Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-07

seemed so tenderly considerate OF her
so proud of her Independence. 1t was he
who spoke again first
It isn't as if there was anyone else"
he said, "and he's good fellow enough.
Pm sure you could get to like him if
you tried"
Frank" Ethel said passionately, 81
do not mean to try to like him. love
you and would do much for you, as you
know, but this is asking too much. If
ever l marry"-her voice was shaking
now-"it must be beeause-because
can't do without some one-because I
find him necessary to me-because be-
lieve in him with all my heart"
Frank, in spite of his preoccupation,
raised his head and stared at his sister;
he had never heard that tone in her voice
before, never seen her with that flushed,
excited face; there was look in her
eyes too that he could not fathom.
"One would think" he said, shat you
were in love with some one already"
He said the words carelessly, without
meaning them in the slightest degree as
an accusation. He little dreamt that
she was twining her fingers tightly to-
gether in the effort to maintain her self
control, and that deep down in her heart
the answer to his speech was repeating
itself over and over again
Perhaps l ami Perhaps / ami"
Ethel was seated before the bureau in
Sir Jasper's library. She had had try
ing morning, and from time to time she
passed her hand across her forehead with
an air of WEAKNESS. For two hours had
she sat Just where she was while the in
defatigable old gentleman had watched
her go through drawer after drawer, la
belling and arranging packets and pa
pers with fussy precision which nearly
drove her mad
Now, do you think you would know
} just where to lay your hands on them
all if you wanted tor" he asked at last,
when she had just closed the last drawer
ST think so, Sir Jasper" she said list
) lessly, 'but don't you think it's unwise
to keep valuable papers-bonds and
notes and such things as that-in this
bureau3"
wherever they are kept" said the old
man grimly, "if burglars mean to have
them they'll have them And I've not
the least doubt that they viii have them
sooner or later, and murder me in my
bed as we'll"
ooh, please, Sir Jasper" said the girl,
with SILVER, "don't talk like thatl"
The old man smiled sardonically as he
locked the flap of the bureau with
vicious snap, and handed the key to
Ethel
There's your key, Miss Granger" he
said. Don't lose it. If they want to
find mine they will have to feel under
my pillow for it, and then they'll find
revolver at their heads before they know
where they pre-
Ethel made no answer as she took the
key. She was tired beyond measure of
the subject on which her employer had
been harping for days past. She was
contemptuous of his timidity but at the
same time she could not help the con-
slant reiteration of his remarks on the
subject affecting her nerves a little. She
had found herself wishing more than
once that day that she could prevail
upon the eccentric old man to keep his
valuables in some safer place After a
J moments silence she said:
There won't be time for any more
work before lunch. think l shEould like
to go out into the grounds little and
get breath of fresh air"
Sir Jasper eyed her quizzically.
"Humph" he said. Done up in two
hours, and the simplest work in the
world; that's the worst of girls. Well,
90 out if you like, but don't stop too
long, it looks like a storm"
: Ethel, without further parley, left the
library, and, merely stopping in the hall
r to wind a wrap round her head and
shoulders, went out into the heavy, dank
. air
She walked aimlessly and listlessly,
swinging the key, which she still held, on
her little finger She had seen nothing
of Arthur Ringwood since that night,
; nearly q week ago, on which they had
parted in the lane, and she naturally
concluded that he had gone. 1t was a
terribly tame ending to what had begun
to have the glamour of a romance for
her, and perhaps had more to do with her
depression than she would have been
willing to admit; but the feeling that
she was most conscious of at the moment
was soreness at the injustice and incon-
siderateness of her employers complaint.
She had worked hard and worked cheer
fully at a most uncongenial occupation,
and it was trying to be twitted with in
competence at the end of her task. As
she crossed the wide green lawn that
flanked the house on the side from which
she had left it and drew near to the
shrubbery the tears were very near the
surface indeed. So near that in another
moment they would have overfowed had
she not seen something which drove all
melancholy forebodings out of her mind
and set her heart beating unanimously
with sensation very much akin to joy.
For Just within the shelter of the trees
of the shrubbery, and hidden by them
from the house, a man was standing,
and that man was Arthur Ringwoodi
81 thought you had gone" said Ethel
breathlessly.
mo" he said. Didn't tell you that
, should not "a without seeing you
again?"
Eyes; but"
81 have been very busy" the young
man said quickly, have had to run up
to town for a day or two among other
- Io4 7 he uaav, 1yo,,