Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-08-06
CHAPTER xxx.

TWAS noon of the day following when
Gertrude asked her mother if she
would go downstairs. Dolores. worn
out in her sorrows, had slept the sound
sleep of exhaustion; but Gertrude,
lying by her side, had heard the
solemn tramp of the burden-bearers,
and knew what had been brought
home.
''They have found him, mamma" she
said, gently, "just where he fell; and
Harry says he must have died before he
reached the ground so that he could
not have suffered much. 1t was only
the intense agony of one moment, and
then all was over"
Dolores grasped her daughters arm.
what is that?" she cried, trembling
from head to foot What is it Ger
trude?"
Through the open window came the
peal of muffied bells-clear, distinct
cit is for papa" replied the girl.
''All these years they have believed
him guilty, and now they are en-
deavoring to outvie each other in doing
him honor. All the church bells
around will ring muff1ed peals for him;
but, an mamma, no Christian in those
churches stood up and said, Think
twice before you pronounce judgment
on an absent mani
They went down together. Outside
the sun shone warm and golden, the
birds sung gaily; inside, all was dark
and solemn. The great entrance-hall
was transformed into a chapelle
ardente. It was draped in black, and
great tapers shone like stars in the
darkness. In the middle of the hall
stood the funeral bier, covered with a
black velvet pail, and upon the oaken
coffin which contained what remained
of the once handsome, genial baronet,
lay a wreath of white roses, and in the
midst OF the flowers was a ruby ring.
Dolores and he had parted sixteen
years before, on a sweet summer night,
with loving words and careSSeS. Six
teen years of doubt and pain, OF
anguish and desolation lay between
them, and she was living, he was dead.
They were together again. Dolores
did not utter a word. She went
straight to the coffin and laid her head
upon it, clasping her arms around it as
though she would never leave it.
''Oh, my darling, my love-" she cried,
ct think of your face as saw it last on
earth; so let me see it first in heaven!"
1t was Lord Fielden who at length
went to her.
My dearest Lady Allanmore" he
said, "there are many who wish to pay
iheir last respects to Sir Karl. Woult
you like to go first?"
The face she raised to his struck him
with awe and wonder.
'No," she said, 81 will not leave him
until he is carried away"
And she did not. 1t was a terrible
vigil that Lady Allanmore kept by her
husbands coffin; for, though there
were times when she felt half fainting
by it, she would not leave it until it
was borne away.
His kindly face would never bend
over her again, his arms would never
more Unfold her, his lips never be
pressed to hers; she would never rest
again with her head on his breast,
feeling that her sure refuge was there;
but she would rather have knelt there
by his coffin than have sat by another
on throne. Lady Fielden came to
her at last on the day appointed for the
funeral.
Nearly the whole country had been to
do him homage; men, woman and
children had crowded around the bier
and people had wept as much to see
the fairhaired wife beside the coffin as
they had wept for him who lay within
il.
my dearest Dolores" asked Lady
Fielden gently, will you come away?