Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-14

the mans encireling arms
81 must go in now'' she faltered.
Arthur looked disappointed.
$50 soon." he said, "and I have so
much to say to you."
"You must say it another time; Sir
Jasper win be expecting me- Couldn't
you-couldn't you"-with evident shy
ness-"call at the Cottage to see me
and my brotherf"
There was a silence. She raised her
eyes nervously to his face to see if she
could gauge its meaning She met a
look full of trouble and anxiety.
MY DEAR" he said at length, 81 won
der if you love me well enough to trust
me to an exceptional degree. You do love
me, don't your"
Her lips formed an affirmative, though
no sound came.
TITS a great deal am asking of you,"
he went on, nothing less than this:
VIII you be content for the present to
know no more of me than you do now
to say nothing about me to anybody
to keep from your brother and every
body else the secret of our love2'
1t was, as he had said, very much to
ask of her, and yet at that supreme mo-
ment there was some compelling power
in his love, in the clear eyes that met
hers so unfinchingly, that would not let
her hesitate. She looked searchingly into
his face for few seconds before she an
swered, and then she said
81 will trust you"
Heaven bless you for that" he an
swered, "and make me more worthy of
G,,l 4
I am far worse man than you mag
ined-that | am scarcely fit to touch
the hem of your garment, much less to
possess your love-will you try to for
give me, and think as well of me as YOU
cam"
81 am not afraid said Ethel, with
confident smile; and that answer brought
his arms around her again.
At that moment the luncheon bell
sounded
II must go at once" she said hurriedly.
He detained her only for one more kiss.
Goodbye, sweetheart" he said, "if l
don't see you again soon 1 will write to
you"
And then she sped like deer across
the grass in the direction of the house,
for to be late for luncheon was, in Sir
Jasper's eyes, an objectionable sin. 1t
was not till she was actually seated at
the table that with a shock of dismav
she remembered the key of the bureau
which, when she had started out, had
been hanging on her finger. Where was
it nowH
Directly lunch was over, in the half
hour that her employer always devoted
to slumber, she hurried out of the house
and retraced every step she had taken.
1t was not on the grass, that was easy
to see, for it was kept cropped as close
as velvet, and the key was large and
peculiar shaped one. She could not have
failed to notice it. 1t must be in the
shrubbery where that all -engrossing in
terview had taken place which had driv-
en- everything else out of her mind; she
went over every inch of the ground on
which she and Arthur had stood, but all
without avail She realized unwillingly
that the key of the bureau was lost
Sir Jasper's representations as to the
weather proved to be correct Ethel had
hardly reached the shelter of the house
again before the dark clouds that had
been lowering about all day gathered
overhead, and perfect torrent of rain
began to fall. 1t continued throughout
the afternoon and evening with undated
fury, and the old gentleman announced
his intention of sending a message to
Laburnum cottage to say that Miss
Granger would stay the night Ethel
was only too glad to avail herself of his
kindness, for not only was the rain quite
exceptional in volume, but high wind
had got up which would have added ma
terially to the discomforts of the walk.
Almost Immediately after dinner Sir
Jasper, as was his custom, retired to
rest, and the girl felt the stately soil
tude of the big empty drawing room al
most unbearably oppressive. She moved
aimlessly about it for little time,
looking at picture here, statue there,
trying to force herself to feel interested,
but all the while the wind blowing
loudly against the long French windows,
bringing with it driving gusts of rain,
was much more palpable to her con-
seriousness than anything within the
room; and she longed for the snug little
parlor at home.
After time she could bear it no
Longer, but wandered out into the wide
hall and from there to the library. where
she felt more at home But even here
the aspect was cherries enough; the
servants, under the impression that the
room would not be used again that night,
having allowed the fire to burn low, and
not having even taken the trouble to
draw the heavy curtains across the win
idows.
They were French windows, as were
most of those on the ground floor, and,
obeying sudden impulse, Ethel unfas-
tened one of them, and, pushing it open,
gazed across the darkened lawn to the
EnOt yUbara oh nd IoI
that morning. There was slight lull
IN the downpour of rain, and she could
dlmly see the dark outline of the trees
which had hidden them and their love-
ldyil from inquisitiye eyes Somehow it
comforted her in her loneliness-she felt
almost as if Arthur himself were not far
away.
She was still standing there when the
door behind her opened, and a servant
addressed her
Il beg your nardon miss bjlt coffee