Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-04-28
THE RING AND THE ROLL


Of all the people that make trouble
for themselves, the jealous can take the
palm, and of all the jealous Mr.. Dom
aid Mcdonald was able to get the most
torture from the least material.
When Lucia fell in love with him she
did not dream Of this afliction, for he
seemed about MI indiiferently cool and
naughty man III one could picture.
Perhaps she fltrtcl little recklessly
with one and another, lcs he should
divine her secret perhaps On that &C
count he thought the only way 10 get
her was to take her by storm. She did
not flatter herself that he remembered
her when out Of his sight till one day
On the piazza party of them having
been talking gaily of their possible fu-
lures, and MI having left but herself ,he
came back, and found her leaning
against pillar and pulling down q
rose-vine
"What IL that you are doing, Iucia2"
lie said. Does it require all your ut
tentiol2 Look III me, Lucia" and she
thoughtlesaIy obeved when we were
all speaking Of our path in the future,
was there any seriousness in what you
said? Did you suppose / would listen
to plan for a future for you in which
! was not II part
lyon e looking up at him where he
lowered above her dark and superb as
Lncifer.
r. And tell you now, Lucia, you
are going ID marry me, or nobody.
You are "a to my wife, or no mans
wife And many IF Lucia's distresses
came from the acquiesence in which
her glad heart stood still a moment
before it beat upon her lovers, in which
her hand lay trembling in his, while
he slipped upon its finger curious
gemmelring of rubies and brilhants.
If she had repealed, if she had co
quetted or dalled, she might not have
remained in the half-humble light
which made her more like u slave than
il wife if she had obliged him To sue
instead Of lowing him % claim, he
might hardly have ventured on such
lordly md dictatorial demeanor lie
hurried tie wedding SO that she had no
time to perceive anything but his pas
sion for herself And now that regret
was too late, all there was for her was
rs straight path, looking neither to
TO the right nor left, as wealthy wom-
IN III society could walk. But TO
friendly, beautiful creature like Lucia,
who liked everybody and whom every
body liked, tins was no easy matter
Nor especially was il easy when some
Of her former l0ycrs came along, to
whom she felt il right 70 be particu-
larly gentle III view If their regret and
her felicity.
For Lucia was really happy. She
desired no iudiscriminate admiration;
her husband was enough for her. She
had his alteration, and she knew il, and
he was her all in all nothing more
grand, and noble, and beautiful, than
he was possible IL her conception of
human being. She loved him SO, that
if he had lrampled her heart out of
her body, she would have thought it
but Il III service she rendered him in
suffering il. And il cost her nothing to
relinquish all companionship but his,
for she wanted no other.
The one hinderance to her happiness
was that her husband failed TO recog-
nize MI this, and seemed to have con-
slant lear of loss of her affection il she
became aware of the existence of any
body else. She knew that his bursts of
anger through suspicion did not mean
that he loved her any tile less, but they
frightened her and caused her unwise-
liz III conceal any attention, tlattery Or
Kindness that she received. She tried
TO frost her maSner, but il only &C.
quired M icy sweetness that made her
all the more attractive, and her house
was thranged. and her invitations were
Il multitude
Nevertheless. Lucia almost forgot
herself one day when the servant an
nounced Mr.. PUNISHABLE. Tom Dun
stablel' she exclaimed before she
thought Il am delighted" And She
mate, and SORT III cousin, her eager
face agleN. II hear what account he
had to give II himself, asking if lie re-
memheIed this and replying rs 10
whether She remembered that, laugh
ing over circumstances occurring be-
fore her husbands reign, and all nj
once starting and looking about for her
husband. beckoniug him and, when he
would not stir, taking Mr.. PUNISHABLE
over herself and introducing him. with
another grand mistake, as dear old
friend who was one IF the family. hut
not | scrap If relation.
A dear old friend, one of tile family, |
and not i scrap III relationl Nothing
more was needed 10 kindle Mr.. Nc
Donald's fires He WAS flint and steel
already. wasting her sweetness on
4 curmudgeop. said Mr.. Dunstabie to
himself And if for minute he had
II mind to give Mr.. Mcdonald some
thing 10 fret about, in another minute
he thought he would cut his hand off
before making Lucia any trouble.
so, he said u her, when Mr.. Nc
Donald had walked off and left them
rs great dog leaves couple Of chill
dren that have disturbed him, you
have jailer
Il have the best Of hushands!' she
And adore him. Be-
Besides. mustn't talk to you in that
way. Well, l won't. | shouldn't like
him 10 speak SO to my bonny Kate.
am going to be married &c Kate Des-
yard-the sweetest girl, l must come
and tell you about her tomorrow.
What hour shall you be alone"
Tomorrow Lucia had begun to
recollect herself sufficiently to know
that tomorrow her husbands wrath
would be bright and shining light to-
morrow If such an interview took place.
Tomorrow" she said, "But have an
engagement. How long shall you be
in town? Only two days? Let me
see--I shall be at Aunt Marbury's to-
morrow at three.
All, Lucia Mcdonald, her inner con-
science cried, clandestine meeting at
another persons house No wonder if
her husband were angry And yet it
seemed hard ii she could not hear about
the marriage of one for whom she had