Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-08-02

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| 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,
horses, jewels dresses, every luxury that
her imagination could devise. 1t was
| pleasant always TO have a purse full of
mOney-to know that she need never trou-
BILE about ways and means-to have re-
spect, homage, hattery, reverence shown
to her; it was pleasant to be surrounded
by beautiful things-to meet none but
polished and refined people.
She thought with shudder of the little
cottage, the one little maid the homely
life. She contrasted her husband, in his
plain working dress, with the polished
gentlemen she saw around her
She was weak of soul. weak of purpose,
weak of heart, weak of will The past,
with its poverty and privations, became
hateful to her. She loved the present; she
dreaded the thought of returning to her
humble home, of giving up her jewels, of
growing accustomed again to an obscure
life. How she would miss the grandeur,
the luxury, the magnificence of Bralyn!
Yet she loved Paul-loved him as dearly
and deeply as her light nature would al
low her to love. There were nights when
her pillow was wet with tears-when she
sobbed as though her heart would break
when she thought all the world well lost
for him. But with the morning sunshine
those better thoughts would fee. She
never forgot her husband-when she saw
anything especially beautiful she would
long for him. She would take her little
child out into the grounds, so that IN
heard by Others she might talk to him of
his father. There was hardly an hour in
which her heart did not turn to Paul, but
she was vain, weak, fond of luxury, easily
persuaded. and the love Of self, the love
of wealth and magnificence, was stronger
.L-- her love for him.
Il am in my right place now" she would
say to herself: II never felt at home in
Pauls little cottage"
Then, when Lord CarlswoOd thought
the love of present surroundings had tax
en- deep root, he spoke to her. He was
calm, firm, and decided; he told her that
nothing would ever induce him to recog-
niZe her husband, and he repeated his Of
fer.
81 shall not seek to influence you," he
said. al simply lay both paths in life be-
fore you; Won shall choose as you will If
you make up your mind % return and take
your boy with you. so be it. | will not re-
proach you, but | shall never look upon
your face again; nOr-pardOn me for speak
ing so plainly-shall ever leave to you or
Lionel one shilling OF my money. Do not
think shall ever change. If, on the con-
Jrary, you decide to remain with me, 1
will make you heiress of all my fortune,
and my estate shall go to your son. You
shall have every advantage that | can offer
| will ind IolN
the usages of good society and the ways of
the world to give you two or three months
instruction, and then next season YOU
shall go to London. You shall be mistress
of BTalyn House, one of the most magnifi-
cent mansions in the metropolis You
shall be queen, a leader Of fashion. You
shall live one of the most brilliant lives
woman ever led. You shall have wealth
in abundance, and your Son-yOur beauti-
full bOy-shall succeed to large fortune"
Her face flushed as she listened and then
grew deadly pale.
And what is the condition of all this"
she asked.
THAT you give up your husband, who
but need not tell you what he is-that
you consent TO live apart from him, and
never to see him again.
sit is cruelty hardl' she murmured.
Not so hard as you think" he rejoiued.
hank always has its penalties. How
many queens have married for the good of
their kingdom, and have given up the man
they really loved! How many noble ladies
at the call of duty, have married men
whom they disliked? You are not required
to suffer so; you have but to leave man
whose tastes, habits, and manner cannot
fail to be disagreeable to you"
Il love my husband" she opposed.
certainly. Well you must think it
over, Ismay. and let me know the result"
She tried entreaties, expOstulatiOns, re-
monstrances, and prayers-it was all in
vain. The resolve he had formed he would
not break.
At first she said to herself she would be
true to Paul. She would go home. and
never mind the poverty, the privations,
or anything else. Paul was worth any
sacrifice; Paul loved her so dearly that
nothing should induce her to stay away
from him. Then she pictured to herself
with what infinite delight he would re-
ceive her-how he would love her, bless
her for her truth, thank her for the sacri-
flee. Her heart grew warm with love for
him, her eyes grew dim with tears.
But she was vain and weak; love and
vanity won the day. She forgot the WOO
ing among the green lanes of Ashburn-
ham she forgot the early love of her girl
hood, the bright, beautiful, fleeing ro-
nance; she forgot her wifely duty. her
plighted troth, her husbands love; she was
careless Of his suffering, needless of his
despair, when she told Lord Carlswood
that she had thought the matter well over
and had decided to stay
His lordship sent for Mr.. Ford, and Mr..
Ford received instructions to write to Paul
Waldron to inform him of Lord Carls-
woods offer and of his wife's acceptance
of it. He wrote, picturing to himself the
handsome, haggard face as he had see it
last.
May Heaven pardon those who deEber-
ately break human heartp he said, as he
finished the letter.
He had written very plainly, telling Paul
what Lord CarlswOod had decided to do,
and that, although willing to adopt Ismay
and her son, he steadfastly refused in any
way to recognize his grandchild's husband.
Your wife has had plenty of time to de-
eide" he wrote, land she declines to leave
Bralyn."
BY Lord Carlswood's wish Ismay in
closed a note.
at will be a confirmation Of Mr.. Ford's
letter." he said.
She wrote
- cannot expect you ever to forgive me-
Paul, or to think as think. know how
much you have loved me-and | have
loved and do love you; still, for my own
sake and LeO's, | think / ought to accept
Lord CarlswOod's offer. | wish that it had
been different; | wish that you could share
all our advantages. You may think that
| ought to have refused and have returned
to you, but l should never have been hap
Ply at Ashburnham again. The little
home that contents you would not have
contented me. 1t is better that | should
tell you this frsakly. ! could not be happy
with you again. You must not think me
unkind. | always felt that l was not in
my right place. For all the love and care
you have lavished upon me | thank you
now in bidding you farewell"
So coldly, so heartlessly written, yet
blurred and blotted with burning tears.
without one word she placed the letter in
Lord Carlswood's hand: but no one saw
lSmay Waldron again that day.
CHAPTER XIII.
There came a bright, warm sweet morn
Ing in August. when Paul Waldron rose
early and went out among the dew-laden
flowers; he had been thinking so inteutly
about Ismay that he could not Sleep 1t
WAS a month since she had left him and