Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-12-01


me % f .,..-
I bowed in silence, and accepting
his proffered arm walked into the break
fast room. >
After breakfast he asked me to take
a drive out with him, and as we dash
ed along in his splendid barouchc,
drawn by a pair of bIood-horses, I said
to myself
"W ell, shall have no more planning
and pinching to see how far dollar
can be made to 60! I shall have q
palace Of a home, q wardrobe and
equipage fit for a qucen-I will make
the best Of my lot! I will try to be a
faithful wife-I will try to be content."
Christmas found me installed in q
palatial mansion on Fifth Avenue
My feet sank into velvet carpets as I
moved; hangings of mellow crimson
and purple, and stained glass mellowed
the light which stole through the win
doWs; couches of velvet seemed to
WOO me to repose rare exotics crowd
ed the tall vases, paintings and statua-
ry, choice books and engravings lent
their charm to the home Of the man Of
intellect, and the man Of wealth. I
came rustling down the great staircase
in silks rich enough for Victoria. I
owned jewels worth an Earls ransom !;
my carriages and horses were the finest
in the city, and this was not all-Judge
Cameron loved me- lie who was
grave, almost stern to others, treated
me with the utmost tenderness; he
was proud Of my beauty, and lis eye
would light up when he saw me at the
head Of the table, or doing the honors
ct Lis house to tie men Of genius he
gathered there. I was indeed, the old
mans darling! My mother had Il sep
arate establishment, and lived in eqt,al
spleudor, and Lawrence received eve
ry advantage in my husbands power
to bestow. And was I, after all, hap
py? Oh, no, the love which I had
thought dead, came back from the past
to daunt me, the memory Of Russell
Maynard often thrilled me with sorrow
ful yearnings.
I had been married four years when
cousin Hal invited me to the commence
ment at Yale. I hesitated for time,
and then accepted the invitation. It
was on a sultry summer day that Judge
Cameron led me up the aisle Of the
church where the exercises were to
take place. It was already crowded,
but [ thought of no one save Rnssel
Maynard. No sooner were we seated,
than | seized programme, and glanc-
ed over it-Maynard, the Charity soh0l-
ar, was the valedictorian of his class.
Outwardly calm, but with my heart
throbbing wildly, I awaited his appear
ance. He came at last, a tall, grace
ful, elegant young man, with the i'm
press Of genius on his brow, the light
of thought shining in his clear, dark
eye. AS he bowed to the throng, his
glance fell on ME he started, the rich
color faded from his cheek for an in
slant, and his lip curled with scorn.-
The next moment the Grafton began.-
What triumph that was for the poor
! scholar.
The audience listened in wrapt 81
lence till he concluded, and then the
church shook with perfect storm of
applause, and shower of boquets fell
at his feet. At the presidents leyee
in the evening we again met, and the
expression of his countenance told
plainly enough that he despised me for
having sold myself for gold.
! -Four years more rolled into eternity,
ere heard, or saw anything of my
quondam lover. Then the literary
world began to ring with the praises
of new book which had been publish
ed anonymously. For a long time the
author kept his secret, bat at last it
was revealed, and while Fame's laurel
was budding on his brow, I again met
Russell Maynard. I was widow then,
and circumstances [ cannot now have
time to explain, led to an eclaircisse-
ment. We are to be married Oh the
morrow, and I trust he will never again
doubt my love, since he knows what
consideration induced me to be ''on
old mans 0arli,ag," rather than "a
young mans slave"