Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-02-25

| shutting the door behind her.
Blake glanced quickly about tn
room
/ "Yes," said Wanda, answering th'
question in his look and jerking ne
pretty head back in the direction o.
the rooms she bad just quilted. IL
there. l wouldn't worry if ! were you.
Jim, Blake's grim face took on
| light as incongruous as the play Oh
sunset rays on mummy. Tne mask
of age and defeat seemed to melt De
meath it. He took an eager step 10
ward the inner door,
Just minute" Wanda halted MIN
"You asked me to wait. II you don't
need me here any longer
eyes" hesitated Blake, trouble nit
| ting across the new light in his eyes,
| 81 wanted to ask you-to-not to lei
Tom know about this. His sister ,
| "Ill never tell him." she promised.
81 sent him away so he wouldn't mo
OUT
You're white, clear through" grudg'
ingly admitted Blake. win you 40
one thing more?"
| WHAT"
Bring him back to me-"
"If l meet him again." she assented
primly, "I'll send"
81 didn't say 'send,'" corrected
Blake, 81 said bring"
That's different. +"
I'm out OF politics. My own game
has broken ms at last. I'm old. !
know it now I never did till tonight.
I'm old and want my children around
me-"
"Ill tell 'rom," she agreed, softened
despite herself by the new suppliance
! in a voice that had never before beer
turned to the uses of entreaty. I'll tell
him. I'm sure he'll come back to you
when he understands. Good night
Mr.. Blake"
There's another thing" he broke
in roughly, staying her departure, "a
thing that isn't easy TO say"
Then, why say it?'
Because" he growled, like all
things that aren't easy to say, it's
thing that's got to be said Miss kel-
ly, hasn't tonight pretty nearly squared
the old debt between you and me?
You and yours have suffered lot at
my hands. But, after what's hap
pened here this evening, guess you'll
admit, as far as suffering goes, You
haven't got much on me. Haven't
paid? Won't you say we're square :?
"We're-we're square, Mr.. Blake,
she returned in a tone she could not
make wholly steady nor impefsonal.
And" pursued Blake, "and-Tom? :"
That's different, too she faltered.
q"
The jangle of the telephone inter
rupted her. Blake, who was beside
the desk, picked up the instrument.
Hello" he called into the transmit
ter. Ye-yes-she's here. Who
wants her? Oh! Yes, put him on this
wire"
He lowered the telephone.
Some one to speak to you, Miss
Kelly" he reported.
Mechanically, she took up the re-
ceiver, and, by long habit, her voice
took it's professional drone:
"Hello!" she called.
Then, turning on Blake, in surprise,
she cried:
why, it's Toni"
Eyes," drawled Blake. $50 1 gath.
cred from the name. I'm glad. Glad
clear down to the ground. For both
of you. Tell him SO, won't YOU"
The winter sun was butting its way
over the eastern skyline. The dawn
was bitter-cold, mercilessly clear.
And into the track of the first white
glittering rays walked tired man. A
man who that night had won mighty
victory. A victory that foreshadowed
the richest gifts his country could be.
stow. Before him the future stretched
bright as that winters dawn. AS daE
zlingly brilliant, and as cold and stark.
ly empty.
In Matthew Standish's ears, as he
returned toward the loveless abode
that he hated to call home, still rang
echoes of the pandemonium that had
broken loose in the house when the
Mullins bill had gone down to defeat.
There is only one lasting victory"
he muttered disjointedly to himself,
as he moved onward in the dazzling
icecold trail of light. "At the last, 1t
won't be the worlds applause that the
worlds great men will remember 1t
will be the love smile of Woman.
And shall never have known that
memory. What is the rest WORTH"
(THE END.)
4 ns