Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-12-12

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spoken to anyone else p
Il wouldn't put that past Alderman
when he's drunk. If he'd talk to me.
he would to others. And you know
perfectly well that when talk begins
about woman, it never stops!"
No, that is the cruel part OF it."
Her voice trembled just enough. her
eyes became just sufficiently and die
creetly moist; she choked little, just
sufficiently.
1T is cruel" she said. with a pa
thetic little sigh, "but the hand of ev-
cry man seems to be against woman.
Did you ever stop to think Mr. Rawn.
how helpless. how hopeless. we really
are. we women?"
He flung himself closer upon the
couch beside her, his face troubled, as
she went on with her gentle protest.
"All my life I've done right as near
ly as l knew. Mr. Rawn. Perhaps
was wrong in coming to trust so much
to you-to Z spend on you so much. 1t
all seemed SO natural, that I've just
let matters go on, almost without any
thought. I've only been anxious to
do my work-that was all. But this
cruel talk about us-well-it can have
but one end. must CO."
60? Leave me? You'll do nothing
of the sort! I'll take care of this thing
myself, say-Pll stand between you
and all that sort of talk"
mfr. Rawn, don't understand you"
They sat close together on this bro
caded couch among many other bro
caded touches. Crystal and color and
gilt and ivory were all about them;
pictures. works of art in bronze and
marble and costly porcelains. The air
was heavy with fragrance, dripping
with soft melody and music. She was
beautiful, beautiful young woman.
He caught one glance into her wide.
| pathetic eyes ere she turned and bent
her head. He caught the fragrance OF
her hair-that strange fragrance of a
woman's hair. Detected. dropping as
she sat, her hands clasped loosely in
her lap, he could see the bent column
| of her beautiful white neck. the curve
Of her beautiful shoulders, white, flaw,
| less.
The flower on her bosom rose and
| fell in her emotion. She was a WON.
an She was beautiful She was
young. Something subtle, powerful,
mysterious, stole into the air.
| She was woman!
Suddenly this thought came to John
/ ~ 4. O.
| 1t came in a sense hitherto unknown
| to him in all his life. Now he under
stood what life might be, saw what de,
light might be! He saw now that all
| along he had admired this girl and
only been unconscious of his admira.
ton. God. what had he lost, all these
| years! He, John Rawn, had lived all
these years, and had not lovedl
! He reached out timidly and touched
her round, white arm, to attract her
attention She f1inched from him a
trifle, and he also from her. Fire ran
through her veins as from cup OF
wine, heady and strong. He was a
boy, young man discovering life.
The glory of life, the reason, had beer
here all this time, and he had not sus.
pected it. What deed for pity had been
wrought! He, John Rawn, never be
| fore had known what love might be!
He was the last man on Manhattan to
go mad over Virginia Delaware.
She drew back from him, seeing the
flush upon his face, color rising to her
own. Indeed, the power Of the man,
his sudden, vast passion, were not lost
upon her, different as he was from the
idol of a young girls dreams. But Vir.
g1nia Delaware saw more than the
| physical image of this man beside her.
| She knew what he had to share, what
power, what wealth, what station. She
| knew well enough what John Rawn
could do; and she gagged her own value
to him by the flush on his face. the
glitter in his eye.
For one moment she paused. For
one moment heredity. the way of hel
own people, had its way For one
| moment she saw another face, differ
ent from this flushed and corded one
bent near. 1t was for but a moment;
| then ambition once more took charge
of her soul and her body alike.
(TO BE Continued