Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-09-19


1t should be-"
He paused suddenly-she was listen
ing in great surprise.
"Well?' she said. 1T should be-"
"Well, any other veil III the world
but that to be married in"
She folded up her work and let her
f&ir hands fall upon it in her lap; one
could see those little hands were irem-
bling.
She was greatly surprised Al his man.
ner and request, and also vaguely hurt,
She scarce knew how or why. Indeed,
she had wondered often lately at n sub
Tie and unpleasant change in Louis.
Gould it be possible that she was about
to discover lis cause?
You ask II singular favor" she said,
with forced quicmess. Are YOU
aware that my dear mother worked this
veil?'
The hot, impulsive temper answered
instantly, without thoughts
1T is for that very reason that |
hate IT,
And then she understood him. This
daughter of England had been slow to
suspect or comprehend the pride of the
French aristocrat, but she would not
marry the man who thought he stopped
to take her.
She folded up the veil and gently but
firmly said
"Iou did not know, when first YOU
sought me for bride, that mamma was
u lace worker in France; if you had,
perhaps you would not have loved me.
Since you learned this fact you have
regretted our engagement. You need
not speak; have seen change in you
Il feel that it is so! But there is no
harm done" she went on with simple
dignity, since have learned the truth
before it is too late; and so"-she held
out to him little trembling hand,
which he took meehamcally-"and So
| will grant you the favor You covet,
my friend. Your bride shall not wear
my darling mothers bridal velll'-here
he kissed the hand, and she drew il
quickly away-''but that is because
shall not he your BRIDE"
No need to dwell upon what followed.
His prayers, his protestations-hum-
bly, at first, then angry-hiS tears that
had no power in them to sap the
strength OF her resolution. They part
ed coldly at last--lovcrs still in heart,
for love dies not so easily, but outward
~ seeming scarcely even friends.
She stood proudly AS lie left the
room. when the sound of the street
door closing after him struck like Il
knell upon her young and passionate
heart, she flew TO the window and
watched him out of sight.
"Gol go" she cried, dashin.y away
the tears that blinded her. Go from
my eyes, hateful tears, and let me see
my love for the last time. My love!
And have lost him"
She sank down, sobbing. Just then
the sound of her mothers voice, sing
ing merrily an old Freach song in Il
room above, came to her ears. Once
more she dashed the tears away.
''He despised you, my darling mann
ma-you. No, no, | will never pardon
him."
Her parents questioned her in vain.
She had quarreled with Louis: that was
all they could learn. And before n
chance for reconciliation came Elise
was smitten with mortal illness and hiod
in three days, and Adele, overwhelmed
by the awful calamity, was Frustrated
with BRAN fever.
AT thus juncture summons came to
Louis from France demanding his i'm
mediate presence there. Strange
changes had taken place. Two Of the
three lives that had stood between him
and the title and estates of the Marquis
de In Riyiere had been suddenly swept
away, and the third, frail delicate
child, lay dying. The present Marquis,
himself feeble old man, was also at
the point of death, so they sent for
Louis rs the heir of the dying noble
man.
~ news bewildered him. His heart
sweIled with cxultation and delight, but
it sank again. Adele! Had he not lost
Adele? II care not for rank or wealth
unless she shares theml" cried his
heart. II will beg and implore her
pardon"
He made the attempt, but in vain.
He sought her father, and said few
words to him, however, that might
make all well again had she ever heard
them; but she never did. When her
long and wasting sickness was over at
last, and she began, slowly and feebly,
to take hold on life, she found herself
an orphan in very truth! Walter had
followed Elise to a better world.
Nor even then had she drained the
cup Of sorrow to the dregs; her fathers
affairs had been terribly involved;
when all was settled, she was renniless.
Poor Adele Truly might il be said
that her sorrows "came not single
spies, but in battahons;' father, mother,
lover, home, all gone What had life
left to offer her bat patience and pains
And Louis He would have written
her Immediately upon his arrival in
Paris, but that lie felt SO bissfully sure
that her father would make all well.
A few weeks later he did write, in
forming her fully Of his strangely
altered fortunes. and imploring her TO
pardon and accept once more as her
true lover the Marquis de la Riviere.
And the letter never reached her.
The house to which it came was empty