River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-09-03
Just In Time
For the Duke
Prompt Action Made Him
Lose the Prize.
By BARRY PRESTON.

full note In her tone, which seemed to
hint that such possibly might not be
the case.
The girl who stood by the window,
| looking out at the uneven pavements
Of the Roman street, turned slowly
and smiled. In that smile were weari-
ness and subtle understanding and pa
tent resignation.
Eyes, l am very much in love with
him, Aunt Elinor," she said In color
less voice, as If she were saying the
words more because they were expect
ed of her than for any other reason
Mrs Brevort smiled her open ap-
prevail The little frown of doubt
which for the past few moments had
wrinkled her brow suddenly disappear
ed. She crossed the room to the girls
! side and threw an arm about her.
"Of course, dearie," she cOOed. your
happiness is my first, l might almost
! say my only, concern. No one realizes
! better than / the portent~of this step
! that all your future, all your lifelong
| happiness, depends upon it. No one,
think you'll admit, too, Is more averse
to the majority OF these marriages than
am, but the duke is so utterly differ
| ent from all the other eligible men we
have met He is not seeking your
money, dear, for he is immensely
wealthy in his own right He is an
upright. honest, splendid type Of an
more like our own men in America, /
| think, than any one we have seen
Isn't that your impression of hfmY'
"Yes,' said the girl in the same col
| orless voice.
Mrs. Brevort's pale face grew rather
eager Somehow have felt from the
| first that your destinies were linked,
yours and his" said she, but when he
talked with me this afternoon l gave
him no definite answer. / let him I'M
derstand that the matter rested pri-
marily with you; that it was your hap
piness that was at stake.
"He didn't seem quite to understand
my attitude at first, but he was per-
fectly charming about 1t, as he Is in
everything. He said was to speak to
you and that he would call for me this
| afternoon at in the road car, and
while we went out to the aqueduct l
rather. yours"
The girl had turned again to the win
| dow. She was looking abstractedly at
the passing crowd In the street below.
| Her brow was furrowed by a little
disiguring frown. Her lips were set
tightly together. Her eyes were trou-
bled
$50 | suppose l am to give him ia
vorable answer. am l not?" Mrs. Bre-
wort suggested tentatively.
The girl was silent The troubled
look in her eyes grew more pronounc-
ed. Her aunt watched her narrowly
and with growing Impotence.
Peggy. dear, l asked you a ques-
| tion." she reminded her niece. as it a
favorable answer | am to give?"
The girl shrugged her dainty shout
ders Eyes. yes; oh, yes" she said bur
riedly. "It doesn't matter" Her voice
suddenly choked. Nothing matters?'
Mrs. Brevort elevated her brows,
Really. Peggy"-she began chidingly.
But the girl turned swiftly and left the
room, waving back the older woman.
who started to follow her. Something
like a smothered sob sounded as the
door closed behind her.
Mrs. Brevort looked rather angry for
a moment. Then she recovered her
usual composure and smiled. But there
was something distinctly unpleasant in
that smile.
| She glanced at the bronze clock tick
ing unobtrusiVely on the mantel. 1t
pointed to half after 3. She went to a
| desk near the front window and from
a drawer drew out bundle of letters.
They were all directed in the same
hand Peggy's hand And they were
all addressed to Mr. William Hale, at
some outlandish Spanish sounding
town in Ecuador, South America.
Mrs. Brevort smiled again. 1t had
cost her a pretty penny to circumvent
the mailing of those letters, but there
are many itching palms IN Rome, and
what good money will not accomplish
IL it is judiciously placed. is not worth
accomplishing.
An open fire burned DULY in. the
CRATE beneath the mantel Mrs. Bre
wort stepped briskly over to 1t and fec
the bundle of letters to the flames
She watched grimly until there wai
nothing left of them save a few gray
white ashes.
Then from another drawer she tool
out another bundle of letters. They
were thick letters, all of them. Th,
sprawling superscriptions were all TO
Peggy, and they were postmarked witt
the name of the Spanish town In Ecua
dor.
Other itching Roman palms had beer
soothed in the conventional way t.
bring those epistles into Mrs. Brevort'
possession
These. too. she consigned to tn
crate. watched them burn and thel
arr8yed herself for her agyT1Ointnen