Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-12-14
Story Of the Wedding Ring.
BY BERTHA M. CLAY.


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but, as he thought of what she had
done, that love seemed to him to
change into hate. He did not curse
her; but his lips curved with a curious
smile.
She was light and vain" he said.
she had my heart in her hands; she
has broken it and thrown it away. She
was not worth my love. For her sake
| would have borne starvation; she
with very few cool words gives me
up for money. 1 will not curse her,
but cry to Heaven for vengeance"
He raised his right hand.
Il swear" he said, "by my love and
my sorrow, that l will avenge my
wrong-that l will take full vengeance
on her for what she has made me suf-
fer"
Paul Waldron's trouble changed and
warped his whole nature; it hardened
him as nothing else could have done.
Yet to no man living did he make any
complaint.
He said nothing of what had hap
pened; he went about his work for
some days as usual, but with a grim,
determined look on his face, and his
voice seemed to have taken quite an
other tone.
He knew that there was legal redress
for him; he could have claimed his
child. But he was too proud. If she
had voluntarily left him, let her go.
The law of the country might force his
heartless wife to return-might compel
her to come back to him; but he dis
dained any such assistance-he held
the law in contempt.
eff she has left me of her own free
will" he said to himself, l will not
take her back because the law is in
my favor. Let her do as she will"
Nor would he write to appeal to her.
"She shall not know what i have
suffered-she shall not laugh over my
pain" he said to himself. 81 will never
write to her. She has left me, and
she shall not know what becomes of
me-"
What he suffered-his desolation,
anguish, despair-none but Heaven
knew. 1t changed the whole nature of
the man-it hardened and embittered
hint made him unlike himself. He
brooded in sullen gloom over his
wrongs, and then his gloom would give
way to passionate anguish and despair.
Only a few days after this death
blow he received a letter giving him
excellent news.
Of i'm
adopted by wealthy firm, and they
had written to ask him to give up his
present occupation and accept an en-
gagement with them.
1T is the first step towards fortune"
he said; and then he looked round on
his desolate home.
"If she had but been here!" he
thought; and the news which two
months since would have seemed glori-
Gus to him did not even give him one
moment of pleasure. The only bright
side he saw to it was that he would
soon be away from Ashburnham.
He resolved that he would tell no
one, that he would send the little maid
home, and then in a few days leave
himself, without revealing whittier he
had gone.
$50 all trace of me will be lost" he
said; land, if she should so far re-
member my existence as to make any
inquiries about me, no one will be able
to answer her."
To Squire Schofeld he said merely
that he was leaving Ashburnham. Who
could know the depth of pain, the
anguish, the bitterness, the torture of
sighted love that came to him as he
looked round upon the little home he
had once thought an earthly heaven
Farewell to all his hopes and dreams.
Farewell, bright, beautiful face that
had lured him to his doom, Farewell to
the little child, who had been stolen
from him. whose tender arms were to
clasp him no more.
If the silent stars could reveal Sc
crets, they would tell of the man who
spent the whole of the long night in
the woods-who wept out there the
passion of grief that was consuming
him-who cried aloud against the wife
man who had tempted her away. They
would tell of one long night spent in
such sorrow as few men endure; and
then of a cold morning dawn, when
that same man went his way, changed,
embittered, reckless with his own de-
spair.
Fortune often showers her richest
gifts on those who court her least.
When Paul Waldron left Ashburnham,
he was utterly Indifferent as to his
future. He cared no longer to win
wealth. What could wealth do for
him? 1t could not heal his wounds or
give back to him what he had lost. 1t
was perhaps for that very reason that
wealth was showered upon him. He
accepted the engagement offered to
him, and the firm were quick to see
that they had closed with no common
man. After a short time he was Of
fered junior partnership which he ac-
cepted indifferently enough. Later on
one of the firm died, and he received
one half Of the business.
Everything he touched seemed to
turn to gold. When he had money Of