Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-08-13

went on firmly, 1--WE mustn't let a soul
know 1t. Not yet. Promise"
II don't promise"
"You do! Don't your"
"Well-"
All of Williams final protestations
that "he knew of the way" never over
came his moment of indecision when
he had admitted that he had no plan.
True, Alberta clung to him with pas
sion when he left for his job in an
Arizona canyon, but, having seen how
lose Bob was to his Uncle Jim,
thing not to be misunderstood, al
though she did not clearly see the out
come, returned from the station to
gaze raptly into Wells eyes as he ex-
planned to her the snaky motion of
moonlight upon japanese water.
Possibly Alberta was moved nicely
upon an ordered considered course
before the night was over Wells was
whispering in her ear of the day when,
together, they would see the first bios
soming of the cherry, the flushing of
the maple leaves in autumn.
Possibly, also, Wells would not have
waxed poetic if there had not been a
subtle touch of a soft cheek brushing
his
The Japanese do not kiss. He had
smiled at her timidly, and found moth
Ing amiss in the cool unfervid mouth
that met his ow:,-half-way.
Here was the Arst actual feminine
Intervention in his life There had
been the brown girl-babies he had roll
licked with. He had glimpses of hur-
rying geisha or ne-san, but, as he said
to himself, they were different
Robert Wells built up about and
glamored Alberta with rare dreams.
He was unacquainted with the formal
tiles of engagement. Since Alberta
had said that he must never breathe
word"-that was enough. What diff
ference did it make? He knew. She
knew. He would have liked to tell
Uncle Jim, for he felt that his uncle
would, be pleased. So he contented
himself with far-separated passionless
evenings, from which he was apt to
depart with singing head, and unusu-
ally excited eyes.
That Alberta and the lad were to-
gether pleased Sanierson. He rubbed
his hands over it. Here was a match.
Alberta was great girl. A fine girl,
bit mercenary, perhaps. Her liking
for Bob might be desire to feather her
nest. But-well. women were that
way, now. And 1t would be a mighty
good thing for Bob. Alberta had am
billion. She'd make him hew to the
mark after they were married. San
derson hoped that they would be.
He found it difficult to reconcile the
reports that filtered to him with Bob's
actual work. If they were true, he
would change all that when he got
Bob in the office. After a nine-hour
grind, under himself or Gordon, there
would be no time for outside deviltry.
Couldn't blame the boy for that,
either. Think Of the years that he'd
been Gagged up in Takusaki, like as not
saying a grace before meals while the
food became cold, and without a white
lad to play with. The stuff was there,
or Bob'd been a sort Of dreamer in
stead Of live :. devil.
And Bob wasn't one bit afraid to ad-
NIT what he had done. Sanderson did
not like to question him: make the lad
feel as II he were being watched.
More than once he remarked that
young Bob was the same as / was.
Yes, sir He even does some of the
very same tricks that / did" and rec
ognized none of his own handiwork in
them.
Wells letters from Takusaki, from
his father, arrived regularly, upon
each steamer.
They were curt. They hoped that
Robert was applying himself. That he
would cause his uncle no anxiety and
no displeasure. That at all times he
remember the debt which he owed to
his mothers brother and, If occasion
presented itself, that he attempt to
repay in part this great debt. AS for
Doctor Wells, at the close Of each let
ter he said that he thanked God that
he remained well enough to attend to
his duties. Once Misako sent a little
brass pipe and embroidered tobacco
pouch. This was her only gift: her
last as we'll Mis2ko had stepped be-
yond the outer circle of Takusaki's mil
let fields and found rest In the walled
Christian cemetery.
There was no break In the letters to
warn Wells. The Tenyo Maru brought,
together with the usual cheap enve-
lope, pitifully small box which Bob
opened first. In 1t was a collection OF
books, read and reread, warped Of
cover by the damp heat, an ornament
or two that he remembered dimly as
his mothers, and thin roll of mint
ed Japanese coins.
He had no need to open the en-
velope.
When the butler informed Sander