Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-08-11

polished gentleman and neWiy-maf-
Tried man could be- He chose the
best place in the magnificent saloon
carriage, arranged her wraps and
books on the table beside her, drew
1.-THE velvet curtains to shade her
beautiful face, and did everything
else he could think OF to insure her
Icomfort. Lucille thanked him-just
las she would have thanked COM
parative stranger
\ Upon her face still rested the
cold, preoccupied look, and the gaze
which she fixed upon the landscape
flying past them seemed to see no
thing. When he spoke she answered.
but the words left her lips IKE
those of lesson, and her smile
was mechanical and cold as the
sunlight on an icicle. After time
she took up book and fixed her
eyes upon it, and the marquis, with
"a strange feeling of embarrassment
and something like awe of the cold,
beautiful face with it's frigid lips,
murmured that he would smoke a
II
ing compartment.
He had got the Court, and the
Darracourt money-or the handling
of it-but the woman of ice and
snow, woman who he felt detest-
ed and despised him thrown into
grew darker and darker, and his
even white teeth clicked now and
|again. They reached London, and
were received at Meurice's as Tor
leign potentates and ambassadors are
received at that royal palace of so
journ. Black-coated walters lined the
velvet-clad steps; the proprietor, a
mighty man himself, came out to
welcome them, and at the state and
ceremony the marquis heart sweIled
within him.
After all, what did it matter that
Lucille was cold and forbidding?
The money-the money was the
thing,
Though the season had passed,
there were enough people in Lon
don to make a goodly show of paste
: board in the card basket, and Lrl-
ellie found that her fame had pre-
ceded her and all that remained of
London was that anxious to see the
Marchioness of Merle, who was also
the famous Lady of Darracourt.
But she received the cards and
the visitors coldly and indifferently.
as it necessary to see all these
people?" she asked of the marquis
on the third day.
mot unless you like" he answer
ed. "But it would be polite to do
$50. You can leave cards if that
will suit you better"
sIt will suit me much better than
going to be stared at and talked to-, p
she said YEARLY.
The days passed on, and stiTl the
marquis did not seem over anxious
to leave London.
He was out all day and late into
the night. Lucille could hear him
enter the adjoining room in the
small hours, with a heavy, dragging
step.
She never inquired how he spent
the time. He had his friends, MS
club, as he had said. She did not
guess that the marquis had stepped
into the whirlpool of the gaming ia
Bile, and that his evenings were
spent at the baccarat table of the
Hazard Club.
Ono aftornoon opa of +ha
at the club brought the marquis a
card
"The gentleman was waiting in
the visitors ROOM
The marquis nodded, and kept the
visitor waiting until he had finished
his game, then went downstairs. It
was Mr. Stake, not familiar as he
had once been at the Hall, but OBJ
|sequious and respectful.
Sorry to disturb your lordship, but
extreme pressure
/, The marquis nodded and smiled
his cold smile.
j "All right, ,Slake," he said; 81 ex-
pected you before this
4 "Oh, no, my lord I shouldn't think
of troubling you even now if | had
mt been pressed" rejoined Mr..
Stake, humbly protesting. Times
are very bad; I've had heavy losses. .
i The marquis sat down at a table
and drew out his checkbook. AS he
did SO he glanced back few pages
at some penciled figures showing
the state of his balance; then. he
added the calculation, and found
that he had overdrawn his account.
For moment he stared at the fig
lures in surprise. Had he lost SO
much already!
i Come to Meurice's tomorrow
morning, Stake, will your" he said,
calmly: Il shall want what l have
It'll then"
/ Mr.. Stake bowed. He perfectly
understood.
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