San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-11-23
LURED WAY,
OR,
The Story Of a Wedding-Ring,
BY CHARLOTTE NJ. BRAEME.

heart seemed breaking with It's Duruen.
"My darling-so beautiful, so tender, so
loving-my wife"
Then he remembered that it was of her
own free will she had done it. She had
left him that she might enjoy wealth. lux
ury, and splendor. She had left him, had
blighted his life, had broken his heart had
sighted his love, for-money.
He had loved her with a passion that
was almost terrible in its intensity; but,
as he thought of what she had done, that
love seemed to him to change into hate.
He did not curse her; but his lips curved
with a curious smile.
"She was light and vain," he said. "She
had my heart in her hands; she has broken
it and thrown it away. She was not worth
my love. For her sake / would have
borne starvation: she with few cool
words gives me up for money. will not
curse her, but I cry to Heaven for VEN
geance."
He raised his right hand.
II swear" he said, 'by my love and my
sorrow, that will avenge my wrong-that
1 will take full vengeance on her for what
she has made me suffer"
Paul Waldron's trouble changed and
warped his whole nature; it hardened him
as nothing else could have done. Yet to
no man living did he make any complaint.
He said nothing of what had happened;
he went about his work for some days as
usual, but with grim, determined look
on his face and his voice seemed to have
taken quite another tone
He knew that there was legal redress
for him; he could have claimed his wife,
he could have claimed his child. But he
was too proud. If she had voluntarily left
him, let her go. The law of the country
might force his heartless wife to return
might compel her to come back to him, but
he disdained any such assistance-he held
the law in contempt.
IF she has left me of her own free WILL"
he said to himself, II will not take her
back because the law is in my favor. Let
her do as she will"
Nor would he write to appeal to her.
"She shall not know what have suffer
ed-she shall not laugh over my pain" he
said to himself. twill never write to her.
She has left me, and she shall not know
what becomes of me-"
What he suffered-his desolation, an
guish, despair-none but Heaven knew.
1t changed the whole nature of the man
it hardened and imbittered HINT made
him unlike himself He brooded in sullen
gloom over his wrongs, and then his gloom
would give way to passionate anguish and
despair.
Only few days after this death blow
he received a letter giving him excellent
news. One of his inventions had been
adopted by wealthy firm, and they had
written to ask him to give up his present
occupation and accept an engagement with
them.
1T is the first step toward fortune" he
said, and then he looked round on his des-
olate home
IF she had but been here" he thought;
and the news which two months since
would have seemed glorious to him did
not even give him one moment of pleas
ure. The only bright side he saw to it
was that he would soon be away from
Ashburnham.
He resolved that he would tell no one.
that he would send the little maid home,
and then in few days leave himself with.
out revealing whittier he had gone.
$50 all trace of me will be lost, ;" he said;
land, II she should so far remember my
existence as to make any inquiries about
me, no one will be able to answer her."
To Squire Schofield he said merely that
he was leaving Ashburnham. Who could
know the depth Of pain, the anguish, the
bitterness, the torture of slighted love that
came to HIM as he looked round upon the
little home he had once thought an earthly
heaven? Farewell to all his hopes and
dreams! Farewell, bright, beautiful face
that had lured him to his doomi Farewell
to the little child who had been stolen from
him, whose tender arms were to clasp him
no more!
IL the silent stars could reveal secrets.
they would tell of the man who spent the
whole Of one long night in the woods
who wept out there the passion of grief
that was consuming him-who cried aloud
against the wife who had forsaken him,
and the proud man who had tempted her
away. They would tell of one long night
spent in such sorrow as few men endure;
and then of cold morning dawn, when
that same man went his way. changed,
imbittered, reckless with his own despair
Fortune often showers her richest gifts
on those who court her least. When Paul
Waldron left Ashburnham he was utterly
Indifferent as to his future. He cared no
longer to win wealth. What could wealth
do for him? 1t could not heal his wounds
or give back to him what he had lost. 1t
was perhaps for that very reason that
wealth was showered upon him. He &C
cepted the engagement offered to him, and
the firm were quick to see that they had
closed with no common man. After
short time he was offered junior part
nership, which he accepted indifferently
enough. Later on one of the firm died,
and he received one h If of the hnsinaSS