Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-07-24

YES" she went on In the most cas-
ual tone. mothers had her heart set
on it for months. You were supposed
to be mine at first sight, l believe.
Please don't look SO uneasy. I'm not
going to propose to YOU" She laughed
her little ironic laugh.
so that is the way things stood,
eh?" he said, still little amazed by
her candor.
Yes. And what is more to the
point. / am quite sure l should have
said yes il you had asked me. Sounds
odd, doesn't it? Rather amusing, too,
being able to discuss 1t so unreserved-
ly, isn't it?"
~Good heavens, Viv!" he cried I'M
comfortably. I'll had no idea you
cared"
Cared" she cried, as he paused.
II don't care two pins for you in that
way. But / would have married you,
just the same, because you are worth
marrying. I'd very much rather have
you for husband than any man /
know, but as for loving you! Pooh!
I'd love you in just the way mother
loves father, and / wouldn't have been
bit more trouble to you than she is
to him"
Cad. you don't mind what you
say!"
Failing to nab you, Brandy, dare
say I'll have to come down to duke
or, who knows? maybe a mere prince.
1t isn't very enterprising, is 1t? And
certainly 1t isn't gay prospect. Real
ly, had hoped you would have me.
/ f1atter myself, / suppose, but, hon
estly now. we would have made a
rather nice looking couple, wouldn't
WEI"
You fatter me-" he said.
But" she resumed, calmly exhal-
ing, you very foolishly fell In love
| with some one else, and 1t wasn't
necessary for me to pretend that
was in love with you-which should
have done, believe me, if you had
given me the chance. You fell in love,
| first with Hetty Castleton."
''First?" he cried, frowning.
And now you are heels over head
Which all goes to prove that l would
have made just the kind of wife you
need, considering your tendency to
| fluctuate. But how dreadful it would
| have been for a sentimental, loving
girl like Hetty!"
He sat bolt upright and stared hard
| at her.
See here, Wv, what the dickens are
you driving at? I'm not in love with
| Sara-not In the least-and-" He
checked himself sharply. What an
ass l am! You're guying me-"
''In any event, am right about Het-
ty," she said. leaning forward. her man.
ner quite serious.
"If it will ease you mind" he said
| stifiy. II plead guilty with all my
heart"
She favored him with slight frown
OF annoyance.
And you deny the fuctuatirg
charger"
Most positively. can afford to be
honest with you, Wv. You are a
corker. l love Hetty Castleton with
all my SOUL"
She leaned back in her chair. "Then
why don't you dignity your soul by be-
| ing honest with herr"
What do you meant"
| For a half-minute she was silent.
| Are you and l of the same stripe,
| after all? Would you marry Sara
| without loving her, as / would have
-.
you. Brandon"
Good heaven, I'm not going to
marry Sara!" he blurted out TITS
never entered my head"
| Perhaps it has entered hers"
| Nonsense! She isn't going to
marry anybody And she knows how /
feel toward Hetty. If it came to the
point where I decided to marry with
out love, pom my soul, Wv, believe
I'd pick you out as the victim"
Wonderful combinations" she said
with frank laugh. THE quintes-
sence of no love lost But to resume!
Do you know that people are saying
you are to be married before the win
ter is over?"
| Let SlH say IL, n0 SNld EIuIly.
"Oh, well,' she said. dispatching 1t
all with gesture, IF that's the way
you feel about it, there's no more to
be said"
He was ashamed. Il beg your par
| don, | shouldn't have said that"
you see," she went on, reverting to
the original topic, people who know
Sara are likely to credit her with mo-
tives you appear to be totally ignorant
of. She set her heart on my brother
Challis, when she was . great deal
younger than she is now, and she got
him. If age and experience count for
anything, how capable she must be
| by this time"
He was too wise to venture an opin-
ion. Il assure you she has no designs
on me-
/, Perhaps not. But fancy that even
! you could not escape as st. Anthony
! did. She is most alluring."
You don't like her."
obviously. And yet don't dislike
. her She has the virtue of consist