Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-08-09
LURED AWAY;
The Story Of a Wedding Ring,
BIZ CHARLOTTE II. BRAEMK-

had forsaken MIN for mere vanity, for
wealth and luxury. She had given MIN
up and had left him forever. When his
mind had quite grasped that truth terri
BILE cry came from his lips-a cry to Heav'
en- for vengeance. Then, unable to bear
up, he fell with his face on the ground.
Whed he recovered he sat for long hours
I'm that room that was never again to be
frightened by his wife's fair face, bearing
the first pain of his agony in silence that
was heroic Then hot anger, fierce indig.
nation rose wishin him-anger so wild, so
frantic, that he was for the time like
mailman. Who had taken his darling
from himi Who had tempted her and
lured her away He stood with white lips
and cursed the destroyer of his domestic
happiness with terrible curses. He cursed
the proud lord who had robbed him of his
treasure.
my darlingp he sobbed, and his great
heart seemed breaking with its burden.
"My darling-so beautiful, so tender, so
1oying-my wifeV
Then he remembered that 1t was Of her
own free viii she had done it. She had
left him that she might enjoy wealth, lux
ury, and splendor She had left him, had
bligEted his life had broken his heart had
bB2DJth MS lOFe, lOf-iIOHty-
lie 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
1t and thrown it away. She was not worth
7
borne starvation; she with few cool
words gives me up for money. | will not
curse her, but l cry to Heaven for VEN
geance"
He raised his right hand.
IL swear" he said, "by my love and my
sorrow, that will ayenge my wrong-that
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
rs 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 n grim, determined look
on mis- 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 90 The law of the country
might force his heartIess wife II return
might compel her to come back to him. but
he disdained any such asSistance-he held
the law in contempt
I'll she has left me of her own free will, F"
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.
'Shc shull not know what | have suffer
ed-shc shall not laugh over my pain" he
said to himself. 81 will never write to her
She has left me, and she shall not know
what becomes of me"
What he suffered his dcsolaton, an
guish despair none but Heaven knew.
It thnugcd the whole nature of the man-
It hardened and imbittered hint made
him unlike himself lie brooded in sullen
gloom over his wrongs, and then his gloom
would give way 10 passionate anguish and
despair
Only few days after this death blow
he received letter giving him excellent
news. One of his inventions had been
adopted by n wealthy firm, and they had
written to ask him to give up his present
occupation and accept an engagement With
them.
at 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 oNy bright side he saw to it
was that he would soon be away from
Ashburnham.
lie esoIvcd 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.
SO all trace OF me will be lost" he said;
and, If she should so far remember my
existence rs to make any inquiries about
me, no one will be able to answer her"
10 Squire Scholield he said merely that
he was leaving Ashburnham. Who could
know the depth of pain, the anguish, the
bitterness. the torture of sighted love that
came to HIM Us he looked round upon the
little homo he had once thought an earthly
heaveuS Farewell to all his hopes and
dreamsl Farewell, bright, beautiful face
that had lured him to his dooml Farewell
to the little child who had been stolen from
him, whose tender arms were to clasp him
no morel
II the silent stars could reveal secrets.
they would tell o! 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 a cold morning dawn, when
that same man went his way, changed,
imhittercd, reckless with his own despair
Fortune often showers her richest gifts
on those Who court her least. When Paul
Waldron left Ashhurnham he was utterly
Indifferent as to his future. He cared no
longer to win wealth What could wealth
do for himf 1t could not heal his wounds
or give back to him what he had lost II
was perhaps for that very reason that
wealth was showcred upon him. He &C
ccpted the engagement offered to him, and
Ne firm were quick to see that they had
.los-N with no common man. After a
short time he was offered junior part
n"rship, which he accepted indifferently
enough. Later on one of the firm died,
and he received one half Of the business.
y
to gold. When he had money of his own
he specialized, utterly careless as to
whether he lost or gained. Every specu-
lation was a grand success. When his
partner wished 10 retire he was able TO
purchase the whole of the business. He
did So, not caring whether he proSpercd or
failed. His genius for invention seemed
inexhaustihlc; he made enormous sums OF
money 10y taking ont patents, and in eight
years from the time he left Ashburnham
he was spoken Of rs one of the most pros
porous men Of the day.
Rich now almost beyond "the dreams OF
ayaricc," he devoted himrSlf to the inter
ests of the working classes. He lectured,
made speeches, he soon became known as
popular leader Of Radical opinion. If by
the use OF keen, passionate language he
could have reused all England, he would
have uoue So and have led on fiery. ex-
cited masses to the destruction of all aris-
toCratS; he hated them with -ehement,
burning hatred-hc would have devoted
his life to their extinction. There were
times when he wished that revolution
like that OF France might sweep every
titled man from the face of the land
People who listened 10 him wondered at
his vehement utteranceS-at his passionate
class hatred. They wondered at the fierce.
fiery eluQuence with which he dashed the
vices OF the rich, their pride, their iudif-
ference to the feelings OF those beneath
them All this was because one among
them had tempted his beautiful Young