Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-06-22
CONTINUED from last week.


INTENDED plants. "Why do you insist
that he loves me?" she asked. "All
Mexicans are gallant and pay absurd
compliments. It's just way they have.
He has never spoken word that could
give offense." AS Dolores said moth
Ing, she went on, hesitatingly, Il can't
very we'll refuse to see him, for don't
possess even a receipt to show that he
took those cattle"
ooh, you must not offend him." Do
lores agreed, hastily, cor we'd never
leave Mexico alive" With which cheer
Ing announcement the hOusekeeper
heaved deep sigh and went about her
duties with gloomy face.
Longorio arrived that afternoon, and
A1aire received him in the great naked
living room of the hacienda, with her
best attempt at formality. But her
GOODNESS served not in the least to chill
his fervOr.
"Senora," he cried, eagerly, 81 have
a thousand things to tell you, things OF
the greatest importance. They have
been upon my tongue for hours, but
now that I behold you / grow drunk
with delight and my lips frame nothing
but words of admiration for your
beauty. Sol I feast my eyes," He re.
tanned his warm clasp of her fingers,
seeming to envelOp her intentionally
with his ardOr.
''What is it you have to tell me?" she
asked him, withdrawing her hand.
''Well, hardly know where to begin
events have moved so swiftly, and
such incredible things have happened.
Even now l am in a daZe, for history
Is being made every hour-history for
Mexico, for you, and for me. l bring
you good news and bad news; some
thing to startle you and set your brain
in a whirl. / planned to send a mes
senger ahead of me, and then | said:
No, this is q crisis; therefore no
tongue but mine shall apprise her, no
hand but mine shall comfort her. Only
q coward shrinks from the unpleasant;
[ shall tighten her distress and awaken
In her breast new hope, new happi-
ness"
"What do you mean?" Alaire in.
quired, sharply. "You say you bring
bad news?
The general nodded. 'In way, ter.
rible, shocking! And yet / look be.
yond the immediate and see in 1t a
blessing. SO must you. To me it
spells the promise of my unspoken
longings, my whispered prayers" Not
ing his hearers growing bewilderment,
he laid a hand familiarly upon her
arm. mo matter how tell you, it will
be a blow, for death is always sud-
den; it always finds us unprepared.'
death? Who's dead?"
"Restrain yourself. Allow for my
clumsiness."
"Who? Please tell mel"
someone very close to you and very
dear to you at one time. My knowl-
edge of your long unhappiness alone
gives me courage to speak,
Alaire raised her fluttering fingers to
her throat her eyes were wide as she
said: "You don't mean-Mr. Austin?'
YES" LongOriO scrutiniZed her
closely, as if to measure the effect of
his disclosure. "SenOra, you are free y
Alaire uttered breathless exclama-
ton; then, feeling his gaze burning in
to her, turned away, but not before he
had noted her sudden pallor, the
blanching of her lips.
This unexpected announcement
dazed her; it scattered her thoughts
and robbed her of words, but just what
her dominant emotion was at the mo-
nent she could not tell. Once her first
siddiness had passed. however. cnce
the truth had borne in upon her, sht
found that she felt no keen anguish
and certainly no impulse to weep
Rather she experienced vague horror
such as the death of an acquaintance
or of a familiar relative might evoke
Ed had been anything but a true hus
band, and her feeling now was more
for the memory of the man he haC
been, for the boy she had known ant
loved, than for the man whose nam,
she bore.
So he was gone and, Longorio said
she was free. It meant much. Sh,
realized dimly that in this one momen
her whole life had changed. She hat
never thought of this way out of he
embarrassments; she had been pre-
pared, in fact, for anything except this
Dead! It was deplorable,. for Ed wa
young. Once the first shock had passe,
away, she became conscious of dec
ply Tor the man, ana a complete Tor
Iiveness for the misery he had causet
aer. After time she faced the news
bearer, and In a strained voice in
luireds
"How did it happen? Was it-be
cause of me?''
mo, no! Rest your mind on tina
score. See! understand your con
FERN and I share your intimat
thoughts. No, it was an accident. OF