Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-03-02
,assionate pity, and binding tears.

heart, have | been the cause of this p"
he said, touching the wasted arms
Have ! been the cause of this, Yer
onica?"
Il thought | was never to see you
again. she said, family. Are you
sorry that you were quite so hard?
Have you come to tell me so?"
81 have come to tell you that | was
a madman-a blind madman!" he
cried Il hate myself 50 utterly for my
folly, Veronica My darling my noble.
generous darling. ! know why you
burned the will"
you cannot know why / destroyed
it, she said. Even the wicked woman
who saw me burn it did not know the
reason"
She did not, but / do. Are you sur
prised? Veronica, see what this has
told me.
He came nearer to her, and taking a
paper from his pocket. unfolded it;
and then she saw the charred frag-
ments of the will.
Look at this side first" he said.
Here are the words, Last will and
testament of Sir Jasper Brandon The
woman read those.
She looked at them with curiosity,
the words had cost her so dear. Then
Sir Mare opened the parchment
Now look" he said AT what is
written here"
She heat oy9g hiGn and.rnad.
My beloved daughter, Veronica
Brandon, hitherto known as Veronica
di Cyntha'!"
She cried out as she read the words
1t seemed IS though Heaven itself had
cleared her
Those are the words that the wo-
man did not read" he said. They are
clear to me. The moment my eyes
fell upon them ] understood it all
| know, just as well as if you told me,
that Sir Jasper married your mother
long years ago-in Venice, | should
imagine-and that she died quite
young, leaving you. Why he gave you
up | cannot even imagine, perhaps
you you will tell me; but it seems to
me that he kept the fact of his mar
riage a profound secret-why, / cannot
say, Then he continued, II believe
that on his death-bed he gave you
this will. leaving, as was right, his
estates to you, his eldest daughter,
and that you, In your noble generosity
your great self-sacrlfice, rather than
dlsinherit your sister, burned the WILL
and never mentioned it. Is it so?"
Il cannot answer you" she said IL
will tell you why. l took an oath OF
silence, with my hand upon my dead
fathers heart" Then she stoppeu
with a cry of dismay. She had be-
trayed herself!
He was your father then" said
Sir Marc. II knew it." He took her
hands in his. Sweetheart" he said,
my life has been a curse 10 me since
lost you. Forgive me-forgive my
absurd folly, my miserable suspicious,
my unjust thoughts Give me the
great treasure of your love again and
viii promise on my part the most
inviOlable secrecy will never be-
tray tho secret Of your birth or the
such pardon, but"
The answer was certainly not given
in words. There was silence in the
room after that-silence full of hap
pincss How long had it lasted
Veronica started in alarm. Lady Bran
don was standing near her with a
most alarmed expression on her face.
MY dear Veronica" she was saying,
where are you? Who is that with
you?"
She looked still more alarmed when
Veronica raised her happy, tear-stained
face, saying
Lady Brandon. this is Sir Marc.
lie has come back, and we are friends
again"
Then Lady Brandon went to seek
for Katherine; and while she was
gone Veronica turned to her lover
saying
Marc. swear to me that you Will
never utter a single word to Lady
Brandon about the will-that you will
never betray to her your knowledge
Of my birth"
He promised; and that was the only
secret Veronica kept from him-he did
not know that Lady Brandon ever
heard either Of the marriage or the
viii.
Il knew it must be So said the
young heiress, a she stood holding
hand Of each. Mamma, their wedding
must be ON the same day as ours, and
we viii take Veronica to France until
she grows quite strong again"
And it was all carried out as she
proposed
THE END.