Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-01-31

The October haze hung like a gauze
of gold about the purple tops Of the
low-lying country hills. Perched
among them shone the pale stone walls
and ornate roof of a superb country
seat. Behind it rolled and rumbled the
glistening river, and before it, almost
under the pretty bay-windOw, ran the
elm-fanked common highway.
A man, very young and very hand
some, with brown, dreamy eyes and a
proud Grecian head, rode by that
day
He looked up and saw lady stand
ing on a balcony above him. About
her regal figure fell folds of lustreless
amber silk and foam-pale laces. Her
Spanish eyes and delicate, naughty
behind an exquisite fan; she wore white
roses on her bosom, and an arrow OF
gold and diamonds held back from her
dusky brows the glossy plaits of her
ebon hair.
1t is Madeline" he thought, draw
ing rein. She is very beautiful They
told me she is past thirty, but she looks
younger than |, and / AN twenty-one.
1t won't be very hard for me to obey
my uncle, | fancy"
The wealthy and eccentric old uncle
who had reared and educated him had
sent Algernon Heath to this elegant
place with friendly letter of introduce
ton, ostensiblv given that his beloved
nephew might have a week of change
and quiet, but really, privately and
.npn11no,,li,,o,lyr +hof he III
should meet, WOO, win and marry q
beautiful creature whose lands and lucre
should be worthy of his great expecta-
tons.
A glance from those brilliant eyes
told the young man that he had reached
his destination.
He had never seen the lady before,
but it was fiatteringly evident that she
knew him, and was a bit merry because,
through his ignorance of the locality, he
had missed the entrance.
He returned her smile, lifted his
hat CALAMITY, wheeled his horse and
rode back to the gloomy gate of
iron, guarded by two bronze lions
rampant
. have crossed the Rubicon," he
thought again, as the big, grim gates
changed behind the heels of his uncle's
ftvorite black. " Methinks when re-
cross | shall carry to my good relative
the message, came, | saw, | con-
quered ="
Algernon Heath was only twenty-one.
lie had had his fancies and his follies,
but he knew nothing of the love that
can make a lifetime of misery or a
single day of rapturous, blissful peace.
He was doing the bidding of one VINO
had enervated his fine, strong nature by
too much ease and delicious living
that was all.
He was welcomed warmly, and his
stay was prolonged unreusonably, and
he left only to return in few weeks to
claim the Spanish-eyed Madeline as his
bride
Algernon Heath was proud of his
handsome stylish wife. She was pas
sionately fond of him, and, alas quite
rs passionately jealous.
Why should she not be-this world
worn coquette of thirty, who had shared
the fevered fancy of his youth, we'll
knowing that his untouched heart
might some day thrill to the claim of a
fresh and true affection?
But they were reasonably content
in their marital bonds for ten quiet
years.
Out of Machines money her hus-
band had had prOdigal share, and
she never reproached him for his lavish
extravaganza. He was always kind and
true and devoted, and surely she could
ask no more.
Her father died the first year after
her marriage; but Algernon's uncle still
lived. boarding his millions fora munif-
cent, final bequest to favorite institu-
ton, it was said and believed.
Madeline believed it, and, with the in
stinct Of jealousy, guessed that the &c
centric old gentleman had planned her
marriage with his young nephew for a
purpose of his own.
He imagined that a rich wife would
rid him of Algernon's extravagant de-
mands for money she thought, bit
terly, when she felt death creeping
through her veins He knew his
plans of course. If my husband mar
ried me for love, he will never take
another wife when | am gone. If he
married me for my worldly posses
sions, | have a way to thwart his sordld
heartless desires"
And so Madeline Heath made Just
such will as rich and aged men often
make who have taken unto themselves
very young, very poor, and very I'M
thinking wives.
And with this jealous bitterness IN
her soul she died, leaving to her hus-
band, if he remained unwedded. the
whole of her fortune; but should he
marry again, he would be penniless as
he was the day he led her to the
altar.
Poor Maddie !" was the only COM
ment made by the husband who had
faithfully been fond of her in his way,
/ have never yet seen woman her
peer in beauty and goodness"
And for five long years he was the
most inimitable widower who ever wore
Grape on a fashionable hat.
He was not gloomy and lugubriously
uncongenial-certainly not The world
thinks no better of us for bearing out
our solemn sorrows and displaying them
with the purple amarinths pinned on
our velvet lappels !
But Algernon Heath accepted his
wealth and his freedom in an easy wav
that seemed selfish if not enjoyable.
1t was another October day, when the
luscious rosy apples weae dropping ripe