Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-02-02
HER ONLY SIN
y BY -
BERTHA vi. CLAY.

fatreSt June flowers about him, whose
hands should never more gather leaf
or blossom; and then with lingering
looks at the marble face, so grand in
its scdlptured beauty, they had left
him to the silence that should never
more be broken.
Veronica sat in her own room--a
pretty room that opened on the west
ern terrace-silent, dazed, bewildered
She still wore her evening dress of
black lace she had never changed it;
her dark hair hung over her shoulders;
the beautiful face, with it's passionate
sorrow, it's untold story, was pale and
worn, her eyes looked brighter and
darker. What had she not suffered sit
ting there-what emotion, what bitter
pain, what untold woe?
Ellis daughterl" She came back
again and again to these words, "his
daughter" The proud, noble states
man whom all England revered was
her father OH if she could have but
known it beforel If she had but had
time to pour out the passionate love
Of her heart to him. If there had but
been time to tell him how proud and
happy she was, how she valued her
birthright. how she rejoiced in the
| knowledge that he was her fatherl
So many things were clear to her
She had never understood his strange
manner toward her, half love, half
avoidance. One thing after another
unveiled itself, so that she almost
wondered at last that she had not
guessed the secret. And she was
Veronica Brandon. heiress of Queen S
Chace. She repeated the name over
again to herself-"Veronica Brandon"
and each time she liked 1t better. She
was heiress of the grand mansion, of
the fair domain, of the broad lands, of
all the wonders of wealth she saw
around her-she who had never known
OF the luxury of having one shilling to
spendl
Henceforward she could do as she
liked, she could make every one
happy. she could lavish wealth on the
things she loved best. she could do I'M
told good.
She was reused from her reverie by
the entrance of Lady Brandon. Look
Ing at her, Veronica realized what she
had suffered; her face was quite white,
with dark circles round the eyes. She
had wept almost necessarily since her
husbands death, but now she seemed
calm with the calmness of despair. She
closed the door, and, coming up to
Veronica, took the girls cold hands in
her own and looked earnestly into
her face.
Veronica" she asked, "have you
: kept the secret?"
The young girl raised her head
proudly.
did you think that l should be-
tray it?' she asked. 81 am not a
traitor, Lady Brandon"
Il know, | know; forgive me for
speaking hastily. Veronica, | am al
most mad. You cannot realize what
| have to suffer; you cannot under
stand my position. l would rather
these are not wild words, but true ones
Il would rather kill myself than
that the world should know how cruel
ly | have been deceived, that had but
the ashes of my husbands love, that
, he never cared for me, that his heart
had been given to another before me.
! could not bear II, / could not sur
vive such downfall to my pride, my
affection, my standing and position in
the world; | should not survive It."
II am very sorry" said Veronica:
| cannot help it, Lady Brandon 1t is
not my fault, you know"
Think, too, of Katherine, my
beautiful child. brought up as her
fathers heiress All her life she has
deemed herself heiress of Queens
Chaee, her future secure. o Veronica!
think what blow il will prove for
her. 1t will kill her!" And the poor
lady's lips quivered again. Then" she
, continued, you do not know my peo-
pie, the Valdoraines. They are the
proudest people in England: they
: would dare not think what they
Will say or do when they hear that my
child is disinherited. | shall never
look them in the face again. l wish
tnat | had died before this day came"
II am very grieved," Veronica.
, but | cannot help it,
Poor Katherine! so happy in her
futurel They called her heiress of
, Queens Chace when she lay in her
cradle, My pretty child 1t is not
I right. ii is not just have done no.
thing to deserve II. All my life was
good and faithful to my husband. He
. has left me a lagacy of sorrow and
shame. Poor Katherine, how is she
to bear Ii, Veronica? win II make her
hate him and dislike his memoryg"
mo: she is too noble for that,
said Veronica. Have you forgotten
what he said to her on the evening be-
fore his death?"
mo. o veronical my dear, cannot
tell her-I cannot, indeed she has
been so light-hearted, so happy, all
her life. Until now she has never
had any sorrow. any care. How can
her own mother. so to her and tell her
that she and are to be driven out,
away. from that which We have always
held to be our own? How can I go