Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-12-26
CHAPTER XIII.
-Four Being No Company.

Happy in his newly-found domestic
delights, Mr. Rawn was perhaps more
careless than otherwise he would have
been regarding business affairs, and
that al time when they needed care.
The truth was that matters still
Jagged at the factory, as Rawn ought
20 have known. Indeed, he did know;
but always his curious helplessness in
regard TO Halsey-who alone knew the
last secrets of the most intricate de-
vices of the company's property-con-
tinued to Cypress him. And always
here was his wife to console him and
to interest him.
The distance. between Graystone
Hall and the factory apparently was
becoming greater from month to
month, Sometimes Halsey came to
visit his wife, but these visits of late
became fewer and fewer. as that lady
became more and more discontinued,
less and less eager to receive the at
tentions of him who had so signally
failed to place her where Virginia sat
in power. This alone left Halsey none
too happy himself at the prospect of
any OF his perfunctory calls; and
moreover. he found himself expected
now to be more careful in his attire,
I'm his conduct about Graystone Hall,
where full evening dress tacitly was
desired at dinner, and where an aris-
focratic chill was habitual at any
hour; things not customary in Ann
Sullivan S household on the factory
10 Of -
needed to excite social misgiyings. lie
was clean-faced. manly chap, lean,
sinewy and strong, and might, save for
his rather toil-marked hands, have
/. passed for any of the throng Of young
men who at times came under one pre-.
tense or other to visit Mr.-and Mrs.
Rawn
These. in company with Grace, he
one evening found alone, seated on
the wide gallery that overlooked the
lake front. He did notice then, as he
never before at any time had noticed
singular truth-Virginia Rawn's
eyes seemed almost reluctant to leave
him- He was half her husbands age.
Moreover, there was something in the
eomber glow Of his eye, in the occa-
sional look of his face-rapt, alb
sorbed, remote, bordering on things
not made patent to all about him
which held for her ever stronger
fascination. She wondered If things
%ere known in his philosophy no longer
ueckoned in her own, but which once
might have been germane to her as
wei. She often looked at him.
The evening was clear and cool, the
lake stirred with no more than q
gentle breeze. The silver ladder of the
moons light was flung down across
the gently moving waters The breath
OF flowers was all about. Calm. ease.
assnredness we're here. The voice of
Che hostess was delightfully."- low and
sweet. All things seemed in keeping.
Rawn welcomed his son-in-law with
his customary largeness of air. Come
on out, Charles" said he, ..join us; the
evening is pleasant. Won't you have
a cigar?' He fetched with his own
hands the box of weeds-"Take sew
erai. my boy. take as many as you
like. give two dollars apiece for
those by the box at my club, and you
can't beat them in the city or any
where else"
Halsey listened almost absent-mind-
eddy, and Rawn returned to his seat |
near his wife. little apart on the gal |
tery. The master of Graystone Hall |
was intoxicated more than usually this |
evening with her. She sat now in the |
dim light, cool. dainty and beautiful |
xActure, in blue and ivory Duchesse
satin and iilmy laces. gowned fit for
\ wedding or ball. as she always was
OF an evening at home, with just a
gem cleaning here and there In the
occasional glimpse of light which I
s,roke through the windows at the back
Of the gallery as their curtains shifted
a che breeze. At that moment John /
geawn would have been glad to have
the entire world share boxes OF cigars
with tim John RaWn. collector-what