Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-02-25

\
even smiled sarcastically at the en-
dowment of the uncle who disinher-
tied him. Then, satisfied with the per-
{ usal, he tore out the two leaves COW
. cred by the letter and began to de-
| wise a means of protecting it securely
, whilst in 1ris's possession.
At that momen he looked up and
saw her coming towards him across
the beach, brightly flushed after her
) bath, walking like a nymph clothed
in tattered garments. Percelving that
: he was watching her, she waved her
: hand and instinctively quickened her
pace. Even now, when they were
| thrown together by the exigencies OF
each hour, she dislikRd to be long sep
arated from him.
+ Instantly the scales fell from his
mental vision What! Distrust Iris!
: Imagine for one second that riches or
poverty, good repute or ill, would af-
| feet that loyal heart when its virginia.
font was filled with the love that once
in her life comes to every true woman!
Perish the thought! What evil spirit
had power to so blind his perception
Il of all that was strong and beautiful
in her character. Brave, uncompla1n-
ing Irisi Iris of the crystal SOUL Iris,
whose innocence and candor were mir
rored in her blue eyes and breathed
Through her dear lips! Here was Othel-
10 acting as his own tempter, with
not an Iago within a thousand miles.
Laughing at his fantastic folly,
jerks tore the letter into little pieces.
1t might have been wiser to throw the
sheets into the embers of the fire close
at hand but for the nonce he was ov-
empowered by the great awakening
that had come over him, and he I'M
consciously murmured the musical
lines of Tennyson's Maud:
"She is coming, my own, my sweet;
Were it ever so airy a tread,
My heart would hear her and beat
Were it earth in an earthly bed;
My dust would hear her beat,
Had l lain for a century dead;
Would start and tremble under her
feet,
/ And blossom in purple and red"
Good gracious! Don't gaze at me
in that fashion. l don't look like a
ghost, do II" cried Iris, when near
enough to note his rapt expression.
"You would not object if | called
you d VISIBLE lie
averting his eyes lest they should
speak more plainly than his tongue.
!. mot if you meant it nicely. But
fear that 'specter' would be more ap-
propriate word. Via ma meilleure
hobe de sortie!"
She spread out the front widths of
her skirt, and certainly the prospect
was lamentable. The dress was so
patched and mended, yet so full of
fresh rents, that a respectable house
maid would hesitate before using it
to clean fire-irOns.
"'Is that really your best dress?'' he
said.
eyes. This is my blue serge. The
brown cloth did not survive the soak
ing it received in salt water. After a
few days it simply crumbled. The
others are muslin or cotton, and have
been adapted.
There is plenty of mems clothing, "
he began.
UNFORTUNATELY there isn't another
island she said severely.
mo l meant that it might be pos
Sible to-er-contrive some sort OF
rig that will serve all purposes"
But my thread is all gone. I have
barely a needleful left"
"In that case we must fall back on
our supply of hemp"
81 suppose that might be made to
serve" she said. "You are never at a
loss for an expedient"
ut will be a poor one, I fear. But
you can make up for it by buying
some nice gowns at Doucet's or
Worth's."
She laughed delightedly. Perhaps in
his joy at my temperance my dear
old dad may let me run riot in Paris
on our way home. But that will not
last. We are fairly well off, but | can
not afford ten thousand year for
dress alone"
eff any woman can afford such
sum for the purpose, you are at least
her equal"
Iris looked puzzled. 'Ts that your
way of telling me that fine feathers
make fine bird?' she asked.
mo. I intended my words to be I'M
derstood in their ordinary sense. You
are very, very rich Miss Deane-an
extravagantly wealthy young person"
"Of course you know you are talk
ing nonsense. Why, only the other day
my father said"
Excuse me- What is the average
price of a walking dress from a lead
/ ing Paris house?"
Thirty pounds"
"And an evening dress?"
ooh, anything, from fifty pounds up
wards"
He picked up a few pieces of quartz
! from the canvas sheet
Here is your walking-dress," he
said, handing her lump weighing
about a pound. with the balance in
the heap there you can stagger the
best-dressed woman you meet at your
| first dinner in England"
do you mean by pelting her?' she
| inquired mischievously.
Far worse. BY wearing more ex-
pensive costume"
His manner was so earnest that he
compelled seriousness. Iris took the
proffered specimen and looked at it.