Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-04-04


laughed Violet. when that was sent
home. | should not have kept il if I
had known as much Of dress then as I
do now"
Il always thought the instinct for
true and correct taste in dress was
born with every lady" said the
Countess.
You are quite right" put in the
dowager. 1T is born with every lady;
it is not given to every one"
If Lord RIVERS had been there, rs
would have Indignantly silenced bis
mother, who was speaking in her
haughtiest tone of voice.
4 consider it criterion" said
she. "One may always know a lady
by her taste in Dress
Your ladyship's remarks ara
levelled at me-" said Violet, and
would seem to Indicate that you do
not consider me a lady. l think con-
sideration for other peoples feelings
far more an indication of nobility
than taste in Dress
Your ideas are provincial" replied
the dowager. There is no more TO be
said"
How l hate her." cried Violet,
afterward in the solitude of her own
room; and her hatred grew with
every hour.
The dowager never lost an oppor-
tunity of making her feel her position.
In her sons presence her ladyship
exercised some little control over her
words, but not when he was absent.
She then made no attempt to conceal
her bitter disappointment with regard
to her sons marriage; she never lost
an opportunity of haunting her with
1t, lamenting the ruin of his prospects,
the utter spelling of his life.
All these taunts seemed to set
Violet's heart against her husband.
He found her one morning in her
room, her beautiful eyes half drowned
IN tears, her lovely face pale and
troubled. He caught her in his arms
and clasped her to his breast; ne
kissed the white eyelids and the
quivering lips
you have been crying, my darling
he said. Tell me why; l will know.
You shall not shed any tears. You
shall not be troubled, or vexed, or
grieved What is it,"
But she would not tell him. Tor
lures would not have dragged the
from hol
loyal to her resolve. She had uttered
no complaint of the mother to her sor.
and never would. She was proud Of
her own courage in keeping her re-
solve, although there were times when
some scathing word from the dowager,
some cruel insult, would send her,
flushed and quivering with rage from
the room.
"You shall not be annoyed, Violet"
cried Lord RIVERS. 81 insist upon you
telling me what is the matter You
are the dearest object in life to me;
your happiness is my first thought,
and always shall be-"
For once the girls pride and cour-
age broke down utterly.
ooh, Randolph" she cried bitterly,
why did you marry me? You knew
the difference which existed between
cur positions in life; l did not Why
did you marry me?" she reiterated.
ITO make you happy-and | mean %
do So" he answered Violet, every
tear Of yours is rending my heart
why did you marry ne? WIZ did
you bring me here? | hate it all I
shall never be happy 1t was a cruel
thing of you to do. You must have
known that your mother and sisters
would never like me-"
why, Monica loves you!" he cried
-"loves you more than she does Mar
guerite, | am sure, | never thought
Of my mother and sisters; ! thought
only of you. If you are not happy
here, will take you away again; you
shall not be unhappy nywhere, my
beautiful wife. | have been weak and
foolish to give in to my mothers
whims. She thought it would be so
much better if you spent a few weeks
here with her and my sisters. wish
had refused. What do you say, daF-
ling? "-,for, with trembling lips. She
had whispered something into his ea".
'Thorns in your orange blossoms?7
he exclaimed. mo, my darling, yOu
shall have none If there must be
thorns, they shall fall to my lot. not
yours. I will wear them, and you will
wear the orange-blossoms. My dar-
ling, do you not know that love yoI
you SO well I would quarrel
with mother, sisters, and every one
else in the wide world for your sake?''
''But that should not be-" she said
"You ought to have married some one
whom they would all have loved, like
the girl they are always talking about
-Gwendoline Mari"
To be continued
INNER NE THE