Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-02-20
AFTERWARDS
BY cLARIssA MAcKEE.

did not detract from her beauty, for |
her coloring was delicately pink and |
her soft eyes as black and expressive
as they had been in her girlish days
of perhaps, twenty years past.
Electa looked through the wire
screened door into the garden with its
prim rows of lockwood, smelling warm
and pungent after the light shower OF
rain. She smiled a little sadly and
turned away into the cool parlor.
1T was on an afternoon like this
that he went away" she murmured
wistfully.
1t was very restful room, with
faded Turkey carpet on the floor and
old mahogany furniture scattered ID
comfortable confusion.
II get tired of waiting sometimes"
she murmured to herself, "but he said
he would come back some day, and
know he Is not dead"
For twenty years she had been walt
ing for the return of this adventurous
lover of hers He had Jared forth to
seek his fortune and five years after
ward his letters had suddenly ceased.
| Since then Electa had heard no word
| from him nor of him. Her parents had
| died firm in the belief that ROBIN
Gaines had deliberately dropped out OF
| their daughters life, and they begged
| Electa to forget him and marry an
| other.
HE will come back some day." she
| lu
can hold.
Perhaps 1t was this belief in his re-
turn that kept her from growing old.
Now, she was more beautiful than she
had ever been as a girl,
A handsome touring car rolled away
from the village hotel and turned down
pleasant elm-shaded street Beside
the chauffeur sat middle-aged man
| of distinguished bearing with pan
of bright blue eyes set in a bronZed
countenance.
He glanced at the pleasant village
homes set in the midst of the greer
lawns and flower beds, and all at once
his gaze contracted as though he mac
been suddenly reminded of something
At word from him the machine
stopped.
"What place is this?" he asked O
the chauffeur.
"Stonedge, sir"
"By Jove-Stonedge The NAL
looked ND and down the street, survey
, ing the houses with new interest Il
: his fine eyes. Old memories appeare
70 be struggling for recognition, for III
: lace changed rapidly.
81 used to live here, Peter" he sal
10 the man.
"Yes, sir"
"Mv father was rector Of the churc
+ end 7 lived in that little brick hous
# adjoining the church-see it ther
Il half hidden by ivy?-for five year
y love! 1 had forgotten all about Stol
IS edge-haven't thought about 1t Il
e years"
$ "It's a pretty place, Mr.. Gaines"
n "Mighty pretty, Peter. Drive slow
a. fiji YOU come to the corner and the
D. turn to your right along the rlv
er road"
a AS the car moved noiselessly alon
It. Robert Gaines scanned the houses WI
questioning eyes. He looked a iltt
sadly at the village that had harpor
a few years of his happy youth. NO
he was no longer happy-he had drul
e. his fill Of adventuring and traVel Il
now. in middle age, he had come pa
to his own land to feel himself stra
SIS ger there.
The river road brought back anotf
. memory. With the sight OF the loi
n low red roof that had sheltered Ele1
II DAYTON came a queer pang of remor
a He had forgotten Electa until tod'
IA Fifteen years ago he had written
az q letter in which he had told her
to wait for him, as he had failed IN
ISL cuest for fortune-it was the day
Nh had lost everything.
M She had never replied and he 4
81 mt her out of his mind and, full
81 the shirt of adventure, he had fors
81 ten her. He had never cared Ior
81 other woman.
81 peter had stopped the car in fr
s. of Electa's gate.
81 Robin looked wistfully through
~ mist of green leaves. He wonoere,
Isl Electa was alive-if she was marrl
81 Perhaps that little lad playing IN
81 street was Electa's boy He lea
s. from the car and spoke to the chlle
NJ "Who lives in that houseF
- asked.
a. Miss Dayton" was the cnllds 81
AN ling reply. -,
AZ Miss who?" asked Robin, ain
81 harshly.
81 miss Lecta Dayton" answered
& how. and he sped joyously away
N the silver coin Robin tossed to MIN
fN .Wait for me, Peter. I'm going
Isl side to see an old fr1eno, oire'
= Robin. and he left the car and ente
the garden. !.
When his foot grated on the l
r;azza Miss Electa came to the I
door. 80,
~ For a brief instant they iooke'