Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-10-05
She looked at him proudly.

les, L ulu WlOuS, UuL IL Ndo OuIy
passing weakness. In reality, | love(
only you, and you were without pity
Guided only by your wounded pride
you wished the separation, and moth
ing could change your determination
You pursued your work Of vengeance
with a fierce tenacity. You wished i
complete, not only in separating your.
self from me, but in taxing away the
child that l loved as much as you
You broke two hearts, but your pride
was satisfied
She stopped him with gesture.
Sir, you are mistaken"
He replied more coldly.
Il forgot myself. l ask your par
don. This is neither the place nor the
hour for explanation And then, wnat
good will it do? All is indeed lost?
Mrs. Saulius, who still retained the
name, Notwithstanding her divorce, in
the presence Of her husband had found
it difficult to conceal the bitterness
which filled her heart. She had
listened to him at first with anger
then with surprise; now she looked Il
him astonished. The grief which his
voice betrayed, the regrets which es-
capped him. She wished to prove her
self mistaken, and with a sarcastic
smile replied:
30, [ pray you, do not pose as a
martyr! If any lives have been sacri-
feed they are mine and our daughters.
Ac., al
tainly profited by the liberty that |
returned you. You did not seem TO
suffer because you did not see me any
more"
'It is true,' said Mr.. Saulius, trying
to steady his voice. 81 continued in
wished to conceal my pain from you. |
acted indifferently. I wished to make
you as unhappy as you made me, to
make you suffer in your turn. l tor
tured myself in vain. [ understood
that if you were so decided, if nothing
could move you, you certainly no
longer loved me-"
At this confession the poor woman
gave a cry of pain.
ct"
eyes, and you joyfully seized this
occasion, which offered itself, to regain
your freedom" He went on: "You
were so much the more pleased be-
cause you loved perhaps some one in
secret"
"You thought that of me?" she cried.
Eyes"
ct is horrible, It is frightfui!'
She sank into a chair hiding her face
in her hands.
Then suddenly Selling his hands and
pulling him to her, she looked into his
eyes and gave expression to the feel
ings so long concealed. 81 adored yOu."
she said. Il suffered a thousand
deaths! If I did as you say it was be-
cause l thought you had ceased to love
me. All! If l had known. We have
both been deceived Neither of us
would confess or make the first ad-
vance. Our pride has stood in the way
of our happiness and for lack of 4
moments frankness both our lives
have been ruined. We know it is too
late. Our youth is gone. 1t would be
useless to attempt to reconstruct the
edifice of our happiness. We are not
the same"
Mr. Saulius looked at his wife in
tently. He understood the mistake
which had separated them. Each had
believed the one had ceased to love the
other, and, wounded and indignant,
they had separated. Her words, Il
adored you'll sent thrill of happiness
through him, and lighted for a second
all his past lonely life, like the last
fame of a conflagration burned out.
"You loved me? Is it possible?" he
cried.
YES" -eplied the woman in a
broken voice 'You will never know
how much! The grief, the regrets OF
what l have lost through self-love
have broken my heart And the
comedy of Indifference that | imposed
upon myself l wished to play to the
end"
He pressed her hand gently. My
poor Madeline! |, also, have beer
t cruelty punished All, if hac
known!"
She made a quick gesture.
"Or if we had taken time to con
sider!"
Yes
> But now it is too late, and our Lives
, are ruined, ruined forever. Ny poo.
, friend, what shan we do now?"
At this moment a rustic Of silk wa
heard on the stairs the door opened
ana Marcelle, in her wedding robes,
=, bouquet of orange blossoms at her cor
sage, her pretty face beaming witt
happiness, entered and threw hersel
:. into her fathers arms.
Father! My dear father! 1t /
> you! If you only knew how happy
- ami"
Mr. Saulius pressed her to his heart
. My child! My dearest daughter
: God bless you'll
{ Then, disengaging himself gentl
from her embrace, he turned toward
Z his wife, and smiling, said to her
What shall we do now? Watch tn
happiness of our children!'-Frol
the French by Frances Clark English