Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-14

Dear GuyI He seems so happy, and is so
handsome and so good that, if he loved any
other woman but BERTHE, should be envious
| of her; but BERTHE is worthy of any love.
| There are several guests in the house, none
of whom are remarkable save Mr. Paliser.
a clergyman who was at Tredegar when GUY
was born, and who loves him as if he were
his own son. There are some colIege-friends
OF Guys too typical English, and one, Lord
Oldham, who is 81 jolt gdrcon as well as bon.
| pdTtt that it astonishes me that he is not al
ready married. But l hear the luncheon
/ gong going, sO-bGstd!
| June Sth.-I love England more and more
| The English seem colder than we are, but.
! an fond, they are so good! Must acknowl-
! edge that it seems to me that they are more
| sincere than we are-at least than our nation
| is? They f1atter less, for example. l have
never heard Guy pay BERTHE one compliment;
| have never heard him praise her bedlEr
| yelLT and her lovely voice; yet he loves her
! Then there is Lord OldhamI If my society
/ did not give him some pleasure, would he
| seek it so constantly? And yet not compli-
ment, not phrase which one is so used to
| hearingi l think l like these English: but
/ then, since l married an Englishman. l am
more than half English. Sometimes l think
w. L
marry another wonder if there is anv one
in this house whom dear Mr.. Leonhardt
! would have wished me to marry. I was
| thinking to-day of his last words to met
| shall be so glad to think, Gabrielle when I
am gone, that you are happy wifew
June 15th.-TO-day rather strange thing
happened. Going into Berries dressing
room just before luncheon, I found her in a
fit of hysterical crying. Something extra
ordinary in our quiet Bertiel She could give
! no reason, except that she felt low-spirited.
I thought she had quaTTelled with Guy; but
mol Besides, he loves her far too well to
! quarrel over anything. So / think it is too
much happinesSi
June 2Sth.-At last have something def
mite to write about. Until now there has
been such a round of gaiety and fun, such a
repetition of dancing, riding, driving, and
singing, that my diary would have been day
after day the same thing but for bit of news,
We are going to have some theatricals on the
18th, which is Guys birthday, and a ball aft
er. There was much elaboration about the
cor1eClie we were to act; and at last Lord
Oldham said he would write one for us,
founding it on an incident in the life of Mad
! anne de LautremOnt, who was a beauty in the
reign of Louis XVI. and an ancestreSs of his.
! 1t is chiefly thiS-that, having been reduced
| from riches to poverty by the Revolution, she
makes use of her voice to obtain a livelihood,
| and during one of her street presentations
| she meets a young English officer who falls
| in love with her and ultimately becomes her
| husband. 1t is very well written, and the
| dialogue sparkles with wit Lord Oldham is
very SpirttueJ. | am to play the COmtesse de
! Lucay, and Lord Oldham is to be stage man
ager. Guy won't play, is he says he has no
talent that way. BERTHE plays splendidly a
| little Marguise full of fun and cOquetry. Al
together [ think the conleGte will be success
ful. Guy has had stage and scenery erect
ed in the library, and the drop-scene is beau
! tful. Our costumes, of course, come from
! Worth, jeans from Elise, and they will be
very pretty.
july 3d.-ThiS evening we were sitting out
on the lawn after dinner when old Collins,
! the butler, came up to Guy with a telegraphio
despatch. He opened it, and, reading it,
turned very pale
us there the least possibility of my catch
ing the last up-train, Collins?' he asked anx-
! iously.
Not the slightest, sir; it started at five to
nine"
when is the earliest tomorrow morning?''
ga quarter to eight, sir"'
Order the brOugham round-in the morning
in time to catch that"
mo bad news, sir, trust?" the old serv-
ant said.
Captain Gordon is very ILL., Collins. His
mother writes that l shall hardly be in time, ~
| he added, turning to Jean, who grew pale at
| Guys sorrOw-fOr they are great friends, Guy
| and Hugh Gordon.
| remember well that the first time we saw
| Guy he was walking by his friends chair at
| Ment0nc. That he loves him dearly no one
| can doubt. At the thought of his danger Guy
| looks haggard and pale already, and, as BERTHE
went up to him this evening, slipping her
| hand into his in mute sympathy, his lip quiv-
| cred.
Cay" heard her whisper, Il am SO
! grieved for youV
| Thank you, my darling" he answered, In
low voice, and clasped her hand close.
| They were sitting together when Miss
! Cathcart came up to BERTHE and asked her to
| sing; but she refused; and Guy said
LET me have her quietly to myself this
evening, Miss Cathcart. 1t is my last night,
! you know"
| We separated earlier than usual, I bidding
| Guy good night and goodbye, as he leaves
early in the morning: but BERTHE persists in
| her desire to get up early and see him off.
! She looked white and i'll tonight, and she
! had such strange wiStful expression in her
| eyes, as if she had presentiment of coming
! i'll. She chung to Guy sobbing tonight He
| smiled down at her.
'Silly little one! Do you think l am to
| escape all sorow?"
Il wish l could keep it from you, Guy"
| g.
| ling" he said softly.
| Suddenly BERTHE put up her hands and
| drew his tall head down to hers and kissed
| him passiOnately.
''Oh, Guy, take care of yourselfp' she said,
! in voice so pathetic and full Of tears. ''You
| know what my life would be without YOU"
But all this is very sad, and, as Guy is go
| ing away only for three or four days at the
most, BERTHE is silly to grieve so much.
July 4th.-Jean tells me that the parting
was very sad this morning, that BERTHE tried
/ to be brave, but broke down in very unac-
countabe manner, and that Guy himself
! seemed strangely depressed. He must have
! dreamed an old dream last night, for it seems
| he thought he saw Jean entering his room in
! a white peig7lOiT, and seemed surprised that
she had not been there Berthe has not been
! told of the dream. Guy told Jean not to
mention it to her. BERTHE made Guy promise
/ to telegraph to her every night and every
morning during the few days he will be away,
| which seems rather childish.
July 6th.-Guy's kilograms come regularly.
! Captain Gordon is better, he says, and he will
| be home soon. Our rehearsals have begun.
/ | find my part very difficult, Milford is so ex-
| acting. wonder if he would be equally ex-
acting as a husband? What an idea! Iwon-
der what makes me so nervous in my acting