Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-02-02

will you save her youth, her love
her hope? Will you keep her lif
bright and unclouded? Will you keel
her as happy as she has been? VIII
you serve her, Loyalty, faithfully, a
you have said?"
Yes" she answered again; anc
then Lady Brandon drew the girl'i
face down to her own.
You will do all this? Then, Yer
onica, burn the will, burn it, and keel
the secret until you die she said.
Veronica drew back, pale ant
trembling.
Burn the will" she repeated, faint
ly. You cannot mean that? How car
L? 1 dare not" She was bewildered
no such idea had occurred to her
Burn the will" she said again. &C
Lady Brandon! how can I?''
you can do it easily enough if you
wish, if you will" declared Lady
Brandon. who knows of it except you
and me? No one. Who knows the
secret save you and me? No one
o Veronica! if you would be true to
your promise, true to your word, burn
the will and forget it,
| But that would be to disobey the
wishes of the dead said Veronica.
1T seems to me I am not my own mis-
tress. My-my fathers commands,
his wishes, surely I must obey them
surely l must carry out all his plans?''
Lady Brandon stood before her erect,
her face eloquent with the passion of
her words.
Veronica, make no scruples, raise
no doubts. Are you capable of this
great sacrifice for Katherines sake,
for her loves sake? 1t is much to ask
[ know. Have you the generosity, the
nobility, the grandeur Of soul to make
it? You said you would die for her,
my fairhaired darling. Would you
give life, yet withhold this?"
Il am bewildered," replied Yer
onica. Il do not know how to answer
you"
Come with me" said Lady Bran
don. Step lightly, Veronica, my dar-
ling is asleep. Come with me-"
And the two ladies passed out of
Veronica's pretty room together.
Lady Brandon led the way to Kathe-
rine's room; she opened the door
gently and they entered together.
Katherine had exhausted r-sself with
weeping. Her fathers death was the
first trouble Of her life, the first cloud
that had ever darkened her sky, the
hot
ing tears to her eyes. She had ex-
hausted herself with weeping, and
then she had thrown herself onto me
pretty white bed and was sleeping the
sleep of utter weariness She was too
exhausted for any sound to reach her
now. Lady Brandon took Veronica's
hand and led her to the bedside
Look" she said, Veronica; see
how innocent and helpless. Think how
she has loved and cherished. Do not
throw her on the mercies of a cold
world. Think of her life; do not
blight it. Think of her love; do not
take it from her. Veronica, if above
this tender white breast you saw a
sword hanging, you would not let it
fall. If you saw hand clutching a
dagger and pointing it at that tender
heart, you would thrust it aside. Look
at her, Veronica, so unconscious Of
this tragedy. VIII you wake her to
tell her that you are going to take her
her fortune, her happiness
-ahi even her love from herr"
Veronica turned away with shud-
der.
Come with me again. said Lady
Brandon, and this time she led the
way to the room where the dead
statesman lay. She closed the door,
and, holding Veronicas hand tightly
clasped in her own, she led her to his
side. Il have brought you into the
presence of the dead He who lies
there called this sin of his gilded sin.
Veronica, he did not foresee, he could
not know, the suffering and the sOr-
row that would fall upon us. 0 Veron-
lea! is it just? Is it fair? Is 1t right.
Why should this disgrace fall now
upon me? Have I deserved it? Is it
honorable that we should so suddenly
our inheritance, all that life holds
most dear? Did you love him, Yer
Onica-this dear dead father?"
Eyes" she answered. 1t seemed to
Veronica that all power of speech had
left her, that she could not utter the
words that rose to her lips.
To be Continued.