Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-01-12
HER ONLY SIN
- BY -
BERTHA NJ. CLAY.
= BY =
BERTHA NJ. CLAY.

! thought of myself in that way at all.
| have often wondered if ever any
one would love me-
Did they not love you at home?"
asked Katherine, surprised.
We will not talk of home" was the
reply, uttered sadly. NO. you are the
first person in all the worlu who mas
ever salt to me, I love you"
Il am glad, yet sorry" said the Eng
lish girl, slowly.
\ strange light came over Veronica's
face; her eyes darkened, a culver
passed over her lips.
Yes, you are the first" she said;
land because in all my life you have
been the first to say to me, Il love you,
| swear fealty to you; | will be true to
you until death; will be friend more
than in name If the time should
ever come when, by laying down my
life, | can save yours, / will do it. If
the time should ever come when can
take trouble from you, or by suf-
fering myself save you from suffering
will do it or undergo it,"
Katherine was touched by the earn
est, passionate words.
How much you think of kind
words, Veronica" she said quietly
"Ah. you do not know. | have been
all my long, solitary life without
them. For years | heard but one voice
= and ii never addressed me kindly. No
one in all this world has ever been
so utterly alone"
1T is all ended now" said Kathe-
rine; you have us to love you"
Yes, it is ended" returned Yer
onica. do you know Caterina, that
$ could not believe the world was fair
Z or bright? 1t seemed to me impos-
y sible. | knew that the skies were
blue. and that the light of the sun was
y all golden but | did not understand
9 the glory and the loveliness that
: seems common to you. Once, long
l. ago. ] found an old book of poems
l. and | read them. They were all about
II the beauty and passion and tenderness
: of life. | thought the man who wrote
II them-Alfleri-was mad; now | think
T. there was some method in his mad.
IS ness Do you know, Katherina-I like
: to give you the soft Italian name-that
: for long years | have never had but
y one thought, and that was how soor
Heaven would let me die?"
If Katherine caressed the dark shin
e ing waves of hair.
II Such thoughts as those have
brought all those mystical shadows
% into your eyes, Veronica: we mus
l. have no more of Them she said.
II Even my name" remarked tn,
= girl has a sad kind of music in it
And SO you love me, Katherine? Tel
me what to do for you, how to thanl
l. you, how to serve you. I will Sc,
with your eyes. will hear with you
ID ears. | shall go to sleep happy.
Il shall wake up happy. thinking t
a myself that some one deems me beauti
full and that some one loves me. You
" have frightened all my life for me b,
r your goodness.
|; II do not think it is goodness,
e. said Katherine; with me it is simpl,
II that l cannot help it,"
1 1T might have been different" re
III joined Veronica. You might hay,
n been angry and vexed that strange
should come into your home-the yer!
e heart of your home. as it were; yol
e might have received me coolly, treated
me unkindly, laughed at me even, be
IT cause of my strange dress and strange
y manners; but you have been an ange
s of goodness to me. For that | will
give you my life should you need it
h my service always; my life if you will
take it, my heart always"
{ do you know, Katherine" she con-
{ tinued, that once-oh! long ago.
2 was arranging an old wardrobe for my
aunt, and l saw little parcel of white
= paper? | opened it and inside it lay
= a long tress of shining golden hair
so much like yours. | was almost
frightened at it, for il seemed to Irvine
round my fingers as though 1t were
living. | took Ii to my aunt and
showed it to her. She grew so angry.
Whenever you see hair like that she
said, always pray that England may
be ruined by its own gold, by the greed
of its sons and the folly of its daugh-
/ ters. Her words come back to my
mind now as hold this golden hair in
my hands"
They were very horrible words
and your aunt must have been a
wicked woman to utter them. What
harm had the English done her?"
Il cannot tell, but she hated them.
She was angry that l wished to learn
English, but | would 1t was strange
that when she hated 1t l should love
it. l think England beautiful. Our
Venice is perhaps one of the fairest
spots on earth, but everything seems
brighter and happier here"
Papa" said Katherine. that same
evening, 81 fancy your ward. Veronica.
has been very unhappy all her life"
Il hope not" he returned. quietly.
Il feel sure of it. have been con-
/ trasting her lot with mine. How
/ strange it is, papa, that in this world
things are so uneQual,-some have so
much. others so littlel Veronica seems
to me to have had nothing"
He made no reply. but he thought to
himself that it was hard. seeing that
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