Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-11-28

girl teaSed.
vandervyn stepped close and
grasped her arm.
BE so kind as to release me, Mr..
Vandervyn.'
You coquette You're trying to
play me against him."
$50 that is what you think of me?"
The girl wrenched herself free and
turned from him haughtily.
He stepped forward, and again
grasped her arm. His voice shook
with jealous anger: you shall have
nothing to do with him He shall not
have your
Indeed! May l ask what right you
have to dictate?"
You love me. that is why" he flung
back at her. you love me, Marie.
You can't deny it," His voice sank to
deep, ardent, golden note that sent
a tremor through her. you are mine
-mine You know it. Your arm
quiyers-that look in your eyes! You
cannot hide your love, Marie-sweet-
heart! 20
He sought to embrace her. But
again she Wrenched herself free from
him. She could no longer feign hau-
teur. Her face was rosy with bushes
her bosom heaved; her eyes, behind
their yelling lashes, glOwed with ten
der passion. Yet she kept her head
despite the intoxicating ardOr of his
look. Unlike Oinna, she was not so
unsOphisticated as he persisted in
thinking her.
"You take a good deal for granted,
Mr.. Vandervyn," she attempted Il
mocking tone. Il am not yet your
sweetheart nor am l so sure l shall
| be-"
He came nearer to her, his eyes the
color of violets and sparkling with tiny
| golden CLEANS. He held out his arms.
His voice was low and enticing:
weetheart-sweethea I"
She swayed toward him, checked
herself in the act of yielding, and
eluded his grasp.
"No!" she cried. you're a bit too
sure. I've no mother, halfbreed or
otherwise, to advise me, my dear Reg
gle. l must be my own chaperon.
You charge Captain Hardy with trying
to play me. Yet when he spoke to me
of his love he also spoke of marriage"
Vandervyn's eyes narrowed and as
quickly widened in their most child
like stare.
"HOw can you, Marie?" he re-
1 thof
think have been trif1ing with you all
these months, when you know as well
as / But of course, if you do not
trust me, have no show against him.
He is free. / am, as you know, tied
down by the uncertainty of my posi-
ton"
''That is quite sad, is it not?" she
Knocked. Il am rather more fortu-
nate. Whether orr not there is any
uncertainty about my position, l am
not bound to anyone, nor am | bound
to bind myself to anyone"
"Why are you so hard to me?' he
pleaded. "You know that if my uncle
got even a hint that l am interested in
girl out here it would be all off with
me. He doesn't know what you are
like, and it would be impossible in
writing to convince him how charming
you are"
what a misfortune! Only, as it
happens, 1 have no wish to marry Sen
atOr Clemmer. He already has a
WIFE"
That's just it-a wife and half a
dozen daughters. It's all cut and dried
that am to marry Ella, the oldest I'M
married one"
"Ah-so that is why" faltered
Marie, the rich color ebbing from her
| cheeks. But she was only momentar-
! lily overcome. Her spirit rallied al
most as soon as it dropped. 1T is
most kind of you, Mr.. Vandervvn, to
tell me the delightful secret. Permit
me to congratulate you
| His brows peaked in doleful frown.
"You are cruel to take it that way.
don't love the girl. You ought to know
that-yOu do know it! Can't you see
the hole I'm in? Even if it wasn't for
Ella, they'd all think of you as a-an
agency girl. l wouldn't stand ghost
of a show of being appointed agent
when Hardy quits"
Does he intend to Quit?"
eff you turn him down, he'll leave
! just as soon as he finds the tribe still
| against him. Then-dOnt you see,
sweetheart?-I shall get the appoint
ment as agent. Your father and l can
rip into the little old mine as fast as
we please It's real mine, sweet
heart. In a few months we'll have
enough ore shipped to the smelter for
me to cut loose from my uncle and
do as 1 please. You know what that
means"
Again he came toward her. his eyes
softly glowing, his arms open to en-
brace her. And again she eluded him.
this time with no hesitancy or waver-
| ing. Her smile showed she was once
more in control of her emotions.
aren't you rather previous, Reg
gie?" she asked, from the other side
of the tea table. 1--WE are not yet en-
gagged"
you coquette!" he cried. "You
know l can't formally propose to you
until l have got rid of Ella"
How honorable you are." she
praised him, and he could detect no
irony in her voice or look.
Vandervyn stifled an oath. BY
I'll have you yet! You shan't get
away from me-"
'Indeed?" she Knocked, though she
quivered from the passionate ardOr in
| his voice. To cover her emotion she
shrugged as only a woman of French
blood can shrug. THAT is TO be seen.
Mr.. vandervyn. And now. if you'll
kindly excuse me, l must give a fair
share of my time 10 my other devoted
| sutton"
She slipped out onto the porch be-
fore yanderyyn could interfere. He
lmuttered curse and went into the
DINING room RI oct one of DuDonf'S