Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-10-10
d.
VANCE
CHAPTER XIV.-Continued.
it,

Mans gOt-no business courung-When
be amt in training"
Lydia laughed aloud. Impossible to
resent the extravagances of this ire
pressible boy! 'Im in no hurry" she
countered, a hint of malice making
piduant her occurrences.
Il got you'll" said Peter, breathing
heavily.
Suddenly Lydia realized that Peter
was the cheerfullest soul she had ever
known. She'd be sorry to lose him,
with his high spirits and honest, out
spoken friendliness.
But she was bound to lose him; and
not him alone, but all her new-found
friends. This night had demonstrated
tndisputably in her understanding that
Craven'S mode of life could never be
hers. They lived and thought on diff
ferent planes. Downing streets secret
agent must of necessity have his
secrets and guard them jealousy; but
love and loyalty could not endure in an
atmosphere of petty deception, useless,
persistent fbbing, feigned emotion in
trinsic selfshnesS.
She meant to leave him without de-
lay. Come morning, and she would
strike out for herself. And that in
y0lved forfeiture not only of her ia
Their, but of his friends that now were
hers. It would be impossible to keep
on terms of equality and companion
ship with those amiable creatures of
exalted responsibility, and spend her
days-behind a counterl She felt very
forlorn, lonely, young and inexperi-
enced.
She turned at length from unseeing
contemplation of Central parks dismal
perspectives, to look curiously at Peter,
who forthwith grinned gracelessly.
what do you want-madmanw
Just to talk to you," he replied
frankly. "You keep to yourself so
much-I get lonesome and desperate.
you in over twelve hours to man of
my mercurial temperament! Honest,
I was feeling awful low when you
showed up just now. In another hour
I'd We been taking things seriously
the same as you"
"What makes you say that?"
Because you show It."
do I, really?" she pleaded anx-
iOusly.
mot SOS anybody'd notice it but me.
You'll have to learn that you can hide
nothing from me. Consider what a
sv.olI tiy,o 1-o,,SIJ boya x-ban xUo,ro mar
rlpd."
"NO-don't joke, please. II am not
very happy tonight
You aren't?" Peter sat up. st atten-
don, serious for once at least.
ats nOthing-don't ash me, please.
Tn just a bit Iow-spirited."
Nothing doingr declared Peter
firmly. Discrimination isn't your long
suit. known" He nodded with i'm
mense gravity. you're fretting about
that Cussed necklace" He drew long
breath and lied magnifcently. "You
see, we were talking it over when you
came in: QuOin calling Betty down for
making Craven try to smuggle, and
Betty fighting back like a good one
the whole story coming out. 1 don't
care if Tad is your father, he hadn't
any right to put a raw deal like that
over on you. Now" Peter wound up
Extensively, turn loose the heavy artli-
lery. I've spoken my mind when it
was none of my business, and it's up
to NE to take the count without a
whinper."
Lydia was silent, her face averted.
No" she said presently, SIN not
angry with you. Why should be?
myself don't think it was right. It
It's pleasant to know somebody sympa-
thizeS, when everybody else seems to
mink it nothing at all"
Not my way of looking at 1t" Peter
insisted. Listen to me nowl Why not
marry me and chuck the whole game
betty, Tad, Quoin, the whole outfit!
mink how good it would be to know
you don't have to care what they think
Just say Peter, you're onP and were
UU-Winter in Egypt-everything ike
nat. You see? Not a bit of use fret
ing about people when life makes IT
StL so easy.
Please don't. Peter. Il makes you
'eem-unSympathetic, after all"
Don't yoL believe 1t. I'm so full OF
sympathy for you that it hurts me.
5!eaSe won't you marry me?"
l cart listen to you if you will go
IN this way!" she cried, half distract
e. I'm not thinking of marrying any
body
! know. It's just as good line as
u ever was, and you read it to perfec-
Uon' But it loses force with repetition,
W Gear. Don't forget that this is an
V@er Scene-several chapters farther
'A-and no other fellow has turned up
make it difficult for you to decide. l
snow cause I've been watching"
FIease be-kind-if you can't be
Serious"
but am serious"
an but you promised me you never
we're and never would beI'' She tried
"@e,n; but net very successfully.