River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-02-26
HER FAIR FALSE FACE.

1t all comes back to me now, the ut
ter misery and despair that came to me
when l knew my darling was false to me
false to every vOS.
When think even now of that one
great sorrow of my life, and of the woe
most bitter the woman loved brought
to me-the woman whose false love
made me what am to-day-master of
tine stateliest home, owner of almost
countless wealth, but, alas wifeless and
childless, lonely, gloomy man.
viii tell you my story, and the story
of others as we'll, but l must tell it in
my Own way, so l wall begin at the be-
ginning;
| was only % when I first met Archie
Cameron, and she was then a beautiful
girl of ia simple, gentle girl. I be-
lieved, who knew nothing of vanity or
ambition, or anything that women Of
the world hold dear.
was naturally romatic, and like the
Lord If Rosna, my greatest ambition
was to be loved for myself alone, not
that had very much to tempt woman
with, but | was the youngest son of a
wealthy family, and my mothers fortune
"a considerable sum-had become mine
at her death.
never told Arelie Cameron this; L
let her think me a struggling lawyer,
and as such | wooed and won her.
/ made her my wife, and took her to
pretty rose empowered cottage, and
our honeymoon was to me a dream of
passionate delight; and if any dissatis-
faction was felt by Archie she never
gave the slightest sign of it to me, but
know now that tempest of passion
and bitterness was rising within her to-
ward me, and why-why?
Because another had fallen in love
with her beautiful face-anOther, to
whom she never mentioned my name nor
her own marriage.
This | learned afterwards, and more
than this, for / learned of stolen meet
ings BY moonlight, of kisses and cares
ses between my wife and her secret low
er.
/ believed I had tested her love
enough, aud | went away for a few days,
my intention being to tell my people
of my marriage.
I did so, and received their assurance
for welcome for my beautiful wife,
and then, with high beating heart and
pulses thrObbing as | pictured how the
glad light would leap to Arelies eyes
when we met pictured her delight at
the costly dresses and Jewels / had or
dered, her chiIllike establishment at the
beauty nd elegance of the new home to
which ! would bring her
1t was June; the red roses bloomed
fragrar as they twined round the col
umns OF The rustic verandah and mixed
their rich perfume with the faint, sweet
Odor or hyacinth and mignonette.
| almost ran up the garden path in my
eagerness to clasp my darling to my
breast
No thought came to me then. as |
stood at the door with sunshine around
me. of the horror that awaited me wien
it would opel.
Almost impatientlv rang the bell for
the second time, and glanced up at the
windows to see if my darling's face was
smiling down upon me in all its bright
ness.
Perhaps she had seen me. aud was
coming to the door herself, but no
the footstep was slow and heavy-slow
and heavy even for Jane. l thought.
11l e f.t
family whom | had brought to the cot
tage, bidding her to keep my secret for
awhile.
As she opened the door som ething in
her face which was very pale, [ MOTTO
ed-struck a chill like a sudden fore
boding to my heart.
What IS it, Jane?" asked anxious
". Where is your mistress? Is she
i'll? What is the matter. Jane? For
Gods sake speak J"
/ went to pass her. but she caught
my arm and broke into tears.
ooh, Master Guy Master Guy~
she cried, she is goue-gone without a
word to me. but she left this for YOU"
Her hand trembled rs she drew out
the note bearing my name. Poor old
soul She more than suspected the
fatal truth
Mechanically Iopened the letter; but
not even at the first reading did realize
what had befallen me.
The woman / worshipped, the wife
had adored, had fled from her home
with another The words of the note
almost stunned me. A woman whom
believed to he pure as a lily had penned
them, and the thought that | could have
loved a woman capable of writing them
made my soul sick.
II made a fool of myself" she wrote,
ewhen | became your wife. l would
never have done so, only | thought you
were making believe poverty; for [ had
heard a hint OF things you had done
before YOU met me that did not speak
for lack of gold; but find now, too
late, however, for my satisfaction, that
you are really no more nor less than
what ! believed was only pretense, and
so | have left YOU. | cannot say much
more than that | never loved you, and
that | worship the lover whom | have
fled with. and he can give me wealth
and position for he does not know or
even dream | am wife. 1t Is not like
" that YOU will seek me, | know you
too well for that; so au revoir, l was
going to say, but remembering that
means till we meet again, which nope
from the bottom of my soul we never
shall, / say instead, goodby."
| rushed up the stairs, but there was
very little sign OF confusion or disorder
there 1t must have been well medita-
ted on, and no sudden decision come to.
Ali. Heaven she Tad gone calmly, al
most systematically about her elope-
ment.
| sat down stunned for the time being
/ bad loved her, and my love died
hard.
One moment | felt must seek her
I could not live without her-the next
/ scorned the thought. angry at myself
for it entering my mind. One instant
[ would follow her and reclaim her
bring her back to the path from which
she had strayed the next l loathed the
thought Of her.
The night passed on, and still 1
wrPstled with my arDpv-the midnight