Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-07-13
Lord Lynne'S Choice
BY
BERTHA M. CLAY
BERTHA M. CLAY.

repay ulc LII Oil. ICiI Lit, SHe~4i
go or stay?"
He drew her to him, and kissed the
beautiful, girlish face that dropped
upon his shoulder.
Tell me-" he whispered. Decide for
me- Shall l go or stay?"
The breath of the summer wind was
not more sweet than the voice that
murmured Stay
Then he told her how dearly he
loved her. Surely never did human
lips tell more passionate or beauti-
full love story than those of Count
Rinaldo,-how her face had haunted
him in his sleep by night and his
thoughts by day; she was always
there; dreaming or waking, the sound
Of her voice never left him; how he
would be contented to throw away
title and position, all his hopes of
future fame, and live only in the sun
light of her eyes.
Such tale, SO eloquently told, while
the soft south wind waited to them
rich fragrance, and the golden sun
seemed to smile upon them, would
have moved far harder heart than
that of Inez Lynne. All the poetry
and romance of her gifted nature were
aroused. Who ever listened to a
first love story unmoved? Not the
beautiful, lonely child who had longed
all her life for love. Her heart
thrilled with new and delicious hap
piness, too vague and dreamy for
words. She sat in silence, while he
poured out the story of his love; and
when he had told it, the dark, love-
lit eyes were raised to his face, and
little white hand was laid timidly in
his own.
"You will love me, despite all,
though we may have to conceal our
love, and hide it from all human
eyes?" said the count. "You will be
true to me. darling, while I live?"
81 promise" she replied; and in
after years the words of that be-
trothal came back to her with strong
er force.
"Give me one more promise, Inez,"
he continued assure me that you
will tell no one the secret of our love"
Without the least hesitation she
pledged her word. Torture and death
would never tempt her to break it;
and so she took the first step in the
thOrny path she had to tread.
Il shall come earlier tomorrow"
said the count, "and stay longer. I
have much to say to you, Inez. Think
of me, beloved, until we meet again"
There was no need to tell her that.
When had she ceased to think of him
since the evening she had seen him
first. Now all her dreams were true,
her visions were realized; the hand
soonest, the bravest, the nobIest of
cavaliers,-loved her How true and
disinterested he must be, she thought,
to love lonely child, whom all the
world had forgotten. She did not
see the other side of the picture; it
never entered her mind that there was
anything dishonorable in stealing the
heart and love of a trusting, innocent
child, in so coloring and distorting
plain honest truths and facts, that
what was underhand and deceitful
appeared simply romantic, what was
wrong seemed right and even praise
worthy. There are men who can so
distort truth,-and Count Rinaldo was
one of them.
These things never struck Inez. In
her passionate love-dream all was
beautiful and true; her lover was a
hero, such as she had read of and
dreamed Of, but never hoped to see.
He loved her as knights of old loved
the ladies who crowned them. What
matter to her now the cold English
father who had given her away" or
the stern gloomy guardian who knew
and cared so little for the longings of
a young girls heart? She was indif-
ferent to all, now her life was full of
a golden light.
Il cannot think what has come over
that child said Madame Monteleone
herself. "She grows more lovely
every day. | never saw anything like
those eyes; something must be done
She cannot remain buried here; l
will wait { - months longer, and then,
if I am no better, I will write to Lord
Lynne"
Those two months spoiled the life Of
Inez Lynne.
On the morrow Count Rinaldo came
He had SO much to say. First of all
there was a pathetic history to be
given of his family, the Montaltis of
Venice,-how in a political crisis that
had happened only twenty years be-
fore. when he was a child in his
mothers arms, they had lost the whole
of their property. it was confiscated,
and given to one Of their most bitter
opponents The blow mad killed his
father, and his mother had lived until
he was twelve years old. Her small
income then became his own, and on
that he had subsisted, living always
in the hope that at some future day
his lost possessions would be restored
to him. So far all was true: but
here Count Rinaldo diverged from the
broad line of truth into narrow line
of fiction.
His friends, he said, were anxious to
bring about marriage between him
| and the only child and heiress of the
man who held his estates, the young
and beautiful Veronica di Giotto. Here
again truth was interviewer with ic-
| ton. Veronica di Giotto really ex-
listed: but her father would sooner
have seen her dead than married to
| the son of one whom he considered as
traitor and a rebel. Such a mar
riage, the count said. would ultimately
restore him to his proper position. No
doubt Of his story crossed the young