Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-01-08
Continued.

Continued.
"Lance's little child" The words
had been a death-knell to Leone. She
had seen his wife and lived-she had
seen him in his home with that same
fair wife by his side, and she had
lived: at the thought of her rivals
children in his arms her whole soul
died.
Died-neyer to live again. She sat
for some time just where Lady Marion
left her, and she said to herself a
thousand times over and over again
those words-"Lance's little child
Only God knows the anguish that came
over her, the piercing sorrow, the bit
ter pain-the memory of those few
months when she had believed her
self to be Lance's wife. She fell on her
knees with a great, passionate cry.
ooh, Heaven" she cried, save me
from myself"
The most beautiful woman in Eu
rope, the most gifted singer on the
stage, the idol of the world of fashion
she lay there helpless, hopeless, de-
=,
from her lips on which world had
hung:
Heaven, have mercy on me, and
save me from myself"
When she woke, the real world
seemed to have vanished from her.
She heard the sound of running water;
a milIwheeI turning in a deep stream;
she heard the rush and the foaming Of
water, the song of the birds overhead,
the rustic of the great boughs, the COO
ing Of the blue and white pigeons.
Why, surely, that was a dream of
home.
Home-the old farmhouse where
Robert Noel lived, the kind, slow,
stolid farmer. She could hear him
calling, Leone, where are your" and
the pigeons deafened her as they
whir1ed round her head. She strug-
gled for a time with her dazed, be-
wiIdered sense; but she could not tell
which was the real life, whether she
was at home again in the old farm
house, and had dreamed a long, trou
bled dream or whether she was dream
ing now.
Her brain burnett was like liquid
fire; and she seemed to see always a,
golden-haired child.
'Lance's little child" Yes, there he
was holding mother and child both in
his arms, kissing them, while she lay
there helpless and despairing.
Mine always was a mad love-" she
said to herself-"a mad love-"
Then she heard a sound of music
softest, sweetest music = floating
through the room, and woke to reason
with 2 terrible shudder to find that she
was singing the old, sweet song:
RI would the grave would hide me,
For there alone is peace"
II have been mad" she said to her
self; chose words drove me mao,
sLance's little child
The idea became fixed in her mind
that she must go back to the old mill
stream; she did not know why, she
never asked herself why; that was
her haven of rest, by the sound or
rushing waters. Within sight of the
millwheel, and the trees, and the
water-lilies, all would be well, the
cloud would pass from her mind, the
IRE from her brain, the sword from
her heart.
She had two letters to write, one to
the manager with whom her engage
ment was made, informing him
she was i'll and had gone away
for her health, and that he would
probably not hear of her for some
time, and another to Lord Chandos.
1t was simple and sad:
Goodbye I am going-not to
Berlin-but away from Europe, and
shall never return; but before I leave
/ shall go to the mlllstream to
look and listen to the waters for the
last time. Goodbye, Lance. In heaven
you will know how much have loved
.-0U, never on earth. In heaven you
will know why I left you. Be kind,
and true, and good to all who are dear
to you. Lance, if I die first, I shall
wait inside the golden gates of heaven
for you"
She did one thing more, which
proved that her reason was still clear.
She paid off ali her servants.
And far off the millwheel turned in
the stream, and the water-lilies stirred
family as the white foam passed them
by
CHAPTER LXII.