Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-05-30
ThOrns and Orange Blossoms.
THE AUTHOR o.
ROMANCE OF A YOUNG GIRL


beautiful, a great heiress, a queen OF
'society-and all the time my heart is
dead, dead as the leaves that fall in
autumn. l never thought" she con-
tinued dreamily; ''if | had, things
would have been different. Because
her words fattered the secret desire
of my heart. I believed them. If
had reflected, should have had less
faith in her"
But" said Violet, 81 do not under
stand how any one could have de-
ceiyed you in a matter of that kind.
l should have thought your own heart
would have spoken"
MY own heart blinded me-" she
answered, with a sigh; ''yet, now that
I come to think of it, I marvel that I
built so much upon so little. I admit
that 1 loved Randolph at first sight;
but he never misIed me by affecting
any unusual interest in me. Would
it interest you to hear my story?"
'Yes," replied Violet frankly;
nothing would interest me more"
Then" said the heiress, gently,
olG NION IL anu 1ISICIl " H. nv, w
not give me back the photograph.
Hold that in your hands. Examine
closely the beautiful sensitive face
which is the only. excuse / have for
my weakness. When I weigh all the
circumstances, feel that may for
give myself any amount Of folly"
and Miss Mari paused for a few mo-
-.ents before telling her story,
CHAPTER XVII.
81 am an only child" began the
heiress. My father. Sir Randall
Mari, was very wealthy man. Late
in life he married my mother, Jean
Ingram, who died soon after l was
born; and l am the sole representa-
tive of the two wealthy and powerful
families enough for one soil
tary girl, is it not? When grand
mamma here dies, many thousands
will come to me; but, oh, Miss Beaton,
money will not bring me any happi-
ness-all the money in the world can
not purchase love. and it is love that
| want! I have too much wealth;
see, Miss Beaton, l have not had that
which is of the greatest value to any
girl, the training of a good mother
have lived amongst my relatives, all
good. kindly, worldly people. l have
been spoiled from the very day l was
born. | have never had what people
call home. I made my debut in the
Fashionable world when | was just
seventeen; l am twenty-five now, and
far more tired of life than many a
woman of sixty. You see. had not
the one great desire of my life grant
ed.
Il was very young, very happy, and
light CT heart when Lady RIVERS in
vited me to Rysversdale. She had
said little about her son. but just at
that time he was at home. l remem-
Der how and where l first saw him
this man whom l love so we'll. Look,
Miss Beaton-his eyes seem to smile
into mine. He was called Lord
RIVERS of Ryversdale; and by nature
he is a poet and an artist. l saw him
first on the broad terrace at RIVERS
dale. | shall always picture him to
myself as l saw him then. He was
watching the sun set over the broad
beautiful river; there was a glorious
light on his face as the suns rays
fell upon him. When our eyes met,
when he spoke to me. knew that he
was the one man in the wide world
for me.
my heart seemed to have found
rest, to have gained it's home. Lady
RIVERS introduced US, and then pro
ceeded to tell me before him how
amazed she was that he would persist
in painting.
He is never happy away from his
palette and brushes she said; he
looks at everything with the eyes Of
painter instead of with the eyes of
an ordinary man; he sees nothing but
color and form
1T is a libel, Miss MARI Lord
RIVERS laughed; the difference be-
tween the eyes of an artist and those
of an ordinary man, as my mother ex-
presses it, is that the artist sees
most
do not let him beguile you, Miss
MARI said lady RIVERS, smiling at
me. He seems pleased to see you,
but he is studying your coloring; he
thinks you are like the work of a
Titan or Velasquez'
From these few words sprang a
long conversation.
Il had met no one like him. True
l had seen plenty of men, some hand,
some, some clever, and some accom-
plished; but this one seemed to be
perfect. He was a nobleman, gentle.
man, scholar, poet, and artist com
bined; add to that the charm of g
handsome face and graceful manner
and even then you have but a faint
idea of Lord RIVERS as I knew him.
"All my heart went out to him, and
alas, it has never come back to me.
| Perhaps, had I been more like Other
girls, had I had home, parents, sisters
l should not have trusted all my life
to one venture; 1 should not have
been so quick, so eager to love.
| 1.-THE knowledge that I was to be il
the house with him for some week:
| filed my whole soul with happiness
My present self looks back to tina
bright young self as to another per
son. With my dead heart, 1 think
can never be the girl who found tn
very light of the sun changed becaus
she had learned to love.
Lady RIVERS deceived me by con
tinually repeating little phrases to M
that her son had used in speaking @
me, and she gave to them a differen
meaning a different internretatio,