Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-07-07

ceived that she had come upon def
mite errand.
Mrs. Kittersby and her daughter
were chatting ABOUT some of the
people here in town the other day."
said Sibyl, repeating the cooling and
prOtracting it. ''They said something
that took me by surprise! We were
talking about our mutual friend, Mr..
Robert Lamhorn-"
Mary interrupted her promptly. 'We
shouldn't consider Mr.. Robert Lam
horn friend Of ours
To her surprise, Sibyl nodded eager
~, as if greatly pleased. That's just
the way Mrs. Kittersby talkedv' she
cried, with a vehemence that made
Mary stare. eyes, and I hear that's
the way all you old families here
speak of himy'
Mary looked aside, but otherwise
she was able to maintain her compos-
ure. 81 had the impression he was a
friend Of yours" she said, adding,
hastily, ''and your husbands
"Oh, yes" said the caller, absently.
"He is, certainly. A mans reputation
for little gayety oughtn't to make g
great difference to married people, of
course. It's where young girls are in
question. Then it may be very, very
dangerous. There are great many
things safe and proper for married
people that might be awf'ly imprudent
for young girl. Don't you agree,
Miss Vertrees?''
81 don't know" returned the frank
Mary. do you mean that you intend
to remain friend of Mr.. Lamhorn's,
but disapprove Of Miss Sheridan's do
ing sop
That's it exactly!' was the naive
and ardent response of Sibyl. what
feel about it is that man with his
reputation isn't at all suitable for
Edith, and the family ought to be
made to understand it. / tell you"
! she cried, with sudden access of We
herence, 'sher father ought to put his
foot down.
Her eyes flashed with a green
| spark; something seemed to leap out
and then retreat, but not before Mary
had caught a glimpse of it, as one
might catch glimpse Of thing dart
ing forth and then scuttling back into
| hiding under bush.
.Of course" said Sibyl, much more
composedly, ST hardly need say that
It's entirely on Edith's account that
I'm worried about this. I'm as fond
/ oF chn w sic
ter, and I can't help fretting about it.
It would break my heart to have
Edith's life spoiled
This tune was off the key, to Mary's
ear. Sibyl tried to sing with pathos,
but she hatted.
"And Edith's life would be spoiled, !"
| SibY continued s'It would be a
dreadful thing for the whole family.
Shes the very apple Of Father Sheri-
dams eye, and it would be horrible
thing for him to have her marry a
man like Robert Lamhorn; but he
doesn't know anything about hin, and
If somebody doesn't tell him, what I'm
/ most afraid of is that Edith might get
his consent and hurry on the wedding
| before he finds out, and then it would
/ be too late. You see, Miss Vertrees,
it's very difficult for me to decide just
what it's my duty to do"
ST see,' said Mary, looking at her
| thoughtfully. ''Does Miss Sheridan
seem to-to care very much about
him?"
Hes deliberately fascinated her."
returned the visitor, beginning to
breathe quickly and heavily. She was
launched now; her eyes were furious
and her voice shook HE went after
her deliberately, the way he does ev-
erything; he's as cold-blooded as fish.
All he cares about is his own pleasure,
and lately he's decided it would be
pleasant to get hold of piece Of real
money-and there was Edith! And
he'll marry her! He told me SO last
night. He said he was going to marry
her the first minute he could persuade
her to it-and little Edith's all ready
TO be persuadedv' SibyPs eyes flashed
green again. "And he swore he'd do
it," she painted HE swore he'd
marry Edith Sheridan, and nothing on
earth could stop himY'
And then Mary understood. Her
lips parted and she stared at the bab-
bling creature incredu1ously, sudden
vivid picture in her mind, canvas of
unconscious Sibyl's painting. Mary
beheld it with pity and horror; she
saw Sibyl clinging to Robert Lamhorn,
raging, in a whisper, perhaps-for Ros-
coe might have been in the house, or
servants might have heard. She saw
Sibyl entreating, beseeching, threaten
ing despairingly, and Lamhorn-tired
of her--first evasive, then brutally let
ting her have the truth; and at last,
Infatuated, swearing" to marry her
rival. If Sibyl had not babbled out
| the word ''swore" it might have been
| less plain.
! The poor woman blundered on,
wholly unaware of what she had con-
fessed. ''You see," she said, more quiz
city, ''whatever's going to be done