Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-07-10
A MID LOVE
BERTHA M. CLAY.
BERTHA M. CLAY.

a pedestal and made an idol of him.
She was all that was gay, amiable,
pleasant and kind. She made herself
not only his friend and companion, but
everything else in the world to him.
She was gay, amiable, gracious, witty.
With her still beautiful face and fine
figure, she made herself SO attractive
and charming that Lord Chandos was
soon entirely under her influence.
How many mothers might have
taken a hint for the management of
their sons from her. She found no
fault with cigars Or latch-keys. She
was the essence of all that was kind,
yet, at the same time, she was so ami
mated, so bright, so witty, that the
time spent with her passed quickly as
a dream. Lord Chandos did not even
like to think of parting from her; and
then, when she was most kind and
most attentive to him, she mentioned
Rome.
1--WE are going to Rome, Lance, for
the WINTER said the countess to her
son.
He looked up from the paper he was
reading in blank amazement.
'To Rome, mother? Why, what IS
taking you there?"
II find there will be some very nice
English people there" she said; II am
tired of Paris; it is one eternal glare.
[ long for the mysterious quiet and
dreamy silence of Rome. 1t will be a
pleasant change. I really like a nice
circle of English people out of Eng
land. +"
That was the beginning. She was
too wise and too diplomatic to ask him
to go with them. She contented her
self by speaking before him Of the gay
cites they expected, the pleasures they
anticipated; then, one day, as they
were discussing their plans, she turned
to him and said:
Lance, what do you intend doing
this winter? Are you going back to
England to think over the fogs?"
II am not quite sure" he said; and
he wondered why she had said moth
ing about going to Rome with them.
At last, when she saw the time had
come, she said, carelessly:
Lance, if you do not care about re-
Rome"
Il shall be delighted"
He looked up with an air of relief
After all, he could not see Leone until
summer; why return to England and
melancholy? He might just as we'll
enjoy himself in Rome He knew
what select and brilliant circles his
mother drew around her. Better for
him to be the center of one of those
than alone and solitary in England.
''Of course" said the countess diplo-
matically, II will not urge you; I leave
it entirely to you. If you think what
the fashion of the day calls your du-
ties demand that you should return, do
not let me detain you, even for one
day."
I have no particular duties" he said
half gloomily.
He would have liked his mother to
have insisted on his going, to have
been more imperative, but as she left
it entirely to him, he thought her in
different over the matter.
He was a true man. II she had
pressed him to go, urged him, tried to
persuade him, he would have gone back
to England, and the tragedy Of after
years would never have happened. AS
it occurred to him that his mother sim
ply gave the invitation out Of polite
ness, and did not care whether he &C
cepted or not, he decided on going.
So when the festivities at Berlin were
all ended, he wrote to Leone, saying
that he was going to spend the winter
with his parents in Rome; that if he
could not spend it with her, it mattered
little enough to him where it was; but
that he was longing with all his heart
for the thirtieth of June.