Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-22
HER ONLY SIN
BERTHA M. CLAY.
CHAPTER /


| make lashes which scourge us in old
agel" No words were ever more true,
more full of wisdom, more full of
warning, than these.
So Sir Jasper Brandon thought on
this Christmas Eve, when the mystery,
the beauty, and tenderness Of Christ.
mas seemed to stir the quiet atmos-
phere of Queens Chace.
He sat alone in his library. Outside,
the sky was clear and blue, the air
biting: the hoar-frost lay white on the
the evergreens were bright with it.
Through the silent, frosty air came
the joyous music of Christmas bells.
He listened, and his face grew sad
der as the music came sweeter and
clearer Other music as sweet and
hopeful came to him, the sounds of
laughter and song; the Queens Chace
was filled with visitors, and they were
keeping Christmas right royalty. He
wished the bells would cease ringing;
there was some mute reproach to him
in the sound.
He wished that Christmas was over;
it brought him sad and sorrowful
memories. The one folly of his youth
had grown into a lash which scourged
him, which brought deep lines of pain
and sorrow into his face which dark
ened the bright world and caused even
Christmas TO be full Of sad memories.
As he sat thinking it all over, it
seemed to him that that one folly was
to him the dearest part OF his life.
Even now, when years had closed over
it, when time should have almost OBJ
liberated it-even now it was the
brightest recollection he had: it stood
out a golden memory from the back
ground of dark life, a love so sharp.
so sudden, so beautiful, SO keen, so
passionate, that the dead ashes of it
stirred the life within him. This was
the story of his folly and his love:
He, Sir Jasper Brandon, was the
only son of his parents. His father,
Sir Francis, married late in life; his
mother, Lady Maud, was young; he
was their only child, and he was wor-
shipped after a fashion that could
have naught but evil results.
No child was ever so sur
rounded with love and care. He grew
up the very idol of their hearts; and
what seemed wonderful was that the
boy returned this love by one equally
passionate and devoted. The Brandons
came of a Norman race, courtly, pas
sionate, and silent; race capable Of
grandest deeds, but silent and re-
served, imperious in love, implacaDle
in war, swift, keen, sure, silent-a
race that led hidden lives that the
world never knew.
They were all alike, those Brandons
of Queens Chace, dark, proud
naughty, passionate men; swift to love
and loving with terrible intensity;
swift to hate, and hating with bitter
aninlosity; men Of strong passions, OF
great virtues and great faults; hand
some men, all of them, and dark
clear-cut, proud faces-faces, too, that
men trusted and women loved.
The young heir, Jasper Brandon
was in no way inferior to his ances-
tors. In his twentieth year the man
hood within him seemed suddenly tc
awaken to life. He would have nc
more indulgence, no more petting and
humoring. They might love him JUS
as much, even more if they could
but he must assert his rights.
He told his parents that he was go
ing on a tour through Europe, ant
that for the next year or two they
must be content to trust him to him
self; yet when the time came for bid
ding them adieu, he almost repentec
of his decision. His mother chung tC
him, her tender arms clasping his
neck, her tears falling on his face;
his father held his hands.
you will remember, Jasper" he
said, that you hold my life in your
hands. l should never survive any
!, rong-doing of yours
He smiled to himself, this proud
, young heir, thinking how improbable
: it was that he would be guilty OF an,
: "wrong-doing."
"If you live until | grieye you
die" And those were his farewell
, words.
He travelled through Norway anC
r Sweden, through Germany and Hol
? land, through fair France and sunny
: Spain; but he fingered longest il
fair and fruitful Italy, where it seemed
to him that his soul first woke to it:
full and perfect life. Venice had The
greatest charm for him; he loved i
as lover loves his mistress. All tn.
poetry and passion of his nature woke
to life here The dark old palaces
the silent canals, the tranquil waters
the swiftly gliding gondolas, were al
: so many poems to him.
He stood one day musing as he look
ed at the sculptured walls of a duca
palace, musing on the grand oil
Veronese tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
thinking Of the balcony scene, and tht
love that must have shone in the girl
! face there, when suddenly, from thu
lattice Of window near, a girl
face peeped out, and he saw it onl!
{ for one minute, yet in that minute
the whole current of his life wa;
changed. Before that he had though
that at some distant time he shoult
5 marry, and that fair children would
: grow up around him, but he had gives
5 no thought to love. Now a swift
e deep love took possession of him; h
: felt that that girls face wa
e the star of his life It wa,
f only a girls face, with hair o
d flight gold and eyes of darkest hue,
Z g. f,,I g.