Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-08-09

The major, a fervent admirer Of fair wo-
men, stopped to look at them, and, in spite
of his unwillingness, Mr. Dale was forced
to do the same. Suddenly his face grew
pale, and the breath came in quick hot
gasps from his lips. His hand clasped the
arm of his companion.
"Who IS that?" be asked, in q fierce,
hoarse whisper.
Major Henchley looked.
THAT is the beautiful Mrs Waldron,
the granddaughter of Lord Carlswood.
She is magnificent woman. l do not
think she has her equal in London-nay,
in all England"
Mrs. Waldronr' repeated Mr.. Dale, in
low voice.
do not put the question that no one
ever fails to ask-'Who is her husband'"
People ask that do thew Well | am
inclined to initiate them. Who is her hus-
band?"
81 cannot tell you; she made some low
marriage, ! believe"
docs low marriage mean that she
married poor MANI" asked Mr.. Dale.
~ suppose so, do not know. l have
heard in common with the rest Of the
world, that she married beneath her, and
is separated from her husband"
Because he is low-I can understand
that. am what is called a sslf-made
man. major. If high-bred lady looked
kindly on me, and an alliance were formed,
should you think she had contracted a low
marriage"
Because of your" cried the major.
"Certainly not. Why, you are one of the
most rising men of the day"
at is difficult to discover what a low
marriage is" said Mr.. Dale; but the
strange pallor did not die from his face.
He was unlike himself for the whole of the
day after he had seen Lord Carlswood's
grandchild.
There were many who remarked at the
Drawing-room that the beautiful Mrs
Waldron looked unlike herself; she was
not so brilliant, not so radiant; there was
more of thought on her brow, of care in
her eyes; her smile was not SO bright, her
repartee not so ready.
1t was the truth. The pleasures Of the
world were beginning to pail upon Ismay.
Perhaps she had exhausted them too
quickly. She had drained the cup of pleas
ure to its very dregs; there was nothing
left for her 10 wish for-nothing to desire.
Her life for ten long years had been one
| series of brilliant triumphs; the world had
wOrshiped her; and during that time she
had lived without love, without tender
ness, engrossed In vanity. pleasure, and
love of luxury. She was in the very pride
of her magnificent womanhood now, and
she was beginning to feel tired of frivolity
to wish for something better.
She was at a ball one evening, and some
one presented her with beautiful rose.
She took it carelessly, and held it in her
hands willis she sat down to rest. The
perfume stole slowly upon her senses; it
brought back to her the time when she
had sat with Mr.. Ford in the pretty shady
garden; she remembered her own passion
of wonder and emotion as she listened to
his story. Then her husbands face rose
before her as she had seen it last-hand-
! some, haggard with misery, yet full of
| love and tenderness. She remembered
how he had clasped her in his arms and
kissed her lips-how he had said to her
you will find nothing in the world like
my love"
She started, for q warm tear had fallen
upon her hand.
what am l doing'" she thought. II
have hardly thought of him for years
Can it be possible that l am weeping for
Paul."
For the first time-so engrossed had she
what had happened to him during those
ten years.
'He took my decision very quietly" she
said; "he never even tried to persuade me
TO alter it."
How useless all such perSuasiOns would
have been no one knew better than her.
self: but it began to strike her as strange
that he should have made no effort to see
her-to induce her to return to him. OF
the tempest of pride and passion, of love
and despair through which he had passed,
she knew nothing.
She began to long to see him. Once she
had compared him with the polished gen.
tlemen she had met at Bralyn, and the
comparison, in some respects, had always
been to his disadvantage, they were SO
refined. he was SO homely. But now, as
her eyes wandered YEARLY over the great
crowd, she looked in vain for face like
| his.
81 was so sorely tempted" she cried to
herself-''I forgot all the wrong"
She grew thin and pale. People re-
marked to each other, and to Lord Carls-
wood, how changed she was, and he grew
| anxious about her.
1--WE will leave London earlier than US
ual this year." he said. "You must go to
! the seaside, Ismay. You are not looking
SO well, my lear child. What ais your"
| She could nave told him that it was an
awakened conscience, a troubled heart, an
uneasy mind, a longing desire to see her
husband again, longing wish if possible
to undo her sin.
WAS it a sin?" The question came sud
denly to her mind one day, and startled
her terribly. A sins She had always been
| frightened at SHIT was not pleasant
word. Was this sin-to have left tho
husband to whom she had plighted her
troth for no better reason than the desire
of being rich?
Not all the sea-breezes that ever swept
the waves would bring health to the un-
| happy wife who had been so frail, so weak
| of purpose, so easily tempted. No medi-
cine, no tonic yet discovered had the pow
er to quiet the pain of her awakened con-
science.
Ismay Waldron had felt the pain of I'M
gratitied wishes; she had known what it
was to be poor, yet to long to be rich-to
long for pleasure and gayety. yet 20 have
all denied to her. But in all her life she
had never suffered anything like this sor-
! row-the sorrow of unavailing remorse,
or repentance without the power of atone
ment, of love that knows itself all I'M
worthy of ever meeting with love in re-
turn.
Lord Carlswood took her to the seaside,
but she looked no better when she came
! back. The music of the waves could not
drown the voice of her heart. 1t was so
aroused that never again was Ismay Wal
| dron to lull her conscience to sleep or to
forget the wrong she had done.
The struggle was killing her: it seemed
all the greater that for so long she had
forgotten Paul She was always pictur-
ing to herself the delight of a reunion
with him; night after night she dreamed
that these ten years We're but dream
that she was at homs with Paul in their
| little cottage again, cnngtng Co MN ana
praying him never to let her go; size
would wake with tears streaming down
! her face, and weep again that # was br
. dream.
81 would go back to him." she said .
| herself one day with deep sob-'I weu]
so back To him If l could"
And that idea took possession of her
the idea of going bac6-giving up all the
advantages she had gained-leaving her
| beautiful world. Was it a beautiful
worlds Her heart ached for some little
love and tenderneSs-she was tired Of her
loveleSs lfe-wearied with the weight OF
her sin.
Il would go back to him IL could" she
said; and, just as the thought of going to