Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-02-03

comment. However, whether you are
angry with me or not, feel l should
not be your true friend If l did not
show you-thls. You know your hus-
bands writing!"
And she drew out the fatal letter,
and continued, watching her victim as
she spoke. "This was sent by Sir Philip
to Violet We're last night,-she gave it
to me herself this morning.
Thelma's hand trembled as she tooN
the paper
why should | read it," she faltered
mechanically.
Lady Winsleigh raised her eyebrows
and frowned impatiently.
"Why-why? Because 1t is your duty
to do SO! Have you no pride? viii
you allow your husband to write such
letter as that to another woman
and such woman tool without one
word of remonstance? You owe 1t to
yourself-to your own sense OF honor
| to resent and resist such treatment on
his part! Surely the deepest love can
not pardon deliberate injury and in
suit"
my love can pardon anything" an
swered the girl in low voice, and then
slowly, very slowly, she opened the
folded sheet-slowly she read every
word 1t contained, words that stamp
ed themselves one by one on her be-
wildered brain and sent it Keeling into
darkness and vacancy. She felt sick
and cold-she stared fixedly at her hus-
bands familiar handwriting. "a man
who has loved and who loves you still,
and who without you is utterly weary
and broken hearted"
Thus he wrote OF himself Toto Vio-
let We're! 1t seemed incredible-yet it
was true! She heard a rushing sound
in her ears-the room swung round
,, dizzily before her eyes-yet she sat,
still, calm and cold, holding the letter
and speaking no word.
Lady Winsleigh watched her, irritat-
ed at her passionless demeanor.
"Well!' she exclaimed at last. "Have
you nothing to say?"
Thelma looked up, her eyes burning
with an intense feverish light
Nothing!" she replied.
"Nothing?" repeated her ladyship
| with emphatic establishment
Nothing against Philip" continued
the girl steadily. For the blame is
not his, but mine! That he is weary
and broken-hearted must be my fault
tHnnph | cannot ho4
have done. But it must be something,
because If were all that he wished he
would not have grown so tired" She
paused and her pale lips quivered. 81
am sorry" she went on with dreamy
pathos, "sorrier for him than for my
of his happiness. A culver of agony
passed over her face,-she fixed her
large bright eyes on Lady Winsleigh,
who instinctively shrank from the
solemn speechless despair of that pene-
trating gaze.
who gave you this letter, Clara?"
she asked calmly.
II told you before, Miss We're her
self"
why did she give it to you?" con
tinued Thelma In a dull, sad vioce.
Lady Winsleigh hesitated and STAN
mered little. well, because-be-
cause l asked her IL the stories about
Sir Philip were true. And she begged
me to ask him not to visit her so
often" Then, with an additional
thought of malice. she said softly.
She doesn't wish to wrong you, Thel-
na,-of course, she's not very good
woman, but think she feels sorry for
you!"
The girl uttered smothered cry of
anguish, as though she had been
stabbed to the heart. She!-to be act
ually pitied by Violet We're, because she
had been unable to keep her husbands
love! This tortured her very SOUL
lut she was silent.
II thought you were my friend.
Clara?" she said suddenly, with a
strange usefulness
so l am, Thelma," murmured Lady
Winsleigh, guilty flush colorng het
cheeks.
You have made me very miserable"
went on Thelma gravely, and with pa
thetic simplicity, II am sorry indeed
tfat we ever met. l was so happy till
| knew you!-and yet | was very fond
OF you! | am sure you mean every
thing for the best, but l cannot think 1t
is so. And it is all SO dark and desc
late now-why have you taken such
pains to make me sad? Why have you
SO often tried to make me doubt my
husbands love?-why have you come
so quickly to tell me | have lost 1t?
But for you, might never have known
this sorrow,-1 might have died soon,
in happy ignorance. believing in my
darling's truth as | believe in God!"
Her voice broke. and a hard sob
choked her utterance. For once Lady
Winsleigh's conscience smote her--for
once she felt ashamed, and dared not
N1..At. ~