Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-07-06
By Charles Garvice

she must be! Lorrie, do you hear?
/ Diana Melford is to be the next
/ Countess OF Latchanl-'
is it the silence, the immovable at
titude of the girl that strikes her, or
what? Whatever it may be, Greta
grows suddenly quiet and grave
"Go-go and tell papa, Jack.
'Yes!' exclaims Lorrie go and
tell the village! Have the bells r'lng
put it in the newspapers
Jack stares from one to the other.
! Greta takes him by the arm.
GO away, Jack" she says, softly;
then, as he goes she approaches the
slim. girlish figure by the fire. "Lor-
rie!" is all she says, but it is enough.
With low cry Lorrie staggers and
falls forward, her head resting upon
! her arms.
"Lorrie! Oh, my dear! my dear!"
murmurs Greta, putting her arms
round her.
Hush! Don't speak TO ne.-don't
touch mel" pants Lorrie.
ooh, Lorrie!"
Hush! Don't speak to me-yet!
Oh, Heaven!-is it true? Greta, is it
tr1le?" and she grasps Greta's arm
spasmodically. 'Tell me! Do you
think is is true? People tell such lies:
It NAV be "a mistakei" and her
/ eves-grow suddenly larger and deep
err. as it seems-devoured Greta's
shocked face with feverish eagerness.
Il think it is true, whispers Greta.
ooh. Lorrie! oh, my dear-why dldnt
you tell me? i never guessed
A hoarse, grating laugh breaks
from the white, strained lips.
"Why didn't l tell you? Why should
l tell you? 1t was nothing there was
nothing between us. Nothing, except
| that
She broke off and hid her face for
moment then she raised it again
defiantly.
why didn't l tell you that he made
me love hfm?- that loved him with
all my heart and soul? Because we
agreed that We would not tell-that
we would be free. Dc you hear?-
free! Don't blame him; he was free.
There was nothing between us. He
was free to go away and make love
to anv other woman-tC propose to
Diana-and he has done it! That is
all: Why do you look at me like
that ?"-fiercely, but with catch in
/ her voice Don't pity me, Greta; |
could not bear it! won't say word!
Just let things go on as they We're
before-befoTe he camel
Then sudden revulsion comes, and
with low cry she falls forward and
leans her head on Greta's plying bos-
ON.
ooh, Greta! 1t is of no use to try
and brave it out! My heart is
brckeni" she murmurs, family
Broken, Greta, it is true | did love
him; ah, | love him still! And he, he
swore-swore that he loved me. and
that he would not marry any one else
but me, even to save Latcham! And
now, now, Greta-are all men like
that? Do all of them forget in a few
J short weeks?" and she clutches
Greta's arm and clings to it, hiding
her white, straining face from the
plying, tear-dimmed eyes.
Hush! hush! There may be some
mistakei"
mo, there is no mistake, can see
! it all. l can understand how she
caught him. Caught him! do you hear,
Greta? If he had stayed here with
me, | could have kept him! But they
took him away from me, they threw
him into her arms, and-and she has
stolen him from met"
What can l say? Lorrie, my dear,
my dear. I never guessed. oh, Heaven
will punish him."
mo, it will not, retorts the hoarse.
strained voice. Men never are pun
ished for such things. He will marry
her and her money, and wall be happy.
She will teach him to love her in time
while I-I-Oh, Greta. if l could only
die!''
MY poor Lorrie. When-when did
this happen between you and him?''
When? years ago; ages ago! No,
/ only few weeks, a few weeksl The
night Of the races Oh, Heaveni /
can see him now. I can hear every
word he said. 1t was the first time
any one had ever spoken to me like
that, and am not likely to forget it.
But he has forgotten it. and very
quickly"
He is a cruel and wicked man.
How dare you say that? Cruel,
wicked? No. 1t is not his fault. It is
not his fault It is theirs;
that hard-nearted old father
and hers-Diana Melford's. Oh. Greta.
won't hear a word against him. He
would have gone on loving me if they
had not got him away. 1t was not his
fault. CT mine-but Fate's. And now
what am to do? Tell me, Greta. 1
can't go on living day after day with
nothing to do but think, think. Greta: