The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-20
now WAS TEMPTED.

the terrible temptation of my life came. Not
for my own sake was this temptation strong;
but when I thought of her, my little baby girl,
there came to me the knowledge that I would
yield.
Yield-and to WHAT
To be the wife of a man whom my soul
loathed, while my darling, the one love of my
life, lay under the dark blue waves.
l would not believe this terrible story they
told me-this man who sought me for his wife,
and the coarse, Inbred woman who now seemed
to be mistress of the grange, where for that
short bright year of my married life I had
reigned as a queen.
The terrible words burned in my brain-the
words they had spoken to me, or rather, Vance
had spoken; for though l felt there was some
secret understanding between the housekeeper
and him, outwardly they were distant enough.
This is what he told me:
had not been my darlingis legal wife, for far
away in another land another wife had claimed
him, a wife who died--at least so he proved to
me-six months after my marriage.
Oh, heavens! how could / believe itg Believe
that my love could be guilty of such a crimel
This man, Vance Eldridge, whom / so lated
and despised, and my husband, Guy Ashton,
whom | had worshiped, were second cousins,
du0 pOUl Hdu D6Gu my lONGIS DcIOIG i udQ GuOSGn
Guy.
When Vance had asked me to be his wife, I
told him | had already given my proSdse to Guy,
who had spoken two days before him.
His face had grown black.
Il will not give you up to him. he cried.
"You are mine by the passion of love l bear you.
What does he know of lover
The next moment he had caught me in his
arms, and, despite my struggles, had kissed me
Coward ShameI Disgrace to your nameip
| cried, hotly. Then | half pitied him, his face
had grown so pale.
Violet, l cannot ask your pardon, for l would
peril my soul for those two kisses. The day will
come when all your kisses will be mine, for ]
have sworn it and / viii manage some way to
keep my cath
The next moment I was alone; the terrible
dread Of Vance Eldridge, which never left me
after, conquered every other Feeling.
Three months later | was NJ TRIED to Guy, and
then Vance left the home that had sheltered him
from childhood.
/ had never spoken to Guy Of that scene, nor
of the kisses that yet made my soul burn with
anger at the remembrance of them. The offense
had never been repeated, and on my wedding
day he went abroad.
Then one year passed. year whose bright
ness fingers with me now, SO full it was of pas
sfonate bliss and days bright with loves glory.
Merciful heaven! could it be that the lover
husband who kissed my lips with passionate
tenderness and surrounded me with every sign
/ - AONOt nv luOOdAO WIN Hd0 Cuu W 1uOlAAO
me, had made me. oh, no, mol it could not be!
81 will not believe it, 1 cried in my agony.
H was my husband. | was his wife,
Even this | cried aloud when Vance, who had
death, held before my eyes the terrible proofs Of
his story-tf1e marriage certificate of Inez Van
essa and Guy Ashton.
you were not his wife, Violet
mot his wife!D / repeat, staggering blindly
towards a chair; but before 1 reach #, Vance
leaps to his feet, my senses leave me, and then
then I know no more.
When | opened my eyes again, I am lying On
the sofa all drenched with cologne-water, and
Vance and the housekeeper are bending over
me.
She is better, I" I heard Vance say. as I opened
my eyes, and then / closed them again, but / had
seen the expression of relief on his face.
"She is as fragile as the flower whose name
she bears, he says; butt
/ hear the woman say "Hush!D then some
thing IS held to my lips, which | drink without
opening my eyes.
One week later my temptation came to me,
when Vance asked me again to be his wife.
'sYeur choice is this, Violet he said, sto leave
the Grange with your name a by-word-for the
truth must be | if you go-to leave it with
your naneiess little one in your arms, and his,
Guys name a word of dishonor and reproach, or
to become my worshiped and honored wife,
and bury the terrible story from all human
knowledge"
The temptation was terrible, and 1 yielded
yielded for my little yellow haired baby's
sake-the baby who looked at me with its IA
theirs eyes, and smiled with its fathers smile
for her sake, my little Leoline. and for his as
wel-for Guy, who had wronged me so, but
whom / had loved, nay, did love still, though he
slept beneath the wave, with my heart and
soul.
For his sake and the sake of his child I would
sacrifice myself, that his name might rest in
peace. not be remembered with disnonar.
Near the Grange. OF, rather, below it-for it
L q h1Ti1f ON ON, opninonaa-- xxnnor - lt4fIo Ga46sa
cottage, owned by a gentleman who lived at
some distance from it,
The cottage was exquisitelyfurnished, and the
owner willing enoughsto let it. but found it hard
to- get a tenant it would suit In size, considering
the rent
One day, however, was passing. and at one
of the windowssI saw a dark, beautiful face;
whose rare l0veliness almost startled me-.
Asher eyes met mine she drew back, but not
before saw a strange MISUNDERSTANDING at least
for one who believed had neven seen me before
-~dawning in her eyes while Hooked up att
traeted by her manner.
A few days later 4 happened to be in one Of
the rooms of the Grange quite alone, for Leeline
was sleepingl and with a deep pain at my heart
| looked over the broad lands that i had believed
my childs inheritance.
Standing there. I realized with full force the
misery of the life that lay before me. as the wife
of a man | actually shrank from-a man who 1
felt was a villain.
All, women's hearts are strange; that word 1
SnraHk Irom apptylng TO Guy; who mas so
wronged me, while this man, of whom I knew
nothing actually wrong, it seemed the fitting
term.
Somehow / spokem my thoughts aloud, and a
voice behind me repeatedmy words.
81 will take back mypromise,r l said; sany-
thing is better than an unwilling wife. He loves
me, and he will have mercy
"Ha. ha, hal He loves you, and will have
mercy. Ha, ha! If ne does Mrs. Nobody !
will mott
j turned, and was. face to face with the house
keeper, whose vulgar face was almost purple.
and appalling with the hideous expression that
rested upon it.
You fooli' she said; tIknow all the story Of
Guy Ashton's marriage; and even if Vance were
fool enough to let you slip, l would publish it.
Great heavens, girl, if you knew how I hate
xra.lu