Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-21

moor-how she had learnt to love them
all! Its stunted oaks and frs and crests
of jagged granite, its gray boulders and
thick gorse bushes, the massive shapes
of the rugged tors in the distance, the
very gulls and curlews that wheeled
above it, were all dear to her. They had
grown more and more dear since she had
lost her father, clinging to the spot
where he, a man Devon born, had chosen
to come to die. The $50 year he had
left her made her and her old servant
rich for such a spot. She had some
times fancied, perhaps almost hoped,
that she would live there until she too
came to die. That dream was over now.
She shifted her position little, strok-
ing the mastiff's great head as it rubbed
| against her arm. Halsteads farm-for
over a hundred years Halstead had
| owned twas in its modest way fine
| place, solid, substantial, fourishing. She
would have every comfort, every unpre-
tentious luxury when she was its mis-
tress. That was well, for she was a
woman who, with all her simplicity, pos
sessed refined and dainty tastes, a nat
ural liking for the soft and delicate
things of life. But she must needs. re-
| the right to be alone when she pleased,
once she was Roberts wife Would he
want her to give up her writingf 1t was
futile to think of that, because it was a
| thing she could never do.
She shivered little, passing her arm
caressingly round her dogs tawny neck.
She had spoken quite the TRUTH she re-
| fected, in telling him that she was not
oil har
| life as it was. The vast solitary moor,
hers at will, was in itself an unfailing
source of pleasure and serenity In her
writing too she had an abiding JOY. Not
much success had attended her as yet,
| but enough to feel hope.
| There had been her yearly winter Wis
its to married cousin in London--a
delight too in their way, for Sabina's
husband was a journalist and literary
man who knew numbers of interesting
people. More than one of these had ad-
mired her; one of them, an author of ex-
cellent means and rising reputation, had
proposed to her. But clever as he GER
tainly was, and estimable as he might
very likely be, the man himself had
failed to please her. Verona had reject
ed him without a second thought, to her
cousins surprised dismay. 1t was to
soothe this dismay that she had first
really told Sabina about Robert Hal
stead and had shaken her head very de-
cisively at that lady's indignant declara-
ton that in such a marriage she would
be simply throwing herself away. Rob-
ert was the most honest and straight
forward of men, she had declared, de-
voted son and brother, and, as far as
position went, might well have married
woman of far more consideration in
the world than Verona Ford 1t was
| true. she knew
The autumn afternoon began to dark
en- as the sun went down. Marcus laid
great paw upon her shoulder, with an
! expostulating whimper. Verona's eyes
were upon the engagement ring which
Robert had brought her, as she slowly
turned towards the cottage door Soil
! tude had insensibly engendered in her
the habit common to most lonely people
that of talking to herself She did so
now, smiling a little, with half-sad,
alf-amused perplexity in her brown
eyes
Il suppose" she said, that nothing in
reality is ever quite as one imagined 1t
would be- Somehow / don't feel at all
as thought I should the day 1 promised
to be Roberts wife. am prosaic, sup
pose. But then, so is he. Certainly /
could never picture Robert as poetical"
Verona possessed a sense of humor.
The thought sent her into the house
with laugh, and her normal serene
cheerfulness quite restored again.
(To Be Continued)