The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-03-06
The Scheming Of a Desperate
Woman For the Sake of a
Profligate Brother and the
Resulting Adventures Of
Winsome Virginie Ferrier:
Violet laughed.

she said. Everybody pays me COM
p%liments. l get them. with bouquets.
sent to the stage door. and letters, and
in poetry md in prose. and from all
sorts OF mcn-princc to t'otboy. Men
are all alike. Wcll,'' she sighed wear
lily. ''let us have patience and spoil
his little plot
\irginie had been engaged exactly a
fortnight. 1t is not a long time, but
All ardent lover mas do Il great deal
in fourteen days to make himself
known to his sweetheart and to learn
her thoughts and her way of looking
upon things. The one thing which
Guy did to reveal himself was to for
bid her to receive the visits OF one
Old friend, n to fly into a rage when
she spoke Of saving another old friend
from ruin. What did this mean: She
was %astonished aud perpleXed. Per-
} haps when Guy came again he would
explain how she had misled him. Ger
tainly he would not, he could not. OBJ
ject to her trying to help her guardian.
She met NJ ude in the evening, but
said nothing abOu. her trouble. No
doubt Guy would come in the morning
and explain. and all would be we'll.
Nirginie waited for him all the morn
ing. AS he did not come she thought
Of writing to him. Hitherto nc let
ters had passed between them. Not
one note, not one word Of endearment
truly a frigid lover and a %disappoint-
ing engagement. On the other hand.
y,1ortv- 80 ,,ako, f-Dy,, T owl I~o~ri0r ,-1,n
was much more in love with her than
his son. and was. in fact. the only one
of the -four concerned who was entire
ly happy over the engagement. She
could not write. He must either come
and make rough things smooth i'll per-
son. or he must write; she could not.
Early in the afternoon she received
a letter. and was informed that the
lady who brought it was waiting to
see Miss Terrier. 1t was Percival's let
ter. What misfortune could it be:
1t was q young lady. apparently
about five and twenty. dressed in some
plain dark costume. She wore rather
a thick veil. for the time Of the year.
"Ol,' cried Nirginie. you have come
from Mr.. Percival to tell me some
thing. What has happened: Is it my
guardian:'
".No. Miss Terrier. it is not your
guardian. 1t concerns yoursolf.'
'Some misfortune has happened to
myself: What can that beg"
Il did not say misfortune. What !
am going to tell you will avert the
worst misfortune which could happen
to any woman
you are mysterious. May l ask
your name:'
Il am called on tho stage Violet Love
lace. I am an actress by profession.
You may have seen me at the thea
ter"
Yes. indeed I have said Nirginie.
Il have seen you several times. But
what story can YOU have that concerns
MYSELF"
II have a very sad story and one
which concerns you very closely. Tell
me tirst-do not, pray do not. think me
impertinent-do you love Guy Fer
rier:'
81 am engaged to him.
"Yct p" still " y + do You love
him:'
Il cannot answer that question. |
ought not to answer it. ] do not know
how to answer it,
"You do not know? am glad Of it.
because you would have answered It
easily if = II * You are his cousin,
arc you not
"Ics. | am his cOuSin.'
II will ask yoll no more questions.
Miss Ferrier. ] will tell you my story
Violet told her own story in the most
effective way possible.
Nirginic sat listening in wonder.
Such a tale so told she had heard
or looked to hear.
"Who-who-iS the man. she cried.
Violet went on with her story. heed
less of tho question.
Then \irginic saw how this ghost.
this wretchCd creature madlcneu witt,
debts, sent to the woman he had mar
ried and proposed that they should
both go Oh for the future as if there
| had been no marriages: how she refused
| the offer because the boy should never
be ashamed OF his mother; how. then.
he asked her, but she refused again. 10
make nc sign if he acted as though he
were not already married. because by
marrying a certain girl with il large
fortune he could put his difficulties
| straight. and in sixteen years time.
but not till then. when the boy was Of
age. he would acknowledge him to be
| his lawful heir.
She stopped. Her story was told.