Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-07-30
CHAPTER XXXVII.

grown white ana IalnC. one IoOh0o
with amazement and horror at the
dark, beautiful face
81 can scarcely realize she said,
"that you who knew the sad secret OF
Sir Karl's death could leave him
branded in the eyes Of the whole
world as a man of no faith or honor,
disgraced by a foul sin. Were /
Dolores, MS wife, or Gertrude, his
daughter, I would neither forget nor
y forgive"
81 make no excuse for myself" re-
piled Lola; but just this much let me
sav-that 1 thought little of the con-
SEQUENCES either to his name Or mine,
but solely and entirely of my revenge.
81 repeat that l should never forgive
you, said Lady Fielden, with calm
contempt. "Treachery to the living IS
bad enough; but treachery to the dead
is ten thousand times worse. You are
no heroine in my eyes-only a mean,
dishonorable woman [ decline to
have anything more to do with you.
Perhaps Sir Karl's daughter may have
more patience. And, with a face full
of indignation, Lady Fielden quilted
the room.
''It is Of no use to irritate lei"
thought Lord Fielder. eve are still
somewhat in her power. We must be
calm"
"My mother speaks as she feels
strongly" he said, aloud.
your mother speakes truly, through
IL, Il fQ11nn
foe" Lola answered. Then she turned
with a gesture of appeal to Gertrude.
"Child," she said, ''let the whole world
rave against me; I>deserve it. Let
them say what they will; let them in
suit. sheer, scott at me; but do not you
Let others punish me for my sin it they
will; but you will be kind to me as
your father was and would have been.
Will you promise me this?"
Gertrude was sorely divided in heart.
With the memory Of her fathers death
and her mothers lifelong suffering,
how could she promise Yet the mis-
cradle woman who appealed to her had
had but one dream in life, and that was
love for her own father. For his sake
she must befriend her,
She bent gently over the worn face.
81 will never hurt you by one word"
she said "Now you will show me
where my father lies?'
Eyes: you-no one but you, Ger
trude; you and will go together at
once and alone
Harry looked up in alarm. Was It
safe to trust a slender girl to the hands
of such a. woman? But the clear eyes
looked at him undauntedly.
81 have no fear, Harry" she said;
'"Miss de Ferras and I will go and re-
turn quickly together. In the mean
time will you send a telegram to my
mother at the Villa Baira, Florence?
Say just this-'The mystery is solved.
Come at once.
81 will do just what you wish" re-
piled Lord Fielder, "but for heavens
sake, do take care of yourself, Ger
trude!""
Lola turned to him with a proud,
disdainful gesture.
"You trapped me-" she said; ''you
made me a prisionerS but I will not
submit to anything you choose to i'm
pose on me. will not look on the face
Of the woman I have hated and
wronged"
81 will not ask you to do So" she re-
piled. "You shall do as you will"
my DEAR" said Lady Fielden to
Gertrude, when the latter joined her a
few minutes later, 81 will go home.
Your own heart will dictate best what
is to be done with the wretched
creature When I think of the misery
she has brought on your mothers fair
head, well, forget that am
Christian. Do as you will with her;
but do not let my cid eyes rest on her
face again"
Meanwhile Lord Fielden fastened TO
Deeping to send the telegram to
Florence. Dolores would receive it
that day, and in forty hours after she
would be at F'ielden Manor
Never did Gertrude forget that walk
to the lonely corner of the woods where
the Black Pool lay open to the sky.
If her nerves had been less strong she
would have died of fright, for the
one distraught. Her dark eyes blazed
with strange fire, her face quivered
with emotion.
'Look?" she cried, ''You see that
tree? We passed underneath it on that
night. You see that bank? He sat
down there, and rested He leaned
over that white gate You see that
mass of wild clematis? He gathered
some that was growing then. Oh,
Heavens, if 1 could but see him for one
moment as l saw him then! He came
from his home well, strong, healthy,
handsome, with his kindly, blue eyes so
bright and clear; he never went back;
and II alone have had the weight of
the most intolerable secret that woman
ever bore"
So through the coppice, where the
birds were singing through the wood
lands and the narrow paths, lamenting,
wailing, mourning, with low bitter
cries, with passionate prayers, Lola