Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-01-27
kindness: but / believed implicitly that

Kindness; but believed implicitly that
you married me for love-
Il had never seen you-I saw you only
once he said in establishment.
81 know, | remember. Still, repeat
what have said to you; I-I-fancied-l
am quite ashamed to tell you the truth,
but | will do sol fancied that you had
seen me somewhere and had liked me-"
He laughed, but the laugh was not
pleasant to hear.
did you really think that?' he asked
musingly. poor child. Then he turn
cd to her with sudden briskness. DO
you really mean to tell me, ON your word
of honor, that you do not know why l
married you!"
She raised her fair, proud face to his.
Il assure you most solemniy that | do
not. 1t is the greatest puzzle have ever
had"
did your father tell you that II
loved you?"
no" she replied, thoughtfully, che did
not. Indeed he assured me that love was
not needful for happiness. He newv said
you loved me- He said you wanted to
marry me-"
"And what else? Go on. What else?"
1udC 1t was grand pOSlulOH, IN WHICH,
I should be supremacy happy"
''What else" asked the stern voice.
II hardly remember That if l con-
scented his highest ambition would be
gratified."
Lord Caraven murmured some terrible
words between his closed lips.
"Then he never told you why this mar
riage was forced upon me?''
"Forced?' she Intercepted, gently.
Perhaps the sudden paling of her love-
ly face startled him, or the sharp CULVER
of pain in her voice touched him.
''He--your father-never told you that
he insisted ON the marriage?"
mo, never" she replied, family.
''He never told you that he made it my
only refuge from him-my only hope-my
only alternative?"
''No; he never told me that"
'Then l will tell you now. He COM
PEELED me to marry you-and [ begin to
perceive that he has sacrificed you as well
as myself
"Sacrifced u.s." she repeated. ''You
cannot mean the word"
81 do mean it, both for myself and
you,' he replied. II will tell you, Lady
Caraven; it is right that you should know
the truth. / have been spendthrift and
a prodigal. / have squandered a large
fortune, and was deeply in debt. l owed
your father the sum of sixty thousand
pounds-I had mortgaged Ravensmere TO
him. l was also deeply in debt to others.
l had literally come to my last shilling;
disgrace, ruin, poverty and shame were
all before me. Your father had the man
acement of my affairs, and, when l asked
him what was to do, he told me that he
had two hundred thousand pounds and a
daughter"
A low cry came from her lips, and she
covered her face with her hands.
81 am sorry to pain you," he said
'ssorry to distress you-but it is better
that you should know the real truth.
Your father is ambitious; his hopes We're
fixed on your marriage. He offered me
the alternative-I could choose beggary,
ruin, shame, disgrace, the total annjAila-
ton of my house and name, or [ could
choose the money and marry you. told
HIM that I did not feel inclined to marry,
that 1 had no affection for you, a2d l
implored him to find some other way out
of the difficulty. He refused, and you
know the result. Bear in mind, though,
that I am most deeply grateful to you.
Your fortune has saved me from worse
than death. l am sorry, too, to tell you
this story; but it is best that you should
know the truth
eyes" she agreed, despairingly, ''it is
best"
She drew her hands from her face and
looked at him. What nature Of man
could he have been that the anguish and
despair ON that girlish face did not touch
him?
."Then you have never loved me, never
cared for me?" she said, family.
''No. / am grateful to you; can say
no more
He saw her draw ner siivery shawl
round her shoulders and shudder as
though she were seized with violent cold.
81 feel now" he said, 'that it was
cruel thing to do. You are young, and
your whole life is blighted. At first I
thought and believed that you understood
everything that you were as mercenary
and ambitious as your father-that you
were as ready as he to give yourself and
your money in exchange for my title; l
thought that you, through him, knew the
full value of the estate and everything on
it-that you knew all the house contained
that you were as keen and shrewd as
he was. misjudged you'll beg your par
don for it"
She raised her pale face to his.
Il swear to you," she said, sthat I
would rather have died than have mar
ried you had known the TRUTH
Go be continued.)
An Old Bachelors Error
A middle-a ged hachalOr tells how he