Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-06-15
LURED AWAY;
OR
THE STORY OF A WEDDING RING,
BY CHARLOTTE NJ. BRAEME.

conversation, she looked up at him sud
denly.
81 must not forget to write to Paul, my
husband" she said; ''he will be waiting 50
%anxiously for q letter from me-"
Lord Carlswood waved his hand with q
courtly gesture.
''Wili you oblige me, Mrs. Waldron,
while you honor me with your society, by
refraining from all mention of that per-
sons names"
Her face flushed with anger-some
proud retort sprung TO her lips; but pro-
dence won the day-she made no reply.
After that Lord Carlswood was kinder
to her than ever. He took her round the
picture-gal,ery, he talked to her, he al
lowed her to see how greatly he admired
her.
Without ostentation, without Boosting.
he gave her some faint idea OF the glories
of the house of C~arlswood. He showed
her ancient armor that had been worn by
the heroes and warriors Of his race; he
showed her the pictured faces Of men
whose voice had ruled the land; he showed
her the portraits of ladies whose names
had been proverbial for beauty and grace.
Ismay listened without comment. In
her own mind she was comparing the
magnificence OF everything around her
with the poverty OF her little woodland
home. Could she ever return and live
c~ontentedly there again? Lord Carlswood
watched her In silence; he took heart from
the expression Of her face; he kept her pur-
poselY engaged In conversation.
lie her forget to write to him during
this first night OF her absence" he said to
himself, land | shall consider it q point
gained. 1t will teach him what to expect,
for i begin TO hope and TO believe she will
not leave me-"
1t was not until Ismay stood in her room
at midnight that she said TO herself
what shall / do? / have forgotten to
write to Paull''
CHAPTER XII.
A few days passed, and Ismay Waldron
began to feel at home at Bralyn. She be-
came accustomed to it's splendors, to its
magnificence, 20 the new and beautiful
life that opened to her. She looked back
with wonder on the time that had passed
-on her life in the humble cottage. How
had she borne the quiet, the seclusion, the
absence of everything she now valued
mostf
Lord Carlswood was most adroit In his
treatment Of her. He said nothing that
she could openly resent, but he lost no
opportunity of airing his Conservative
principles-of expressing his contempt for
all Liberals, all Radicals. He was always
i~nveighing against poverty, yet in such a
fashion that she could take no ~offense.
The time came when, so far from feeling
in the least degree annoyed with him, she
conceded with his every word; and when
the master Of Bralyn found that that was
the case he sent at once for Mr.. Ford,
my grandchild will not leave me-" said
the old lord to his lawyer; 81 am sure of
it,
May j ask why, Lord Carlswoodf"
Because her master-passion is vanity:
she has more vanity thar affection. l
have known women-women of our own
race, too-who would have laughed all
wealth to scorn, who would have given
thor lives for their love-women of noble
nature, who would have trampled all lux
ury under foot. But Ismay is of a lighter
nature. Her master passion is vanity.
she will stay with me, because l can ad-
minister to her vanity, and her husband
cannot"
1T seems to me very like murder" said
Mr.. Ford, remembering the white haggard
face OF the young husband, land /, my
lord, should not like to change places with
You, if You sin in this fashion,"
II will take all the risk" was the quiet
reply,
Then the old lord began 70 tempt his
%grandchild. He talked to her Of the great
world, of it's brilliant pleasures, its gave
ties, its honors; he told her how such beau
fv no hprc would command ,piyaraoth ox>
age-that in London, even amid the no
blest ladies, she would be a queen. He
tempted her with the most costly Jewels.
with the most magnificent dresses; he Law
ished every luxury upon her. He insisted
that she should learn to ride, and pur-
chased a beautiful Arab for her. She had
the use of a luxurious carriage; he had
servants to wait upon her.
He tempted her through her love for her
son. He would take the child in his arms
and praise his noble face and his frank,
engaging name
1T is pitiful to think Of Lionel brought
up in a cottage, with no higher hope than
TO be a respectable game-keeper; nature
meant him for a nobleman. Lionel, Lord
Cariswood, would perhaps be the greatest
man of his race"
He tempted her through her love of the
beautiful. He surrounded her with every
thing that was most graceful aud choice
he cultivated her taste-he spoke highly Of
her appreciation.
He tempted her through the innate re-
fnement that had always distinguished
her, he ministered to ii in every way. He
spoke always with the greatest contempt
of poverty, of all approach to %vulgarity;
he spoke with most condescending pity of
those whose position in life was inferior to
his own.
He tempted her, too, by the wonderful
reverence In which he held his race; he
told her stories Of the Carlswoods dead
n gone-of the heroes, the statesmen,
the warriors, the noble and beautiful wo-
men-the heroines Of his race-women
whose names were framed In song and
story; and then, stopping abruptly, he
would say, with strange pathetic earnest
ness
II could not bring dishonor on such q
name"
Day by day Ismay loved her new life
more and more. 1t was so pleasant to
wander in those splendid grounds, under
the shade OF ancestral trees; it was so
pleasant to live in those magnificent rooms,
with their thick soft carpets, their superb
furniture, their rare pictures and profu-
sion of fowers-to have servants to attend
TO her every wish-to have carriages,