Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-11-09


tears came from her burning eyes.
Was ever woman so foully, SO
cruelty wronged? had ever woman
been so cruelty tortured?
Il will not see him again." she cried
to herself; Il cannot bear it,"
Long after the stars had set, and the
crimson flush of dawn stirred the
pearly tints of the sky, she lay, SOB
bin~ with passionate tears, feeling
that she could not bear it-she must
die.
1t would have been we'll if that had
frightened her, but when morning
dawned she said to herself that hers
had always been a mad love, and
would be so until the end. She made
one desperate resolve, one desperate
effort. She wrote to Lord Chandos,
and sent the letter to his Cuba little
pathetic note, with a heart-break IN
every line of ito say that they who
had been welded lovers were foolish
to think of being friends; that it was
not possible, and that she thought they
ha better part; the pain was too great
for her. she could not bear 1t.
The letter was blotted with tears.
Leone" he said, do you mean this
must We part?"
They forgot in that moment all the
restraints by which they had sur
rounded themselves; once more they
were Lance and Leone, as in the old
days.
Must we part?" he repeated, and
her face paled as she raised it to his.
Il cannot bear the pain, Lance" she
said, YEARLY. ut would be better for
us never to meet than for me to suffer
as l did last evening"
He drew nearer to her.
Did you suffer SO much, Leone?"
he asked, gently.
Yes, more almost than l can bear.
1t is not many years since l believed
that | was your wife, and now | have
to see another woman in my place.
i saw you kiss her-I had to go away
and leave you together. No, l cannot
bear it, Lancet"
The beautiful head dropped YEARLY,
the beautiful voice trembled and died
away in a wall that was pitiful to
hear; all her beauty, her genius, her
talent-what did it avail her?
Lord Chandos had suffered much,
but his pain had never been so keen as
now at this moment, when this beau
tiful queenly woman walled out her
sorrow to him.
What shall l do, Leone? would
give my life to undo what have done;
but it is useless-I cannot. Do you
mean that We must part?"
The eyes she raised to his face were
haggard and weary with pain.
There is nothing for it but part
ing" she said. Il thought we could
be friends, but it is not possible; we
have loved each other too WE'LL
eve need not part now he said;
''le- us think it over; life is very long;
it viii be hard to live without the sun
light of your presence. Leone, now
that l have lived in it SO long. Let us
think it over. Do you know what l
wanted to ask you last evening""
mo-" she replied, what was it?"
"A boon that you may still grant
me-" he said. I'VE may part, if you
wish it, Leone. Leone, let us have one
happy day before the time comes.
Leone, you see how fair the summer
is, want you to spend one day with
me on the river. The chestnuts are
all in tioWer-the whole world is full
of beauty, and song, and fragrance;
the great boughs are dipping into the
stream, and the water-lilies lie on the
rivers breast My dear love and lost
love, come with me for one day. We
may be parted all the rest of our lives,
come with me for one day"
Her face frightened with the
thought. Surely for one day they
might be happy; long years would
have to pass, and they would never
meet. Oh, for one day, away on the
river, in the world of clear waters,
green boughs and violet banks-one
day away from the world which had
trammeled them and fettered them.
you tempt me-" she said, slowly.
"A day with you on the river. All,
for such a pleasure as that I would
give twenty years of my life
He did not answer her, because he
dared not He waited until his heart
was calm and at rest again, then ne
said:
Let us go tomorrow, Leone, no one
knows what twentyfour hours may
bring forth. Let us go tomorrow,
Leone. Rise early. How often We
have gone out together while the dew
lay upon the flowers and grass. Shall
it be soo"
The angel of prudence faded from
her presence as she answered, Eyes"
Knowing how she loved him, hearing
the old love story in his voice, reading
it in his face, she would have done bet
ter had she died there in the splendor
of her beauty and the pain OF her love
than have said, Yes" So it was ar
ranged.
1T will be beautiful day." said
| Lord Chandos, Il am a capital rover