The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-12-17

over, and well over, and Mrs. Van Verst
Lad retired to her dressing-room to
change her toilet Of white satin and lace,
pearls and diamonds, and white roses.
for the charming travelling costume of
ecru silk and Persian embroidered garnet
cashmere.
Just O little to the surprise of the
vivacious girls who were supposed to be
Indispensable on the nomentous occasion.
Isabel told them she really very much
preferred attending upon herself; and,
as Isabel usually had her own way,
Mabel and Maude left her, with allowing,
saucy little protest.
And sho laughed, and turned them
out, and then
Regardless of the magnifcence of her
trailing bridal robes, unmerciful Of the
rare and costly white roses she crushed
30 ruthlessly, this bride Of an hour, when
she had locked her door and dashed
down the curtains, flung herself ON her
knees beside the lounge, in a perfect
costacy of grief--knelt there, shivering
and praying
She could not cry; it seemed as if all
her tears had forever left her eyes TO
curdle around her heart" She did not
even make the slightest sound, but, oh!
the awful, unspeakable, pent-up agony
abe suffered, until she wondered she did
not die then and there-until she prayed
God to let her die as she was, or else re-
move the burden.
And the why and wherefore was. that
aimee the night and hour eighteen months
before, when she aud Tbeo. Edmerton
had parted in proud, indignant GOODNESS
they twowhohad worshiped each other
as even fond lovers not often Worship
Isabel Lisle had never spent one happy
moment Not once had she heard of him |
or from him. He had disappeared as
thoroughly from society as though he
were dead, and so how could she have
known that in his pique, and stubborn
ness, and unyielding pride, he had put
the ocean, foreign countries, deserts, be-
tween theml
All she knew was, he made no sign; all |
she realized was, he had gone so far in
his displeasure as to give her no oppor-
tunity In her penitent relenting, to be
reconciled. And now, this fair, bright
day she was Horace Van Versts wife.
Some one raped softly on the door,
bringing Isabel to her senses. Had it
been o minute or an hour since she knelt |
there, shivering, writhing with longing
pain and utter abandonment of despair. |
Maud st. Willis's cheerful voice called |
out:
IA belated wedding present, Belle-a
check for $1,000 or Government |
bond 1 dare say, seeing it is contained in
an envelope. Can't come IMP"
"Not quite yet, dear I'll take the
parcel, please.
She unlocked the door and received it;
then with the first sob of pain that had
passed her lips yet, she sank faint and |
weak upon the nearest chair, as she rec
ognised Theo Edmerton's handwriting. |
She did not at once open it; she could !
not, for the cold trembling of her hands. !
She sat there, her heart seeming to stop |
Its beating, until girlish voice, rs some |
body passed the door, speaking about the |
time of trains, reused her again into a |
sort of desperate defiance to herself.
And then she tore open the envelope
and read this:
Without any doubt you will be sur
prlsed to receive my most elaborate con-
gratulatlons on the auspicious event that |
has given to your husband the sincere, |
undivided love of your heart, and bestow |
upon yourself the title that means. in |
your case, that your affections are so |
surely, so sincerely placed upon gen.
heman so worthy"
Then the vein of icy-fond sarcasm sud
denly ceased--even the correct elegant
handwriting changed into hurried, |
half-llegible scrawl:
Isabel, what have You donep NV |
God! t0hdt have you doneP Could YOU
not have waited q little wbilep Yon |
have ruined my hopes, my happiness,
my faith and trust in woman. You have
killed me-killed me! May God forgive
you, and, ii ever | prayed, I pray now
that l may forget ever loved-yes, that
love you more madly than ever.
Such letter-such despair, and such |
hopeless bitterness, such anguish of mis-
sery, such pain of anger-and Mrs. Van
Verst crushed it in her hand. till the |
paper was mass of broken fragments.
81 soiu forget hint will not 90 to
my husband with such thoughts in my
heartl My God, will be true-I must |
De true! Oh, make me-0ldke me true
70 nm, and don't let me swerve! Heaven
help meY
And with hands clasped and lovely
eyes upllfted, she stood one moment
until a loving Father laid His blessing Of
endurance and patience, and earnest
resolution and consciousness of His own
strength and presence, upon her heart.
that was sick unto despair.
Half an hour later she looked up into
her husbands face, as they sat alone in
the coach that was conveying them TO
the depot-such a good. grand face that
accompanied Ene character, no woman
could come in contact with and fail to
thoroughly revere and admire. And
sudden little thrill of humble content
warmed in her eyes and quivered into
peaceful smile, as she laid her hand on
his.
Il mean to be such good wife.
Horace" she said, gently.
My darling, know it, he answered
her. "And | am most blessed of anv
man on Gods earth to-day"
So their welded life began.
Il r.
Two years afterward, and half CITY
in mourning, because of the pitiless
scourge that the hot midsummer DAYS
had swept relentlessly down upon Il
And IN nearly deserted hotel, where
fashion, and beauty and wealth had fled
before the grim oneoming Of the pesti-
Ience, two people lying dead-young
handsome even in death, with refinement
md nobility on their marble faces.