Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-09
Story Of the Wedding Ring.
By BERTHA M. CLAY.

est hate She had broken the Ion
e spell-he could never say again tina
: no CarlsWoOd had ever contracted
G low marriage; he could never boas
\ that the name was unsullied. Sh
had stained it by running away wit
? low-born stranger; nothing coul
restore its lustre, nothing could Civ
back it's lost glory. His anger wa
+ something terrible-terrible in it
, depth, it's silence, it's intensity. tt
himself he said that if she were lyins
at his feet dying of hunger he woulc
not give her bread.
He made no loud complaints; b.
never mentioned her name. If an,
one attempted to condole with him, HI
held up his hand with a stately gest
ure that enforced silence. His scorn
his anger, his terrible Indignation
lay too deep for words. He went al
once to Bralyn, where all the house.
hold were prepared to defend them
selves; but he did not condescend tc
ask any questions. His game keep
ers wished to tell him of rambles in
the woods, of stolen meetings in the
grounds; the naughty nobleman re-
fused to hear a syllable. He dis
missed the governess with a sardonic
compliment; he gave orders that
everything which had ever belonged to
the unfortunate Katrine should be re-
moved from the house; he refused to
say where they were to be taken or
anything about them, and they were
ultimately deposited in the gate-keep-
er's lodge.
Despite his pride, his sternness, his
terrible contempt and scorn, there was
something pitiful in the proud mans
silent, solitary despair. He took down
the record of his children's births: he
read over the names of his boys; and
then a great mist of tears seemed to
hide the word "Katrine' from him
burning tears, all the more painful
because since his wife's death he had
shed none. He sat alone in his
library, and before him rose like so
many ghosts all the hopes he had
centred in that beautiful daughter:
he remembered her as lovely child
as lovely highspirited girl. He
thought of the dead mother who had
loved her so dearly and deep bitter
sigh came from the depths of his over
charged heart. His daughter-his
daughter!
Never more was he to hear the gay
young voice-never more to watch the
beautiful face; she was worse, ten
thousand times worse, than dead.
Dead, he could have loved her still,
he could have visited her grave, he
could have spoken of her; but she was
dishonored and disgraced, she was I'M
worthy of regret-she who had
brought the first stain upon the name
of Carlswood- who had stopped to
deceive him.
Slowly he opened the silver ink
stand, and drew his pen through the
name
"Katrine Ismay Carlswood."
One by one the letters disappeared
beneath his heavy stroke, and when
they had all disappeared it seemed to
him that his daughter lay dead. In
silence more bitter than the silence Of
death he laid his face down on the
Obliterated words.
Presently he arose and closed the
record, drawing his stately figure to it's
full height
I have mOurned my dead" he said
to himself; "now it remains for me to
| forget"
And forget, to all outward appear
ance, he did. He called the butler,
who from having been so long with
him was raised to the dignity of a con-
tidential friend.
You know Mrs. Camerons hand
writing" he said BE good enough
for the future to look over all letters
before see them; and, if there are
any from her, destroy them"
And after that time Lord Carlswood
lived as though he had no daughter.
Only the cutler knew how many
heart-broken letters came to Bralyn,
how many pathetic appeals, how many
cries for help. Even if Lord Carls-
wood had known, it would have made
no difference-he would rather have
died rather than have yielded.
So time passed on, and the name of
the young girl who had been the pride
of his race was never even heard; ali
traces of her had disappeared, and
the servants had ceased, even in
whispers, to refer to her.
Lord Carlswood grew prouder than
ever.
Il have three sons" he would say to
himself, land they will do honor to
my name"
People said afterwards that he was
justly punished for his pride. The
healthy, and likely to live to a good
old age; but by strange chapter OF
accidents, he lost them. The two
eldest, who were passionately fond Of
yachting, were both lost in a terrible
storm-they with all on board theil
yacht.
Lord Carlswood had often expressed
his dislike Of the amusement.
Men who have to carry on the name
of a great race" he would say tt
them, should not wilfully endange
their lives"
They laughed at his fears; and on
, bright summer it was arranged tina
. they should go to the Mediterranean
Lord Carlswood opposed the plan, bu
: in the end he consented.
: They touched at most of the famou
4 towns on the Italian coast. On
S morning they were about to set sail
r when an Italian sailor warned then
I against doing so