.

with u.s." he went on, this shadow
did not trouble this man much for q
time. He was young, and Fate had
put this thing upon him to bear. He
lived apart, communing with himself
and with no confidants but Nature
AS the years rolled on, and he grew
to manhood, it seemed as if the
shadow had grown lighter, and that IL
would not matter much, and he grew
if not contented with his lot, at least
resigned. Let Fate have done what
she might in the past, for the present
there was the sunshine for him as
well as for his fellows. With Nat
IRE for his close friend and com
panion, life promised some show OF
gladness even for him. Then there
came suddenly. Unexpectedly. a
change. A man who had stood by
him and permitted him to live in the
place of his birth, died. The young
man, deprived of his protector, was
TO leave the place. In wretchedness
and misery, he was taking farewell
of it, when there suddenly came be-
fore him, like a star from heaven, a
flower from the Garden of Paradise
"a woman"
He paused and drew long breath,
but did not raise his eyes or move.
Lucille gathered the coat more close
~ around her, and turned her face
farther away from him.
Till that moment he had never
gwen thought to women; love was a
thing he had read about only to mar
vel at. AAll women were alike, and
nothingfo him But in this one mo-
naant, w sEof which he knew
not-F = him like a smell. she
FULL SALAtre beautiful than
I,aoa n ever DREAMED Of;
cu1C cour Strike him and touch his
n1onthcit was something vague and
med, something that he could
not put into words, that seemed to
enter into his life, and take posses
sion of him. 1t was worked, this mir
acle, in an instant. He did not know
that it was love; he only knew that
there was standing before him being
who could draw him after her,
through life or death, with word, a
look. smilel Shall 1 60 on?' he said,
in a low voice.
Lucille murmured word; it sound
ed like Yes, and he went on.
HE found that this beautiful GREAT
ure, who seemed to him like a god
dess, was indeed as far removed from
him as a goddess could be. Circum-
stances had made her almost his
mistress; he begged and prayed that
she would let him remain her serv-
ant, and she consented. From that
hour his life was changed. In place of
the peace which he thought he had
found, there was a dull, aching pain
in his heart, which never rested day
or night. His books-his solitary life
had made him studious-became dull
and meaningless. There was room
for only one thought in his mind,
only one feeling in his heart-the
thought of her, the longing TO be
near her. He was coward, you
say! Yes, he was coward; but he
fought hard at first. A hundred times
an hour he told himelf with savage
force beyond the muddy pool on
which they shine. He told himself
that he was not even as other men;
if he had been like his fellows, equal
even to the lowliest of them, he
might have gone into the world and
struggled and fought and climbed I'M
til he reached a place at least be-
side her feet. But ambition was bar
red TO him; though he had become
the greatest among men, there would
still be the shadow upon his life-the
shadow which would stand like fig
ure clothed in black between him and
her. And, yet, although he knew
this, he could not cast aside his
!, madness; it grew until it possessed
nim like an evil spirit of old, body
and soul, He lived only on one
thought, the desire to be near her.
to hear her voice, to drink in the light
that beamed from the lovely eyes
that had enshr;ned themselves in his
heart. He was her servant and he
saw her new and again. Day by day
his madness grew. until all things
took its color. All the world was
represented by the beautiful creature
to whom he was but a servant. He
treasured every word she spoke to
him: the dumb things she touched
with her fingers became precious TO