Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-21
CHAPTER I.
at is all settled then, Verona?"
MAn settledi" echoed Verona.


been my fault, you know, my dear. I've
had SO many claims upon me-"
81 know" assented Verona.
Claims that didn't see my way clear
20 ignore or put aside, even for you.
Until Kate was married, and young Tom
comfortably off my hands and in the way
of doing well, didn't feel that 1 ought
to think of myself"
you have always been the best of
brothers, Robert" said Verona gently.
"A man worth calling one does his
duty" He drew pace nearer But
feel ] am paid today, Verona, fully"
II hope So"
ooh. you may be sure of it! Pm
afraid it has been a long waiting for you
as well as for me-" He laughed with a
touch of awkwardness. I'm afraid that
sounds a bit conceited, Ell? But you and
I have known each other too long to
want to make high-fown romantic
speeches, haven't we2"
Yes" agreed Verona.
"And l suppose we have both really
known for the last five or six years that
this would be the ending, some day or
other?"
aequiescent mood.
"Ot course l always felt you under
stood that | should speak as soon as I
could, dear. l shouldn't have liked to
fancy that you were in any doubt about
it, / assure you. A woman looks for
ward to being married and having a
home of her own. 1t is only right and
proper and natural that she should" He
lpnnhad ILL g.
toned fellow, you know. | don't much
believe in the new You don't come up
to my standard, 60 and hang yourself
Independent kind"
Isn't it rather a good thing that
some of US are independent? Being so
much in the majority perhaps we could
not all find husbands if we would" We
roma suggested soberly
"Oh, nonsense! All nice women can
If they like" Robert Halstead retorted
His tone was perhaps a little dog
matte; he was a man who held few
opinions but he was absolutely sure upon
all OF them. He was fair man, of we'll
built vigorous sturdiness, good looking
enough, though he had burnt red rather
than brown with much exposure to the
sun, as fair-skinned men often do. We
roma was brown ltogether-brown skin,
brown hair, brown eyes. With the car
nation of her brunette checks, and the
nper crimson of her lips, she looked a
study In glowing russell and delicate red,
and she wore a gown like a ruddy au-
tumn leaf. Robert Halstead was not a
snort man, but she was within an inch or
Two as tall as he. 1t was a minute or
two before she answered him with an
obvious effort.
Robert" she said slowly, Il hope you
have not felt in any way bound all these
years? | should be sorry to think-with-
OUT knowing or thinking of it very likely
that you had, as it were, drifted into
the belief that you owed a sort of duty
to me-" She laughed 81 don't fancy I
am one OF the Independent spinsters YOU
dsllKe, but think marriage means less
10 me Than 1t does to most women. If
they miss it, you know, it seems that
there IS nothing less but discomfort and
sense of failure. l am not like that: 7
am not at all unhappy or dissatisfied
with my life as it is. | have plenty of
sources of pleasure, amusement. content
ment-many things She paused and
glanced down at the new half-hoop of
diamonds which had not been upon her
niger an hour ago. "For instance. if
you had come to me today, and instead
OF what you have said had told me that
our-our understanding was to 90 no
farther, that it would be better if it
came quietly to an end, should not have
felt that | had any right to be angry
or injured. / should not have dreamed
OF quarreling with you, and certainly
not OF asserting any hight over you"
de would have interrupted her more
Than once but for the gesture with which
she had asked to be allowed to finish.
de spoke now vigorously.
4 should have felt that YOU had a
night, though" he declared; "and so you
would have had, my dear. Bound to
your Yes, I've felt bound to you, as T
know you have done to me. / know it
hasn't been regular engagement. but
IN my view it has been as good as one,
honest people don't play fast and loose
games with one another If you fancy
don't think enough of you''-he broke
Inc sentence short-"well, | can tell Won
TINS, Verona, I've never so much as
thought OF asking any other woman to
marry me. And I've ALWAYS meant to
get married as soon as / could too" he
added, with a laugh
verona smiled a little vaguely. Her
uPF!e hand, with its new ring, lay close
10 HIM on the low granite wall, but be
ana not touch it. he was a lover. but he
mad no loverlike ways-caressing pos
sessivc, passionate.
=, I shall tell the mother of course,
Verona" he said
OF counsel" she echoed.
She'll be awfully pleased to hear that
II all settled. She has been looking
forward to it; you're a tremendous
fayorite of hers, you know"
She is very good. You must give her
my love, Robert"
i will Anybody else?"
anybody else?" She looked per-
picked. "Oh, you mean Nellyf"
Yes; she would like g message, you
know"
Would she' Then my love to her
too, please. Is she to stay with you
much longer3 I thought it was only to
be until Hates marriage?"
1t was ORIGINALLY INIT her r,aov,la , ~