Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-12-13

IT,"
THAT win be best" replied his
mother. Young men always quarrel
where a pretty woman is concerned
Mother said Oscar, feelingly, do
ct call Mrs. Randolph pretty WON
"a. II jars upon me-
What is She, my dear?'
she is perfectly superby beauti-
AL" he cried, with enthusiasm, and
AZ too good for that"
NAY. Oscar, say no more about
.la." interrupted Mrs. Carstoae.
Il viii not mother; but, as sure as
the sun shines above US, | will repay
him for his insolence'"
And in the tine to come he kept his
word.
Meanwhile letters from England be-
came more urgent The Dowager Lady
RIVERS, quite unconscious that she was
dowager wrote to her son continu-
ally. She was growing anxious con,
corning his absence. 1t was quite I'M
natural that he should stay from home
with such a brilliant career before
him. She could not understand it;
and she had coufded to her married
daughter the Countess OF Lester. that
she feared there was some entangle-
ment But the Countess treasured
her. Randolph was the last person in
The world to associate with anything
OF that kind; she said his devotion to
art was his grand preservation,
There is a silver lining to every
cloud, mamma" said the Counties. 1T
seems most deplorable that Randolph
should devote life that ought to have
been given to other duties to painting
But, after all, art purifies and exalts
those who love it, You need fear no
ENHANCEMENT for him"
Heaven grant that you are right
my dear, said the anxious mother
Any disappointment with regard to
Randolph would be my death; all my
hopes are centered in him."
You Will have none, mamma" the
Countess of Lester assured her.
Still Lady RIVERS looked anxious.
Randolph has always had peculiar
ideas" she said.
True, mamma but they were al
ways the ideas OF a gentleman. You
know that to the very core of his heart
Randolph is a gentleman.
u know it, said Lady RIVERS, gem
tly. Still | shall be very pleased
when he returns"
She wrote again and again; but the
letter that really reused the young
man from his dream was the one in
which she suggested that, If he really
had found such charming quarters
that he could not leave them, the best
thing would be for her to visit him.
Then he knew that he must take active
measures soon.
Lord RIVERS was not quite happy;
there we're shadows in eyes that had
once been all light and love, lines on
the beautiful face which should not
have appeared for many years yet
Life was not Quite the dream Of hap
piuess that he had hoped It would be-
He had given up all the world for love,
but love had not paid him. He found
himself in a terrible dilemma He
dreaded telling his secret to Violet,
whose ideas and opinions seemed to
grow stronger every day and he
dreaded giving his mother pain
himself whether he had done an unwise
thing, If it were to be done over again
with double the risk, double the diff
Guilty, he would do it-for Violet was
all the world to him, There was some
doubt in his mind as to how he should
get through his difficulties; but he
was not troubled with regret.
He was thinking deeply, when VIC
let came into his studio.
Randolph, she said you are busy
this morning.
Never too busy to attend to you,
my darling" he replied What do
YOU Want?'
If you are engaged and do not
really wish me to sit with YOU / should
like to go out with Mrs Carstone'
Where is she going?' was the nat
ural question.
TO visit some friends who have
just taken one Of those beautiful villas
on the hill" she replied.
English people, he asked.
Yes but ! forget the name
should like TO so. Mrs. Carstone says
they are such nice people
The handsome face grew dark
at seems TO me, Violet" he said,
gently that you pay but little heed to
nay wishes, ! have told you so often
that I do not care for any English ac.
quaintances.
- think my feelings and inclinauons
are to be considered rs well as yours,
she replied. Il like English people,
aud no other"
He looked perpIexp1 then he crossed