Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-04-19
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BERTHA M. CLAY.
lTEJEEClIIIEjElGg Observation-Disclosures
Continued.

gents wife. 1t seeemd to her Like Z
dream. She and her husband walked
hand-in-hand down the broad path
ing color was dying from her lovely
face and that the hand ne held in his
own was trembling.
Ethel he said, gently, you must
not give way now. You are tired
faint, perhaps; all this has been toe
much for you. See, here is a large
tree; sit down under the shade of it,
There was a little mound under the
tree, and she sat down upon it, Laurie
by her side. The rest revived her. He
looked anxiously in her face.
you are better now, my queen" he
said. Ethel, | can hardly believe it
it is our wedding-day. / look in your
lovely, foWer-like face, and / say to
myself, that is my wife's FACET hold
this white hand in mine, and | say
this is my wife's hand; but l do not
realize it ALL hardly believe tit
seems to me incredible that | should
have won my queen with her royal
dover of proud young beauty"
They sat for few moments in
silence, and then Laurie took the
passion-fowers from her.
II shall keep these until I die" he
said, remembering always that you
held them while we were married. And
now, my darling, give me one kiss.
Raise your sweet, fair face to mine;
dearly as l have loved you, | have
hardly dared to touch it. I may kiss
my Wife's face, Ethel"
She raised it, and he wondered again
at its exquisite beauty; the faint flush
of returning color was more dainty
than the bloom of a wild rose. He
bent his head reverently and kissed
her lips.
My wife" he whispered, my beau
tifuI queen, [ could not love you moret
And now, Ethel, time is fying-we
must return We will part at the gate
that leads to the woods You, my
darling, had better run through the
woods, lingering a little on your way,
for | must return to the hotel first. II
you are there by eleven | will have
everything ready for you
I'VE will see Miss Digby at once"
she said, with a quiet smile.
He did not think it was of any use
TO tell her the truth just then.
Yes, we will see her, and give her
the greatest surprise she has ever had
in all her life. What will she say
when she knows that I am your hus-
band and that we are going to Aus
tria?"
ethel laughed; and then it struck
her that the laugh seemed out of har-
mony with the brightness and beauty
of that calm summer morning
What time shall we start?" she
asked.
Laurie had thought of an excellent
plan as he imagined He would get
away from St Ina's under the pretext
Of starting at once for Austria She
would not know what tickets he had
purchased and he would not tell her
they were on the road to Liverpool un-
til they had gone some distance and
then it would be too late for her to
offer any remonstrance He thought
that was the wisest and most suitable
plan that he could adopt
He fingered for a few minutes longer
talking of Helen Digby, dwelling on
the keenness of her disappointment,
and then it was time to go.
The church clock struck nine, and
an old-fashioned chime played directly
afterward
Suddenly Ethel gave little cry; she
had struck her hand against the corner
Of a stone that was hidden in the grass,
and had bruised the tender skin.
Il did not know this was a grave, =
she said, rising with shudder
She parted the long, thick grass, and
looked at the broken stone.
We have been sitting on a child's
grave, L3urie--a child who died many
wears ago, before we were born. We
have been talking about love. with
death SO near to us"
He would not own that her words
startled him, but they did He drew
her gently away and then he bent
down and kissed the little bruised
hand
My sweet wife" he said, you are
nervous and tired. You have strange
fancies this morning, but you will soon
forget them all Now we must part"
They reached the little gate that led
"a the woods; a great elm grew near
and overshadowed it.
You will be home, then. by eleven,
Ethel?' he said.
Yes she replied, land then for our
grand denouement. Helen Digby may
bid farewell to all hope of ever being
my fathers wife, Laurie
She may indeed" he agreed: and
then they stood for few moments un-
der the great elm-tree.
For years afterward Laurie Nugent
saw Ethel in his dreams as he saw her
then, the fair head proudly raised as
she babe him fareweIl-"only for a few
hours" he thought.
For one minute he held her in hi:
arms. He kissed her lips, and whis
pered:
II love you ten thousand times better
than my own life, my beautiful
queen!"
Then he moved away, and sh,
,15 !, y