Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-10
VA IE;-RI e.
HALF p TRUTH
"BY THE DUCHESS. E"

| to you. You wanted me to become the
wife of Aston Lawford, because he was
| rich; my heart was to have no part in the
| bargain. You encouraged him, you did all
| you could to bring about marriage: but
| the instant Max Beauregard became owner
| of Abbot's Leigh you were ready to throw
over Lawford, and urge me to fly at the
| higher quarry. I refused Lawford because
l did not love him. did not know even
| that Gerald Beauregard was ILL., and you
| when you knew had sent the letter, re-
! joiced, instead of rebuking me. You
thought fell in with your scheme; you
thought that when we came here l would
do my best to win man l had neglected
when he had only a younger brothers por-
! ton. The world called me jilt already;
how should it judge otherwise? How
should it know that care not one jot or
title for wealth? WhatI'' as Mrs. Langley
rose to her feet, actual beWilderment in
| her face and nien, you are beginning to
understand me at last; but hear me out.
was 'capricious'-that was your word;
would not try to win Colonel Beauregard;
| then Aston Lawford came back to my feet,
and tore his letter into fragments; and
tLen you told me that / was q failure; that
/ must choose between Max Beauregard
| and Aston LaWford; that could win Max
Beauregard if | chose, and if [ did not
| choose, l should be dOubly branded as a
| jilt; SO I must fall back upon Lawford, pick
up the rejected lover who was grOvelling
at my feet, or you would wash your hands
| of me!''
"Valerie!-girl-are you mad?" eXclaim-
ed Mrs. Langley, passionately. Chow dare
| you SO take me to task? You utterly for
get yourself!'
''You do deny, then, that you put that
alternative before me?" asked Valerie,
quietly.
81 ask you to be reasonable. Good HeaY-
ems, Valerie, do you willfully fling away a
| splendid future?'
Which splendid future?" said the girl,
with fine irony. ''The splendid future Max
BeauregGtd can give me, or that which
Aston Lawford offers?"
81 cannot answer you when you speak
in that manner, Valerie!'
Every well! Then there is not much
more to be said. / will not marry Aston
Lawford, and / will not throw myself at
Max Beauregard's head. The alternative
you gave me | accept, and if you had not
| given it [ would have taken it. [ wrote to
! uncle VIII when you left me the other day;
when | leave here tomorrow [ shall go
| back to himr'
You will go back to your unclep' re-
peated Mrs. Langley, as if she hardly COM
pretended the words.
''There is nothing else to be doner' re-
turned Valerie. "Aunt Constance, you
think me ungrateful; | am not. [ know
you wished to do the best for me, as you
understood it, only your ideas and mine
are at variance. AS to what the world
will say Of me, that can hardly touch me
at Wexford"
'Valeriep' cried Mrs. Langley, ''this is
preposterous, impossible; you are flinging
away your life, blighting your future past
redemption. What can be thought-said
if you go away like this into the country?
We have engagements that cannot be
broken; it will be said that you have simp-
ly gone off in chagrin because you cannot
get Max BeauregardI'
''What do | care for that?" said Valerie,
with a reckless laHgh. "Snce he believes
that [ came here to win him, can there be
any worse shame? For your sake I will go
with you, if you like, to London; and you
can make any excuse you choose for my
not fulfilling my engagement to the Nor
tons. From London | go back to Wexford
wish to Heaven" she said, clasping her
hands, passiOnately, 'that | had never left
it!'
Mrs. Langley's face grew hard, desper-
ately hard: Valerie'S last words misunder-
STOOD seemed to blot out all kindly feeling
from her heart. She walked straight up
to the girl, and grlsped her wrist.
''UngratefuI -deceiful"' she said
through her teA tn. You have deceived
me wickedly. Valerie. You toll me that
you did not care for Louis Chart 4riS that
you never had cared for him, and l some
times hoped that you djU care for Colonel
Beauregard more than You chose to admit,
and that pride or caprice made you Obdur-
ate; but in your heart you are clinging to
that old folly; and you regret ever having
thrown over young Charteris-regret it the
more now because your own folly has hard
ened Max Beauregard against you. [ I'M
derstand you-you can go your own way,
| wash my hands of your
She flung the girls hand from her, and
turned away, walking stormily to the other
side of the room. Valerie had stood per-
fectly still, not blenching at the cruel
words that burned her like fire, though she
grew as white as the gown she wore. She
was even relieved by the accusation which
spared her the dreaded charge of the truth.
Ungrateful, deceitful, chagrined by fail
ure, and falling back on a love spurned
when ambition was in the ascendant-was
this it? A half smile fitted over the girls
lips. WE'LL better so; better all the world
should think this of her than that the wo-
man who falsely accused her should say,
You love Max Beauregard, and because
f-NT-1 hi 10 from
him, and go back into eXilep'
Valerie turned toward the door without
a word; as she leid her hand on the handle,
Mrs. Langley spoke once more:
You have no answer?'' she said, sternly;
''You do not contradict me?'
| Mop Valerie said; 81 have no answer!"
She opened the door, and went out, going
! straight to her own apartments. There,
twenty minutes later, Angela Musgrave
| came up to her. They were all going for
a ride, would Valerie come also? But Va
| lerie felt this was impossible, and excused
| herself; she was busy, she said, and Angela
went away secretly not displeased. Her
| pleasure was short-lived, for. on returning
| with Valerie's message, she heard that
! Colonel Beauregard was not going.
He had letters to write, he said," said
! Travers. so we must do without two OF
oar party!''
II shall try and persuade him to comes
exclaimed Angela, and she ran to Beaure'
| CARDS study, which was near the library,
and being admitted tried her persuasive
powers, but in vain.
81 am sorry" he said, ''but indeed caa't
| come this morning, Angelai''
Valerie isn't coming, eitherr' pouted
Angela.
Isn't she?" said the soldier, Indifferent