Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-08-08


his highest esteem.
pea trice,'' l cried, impetuOusly,
shall l call him out and shoot him,
or shall l thrash him like hound:"
She raj ed her hand in depreciation.
Leave him, Paul." she said, with a
look of scorn; honest indignation is
wasted on such men,
She turned from me slowly and en-
tered the house.
i found Mr.. Stuart trembling with
indignation.
Il would chastise him myself, Paul,
he said, in a feeble voice; ''but she will
not let me notice it. T., think that
such an insult should be put upon my
darling and l not avenge it. l will
leave this place and take her with me.
You shall go tomorrow, Paul, and seek
a cottage for us somewhere near the
sea, where we will live together; Bea-
t1Iice shall not remain here"
On the morning l left ,Arne On the
Kentish coast / found what Mr.. Stu
art Wanted-a pretty little villa in a
charming situation. In a very short
space of time all arrangements We're
made and a new home prepared for
Hugh Stuart and his niece.
The sIuire-for so we still called him
was pleased with my promptitude
and success. He had made all prep
aratiOnS for quitting Arne, as had Bea-
trice; and for the last time we dined
in the stately room which had so often
been the scene of his lavish hospitality.
After dinner Beatrice rose and APP
preached Mr.. Stuart.
Il am going to say goodlby to my
favo1.ite flowers, uncle" she said-"t0
the fountains and the birds; / shall not
see them again. We start early to-
morrow, you know
She passed out through the French
window, and Mr.. Stuart retired to his
room. But | remained watching for
her, anxious to speak a few words Of
comfort and consolation.
l watched, but she came not. Two
hours passed; then went out to seek
her. | visited nearly all her favorite
haunts-the seat by the lake the
without success. It was a faint sound
of suppressed weeping that drew me
to the little arbor; / went thither very
quietly. The moon was shining
through the lattice-work and the
foliage; by it's hight 1 saw Beatrice
Stuart kneeling on the ground, her
face buried in her hands, while bitter
sobs shook her frame. To this moment
| cannot tell how l yielded to the inn
pulse that moved ne.
'fBea trice,' I cried, what lis it, my
darling ?"-and the next moment tie
beautiful tear7stained face was hidden
on my breast.
DO not think me a coward, Paul."
she said at last; Saying good-by to so
many familiar scenes has unnerved
me-
Then you are not weeping for the
loss of your lover, Beatmce?" I whis-
pered.
l can scarcely remember how it
came about; but, as we stood there in
the moonlight, learned that there was
some one she loved better than Lord
Hardley, and that she had consented to
marry him only because she believed
the man she loved would never care
for her.
Our marriage would have been a
mere conventional bargain" she said
''He had no true love for me, I wept
not for him, but for the uprOoting of
my life. l feel almost alone in this
world.
Then, though | never intended her to
know it, 1 told her the story of my love
told it in passionate burning words,
told it with tears and with lips that
quivered with the words.
l could paint the glowing golden
glories Of the sunset more easily inan
| could describe the rapture that
thrilled my heart when I found that
the beautiful gifted heiress of Arne
had loved me as we'll and as long as
/ had loved her-had loved me. but
had believed me to be perfectly indif-
ferent to her
There was something almost cOmical
in Mr.. Stuart's reply wien we went in
and told our story.
$50 you have lost and found lover
in one day." he said. why Beatrice
L believe you would rather have for
gone Arne and all belonging to it than
have lost Paul!'
, Il am sure of it, she replied.
On the morrow we left Arne and
went to the new home prepared for US,
whence it was arranged that l should
marry my darling Beatrice
For two long years We lived happily
with Mr.. Stuart. I devoted myself to
literature, and soon had the happiness
of being able to surround my beauti.
ful Beatrice with some of the luxuries
she had been accustomed to.
From Ralph Stuart we never heard
one word. The squire wrote to tell
him of our home and its whereabouts,
but he sent no reply.
We had grown to look upon the past
almost as a dream, when one morning
strange news came to our peaceful
home. 1t was contained in a letter
from the lawyer, who had been so of
ficioUs and arrogant on our leaving
Arne, and announced the death of
Ralph Stuart, who had been killed by!
a fall from his horse. AS he left no
will, my wife Beatrice was once again
heiresS of Arne.