Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-12-07
A MID LOVE
BERTHA M. CLAY. !
BERTHA M. CLAY.

itself; this unhappy wife laid hers bare,
and my lady was at loss what to say.
In her calm, proud life there had been
no room for jealousy; she had never
known it, she did not even understand
the pain.
If her husband had gone out for a
day with the most beautiful woman on
earth, she would either have COM
pletely ignored the fact, or, with a
smiling satire, have passed it by. She
did not love the earl well enough to be
jealous of him; she did not understand
love or jealousy in others. She sat
now quite helpless before the unhappy
wife, whose grief annoyed her.
This will not do, Marion" she said,
you will make yourself i'll"
Ill" repeated Lady Marion. Il have
been i'll in heart and soul for many
days. and now | am sick unto death
wish | could die; life has nothing
left for me"
die, my dear, it seems such trifie,
such a trihe, one day spent together
on river. Is that anything for you
to die about?"
The sweet blue eyes raised wistfully
to hers We're full of pain.
you do not see, you do not under
stand. Only think how much intimacy
there must have been between them
before he would ask her to go or she
consent to go. If they are but
strangers, or even everyday friends,
what could they find to talk about for
a whole day."
The countess shrugged her shoulders.
Il am surprised" she said, "for
thought Madame Vanira so far above
all coquetry. If were you, Marion,
| would forget it,"
Il cannot forget it," she cried,
Would to God that l could. 1t is eat
ing my heart away"
Then" said my lady, II will speak
to Lance at once, and | am quite sure
that at one word from me he will give
up the acquaintance, for the simple
reason that you do not like it,"
And with this promise the countess
left her daughter-in-law. Once before,
not by her bidding, but by her in
| trigues, she had persuaded him to give
| up enc whom he loved; surely few
words from her now would induce him
to give up her whom he could not
surely love. II never occurred to her
to dream that they We're the same.
She saw him as she was driving
home, and stopping the carriage.
asked him in with her.
Lance, have something very seri-
Gus to say to you. There is no use
beating about the bush. Marion is
very i'll and very unhappy"
Il am sorry for it, mother, but add
also she is very jealous and very fool
ish.'
MY dear Lance, your wife loves you
you know it; she loves you with I'll
her heart and soul If your friendship
with Madame Vanira annoys her, why
not give it up?"
Il choose to keep my independence
as a man. | will not allow any one 10
dictate to me what friends | shall have,
whom | shall give up or retain"
I'm some measures you are right,
Lance" said the countess, "and so far
as gentlemen friends are concerned,
should always choose my own; but IS
this is lady, of whom Lady Marion
has certain suspicious, | should most
certainly give her III"
My wife has no right to be jealous"
he said angrily. 1T does not add to
my love for her.
Let me speak seriously to You,
Lance" said the countess. Marion is
so unhappy that | should not wonder
if she were really i'll over it. Now why
not do as she wishes? Madame Vanira
can be nothing to you-Marion is ev-
erything. Why not give her up?"
A certain look of settled determine
ton that came to her sons face made
the countess pause and wonder She
had seen it there for the first and last
time when she had asked her son 20
renounce his young wife, and now she
saw it again. Strange that his next
words would seem like an answer to
her thoughts.
Mother" he sa.., do not ask me.
You persuaded me to give up all the
happiness of my life years, years ago
do not try me a second time. refuse,
absolutely refuse. to crafty my wife's
foolish, jealous wish. ! say, emphatic
ally, that will not give up my friend
ship for Maaame Vanira."
Then my lady looked fixedly at him
Lance" she said, what is Madame
Vanira to you?"
He could not help the flush that
burned his handsome, angry face, and
that flush aroused his mothers Curl
osity Have you known her long?
Did you know her before your mar
riage, Lance? | remember now that
| was rather struck by her manner
She reminds me forcibly of some one
/ Poor Marion declares that there is
some tie between you. What can it be?
She musnd for n mnmap+ thnn