Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-05-02


Of employing a private detective tc
| trace Violet; but then he replied to hi:
/ own thoughts, in despair, IF she were
/ found, what would it matter?" Moth
Ing mattered but that she should come
to him of her own accord. And fol
that the young lord, to whom had beer
given the artists genius and the poets
soul, waited day after day with pa
thence, never ashamed to pray that the
sar2e Heaven which had once given
his wife to him would restore her now
that she was lost.
Upon what varied scenes did the
sun now shine! At Ryversdale on a
proud, naughty woman, whose pride
grew deeper and whose heart grew
colder every day; on bright, loving
girl who was losing health, strength
and youth, pining for her lover; at
Draynham, where the Earl of Lester
ragged against his mother-in-law as the
most proud and the most cruel of wo.
men, and where the beautiful Countess
listened with calm smile to all the
great house in London, where the
young husband spent his solitary
days.
A strange event had happened. Vic.
let had left Ryversdale, her heart on
fire with Indignation, full of anger
against her husband. She was not
just to him. All that had happened
seemed to be his fault-seemed to
have sprung from the one source, his
deception. The shame seemed to her
greater than she could bear, that any
one should dare call the validity of
her marriage into question.
IF | had been an earls daughter or
a great heiress, Lady RIVERS would
have been anxious to make my mar
riage secure"
What angry scorn, what bitter con-
tempt filled her heart! All, well
might the masses hate the aristocrats!
Well might they rise in the olden days
and Stay them. What right had they
to assume such superiority? In what
had these two women-the Countess
Of Lester and Lady Ryvers-a superb
GRITTY over her? 1t was the first time
that she had been brought into con-
tact with those whom she had been
trained to hate, and she did full just
ice to her training.
Bitter, angry thoughts filled her
mind. She did not think much of her
self, Of whittier she was going, of what
she would do; she was too angry
Never again. she vowed to herself
would she look upon the faces of those
she had left. She would annul her
marriage by going far away. Never
would she submit again to the inso
lent pride of Lady RIVERS; never again
would she look into the face of the
man who had brought all thess
troubles upon her
She had left behind her all the rich
paraphernalia of dress, jewels, and
ornaments that her husband had Law
ished upon her; not one of them
would she touch. She dressed her
self plainly, and she left the grand old
mansion on foot, needless enough as
to whittier she was going.
If it had occurred to her that the
bands, she would have left that be-
hind her also; but she forgot all about
it. She had some vague idea of going
back to st. Byno's. Miss Athertons
wrath would be hard to bear, but it
would not be so hard as Lady RIVERS
in Of ho+ ho rriry
up she never thought; the luxury and
magnificence had grown hateful to
her, because they were accompanied
by insolence and unkindness. Per
haps, had she met with kindness and
affection instead OF cruelty, she might
have enjoyed the splendor of RIVERS
dale; as it was, she never gave it a
thought; she was hurrying from all
that she hated, angry and indignant,
scornful and contemptuous.
When she reached the station, the
London train was just starting. She
had no object in going to London to
get away quickly, to leave Ryversdale,
with all it's associations, was her pre-
vailing idea.
She took a ticket for London. Her
heart had not ceased its angry beat
ing, every pulse was thrilling with the
memory of the insult she had received.
The train stopped at London Bridge.
The accidental taking of that ticket
was to be the very turning-point of her
life. She owned afterward that it was
CIR hn froi in LaI 1,o ~
be going to Liverpool or Glasgow, she
would have taken a ticket quite az
readily to either.
The train stopped at London Bridge
and the first person she saw, as she
left the carriage, was Mrs. Carstone
Unreasonable was that lady's delight,
while to Violet it seemed as though
the clouds had suddenly opened and a
CLEAN of light appeared in the dark
ness.
Perhaps, had Violet been less hotly
| indignant, she might have thought
twice before she poured out her list
of grievances to Mrs. Carstone She
was too angry to think.
Il have left them forever" she de
! clared. Il wish never to see then
again.
But. my dear" said Mrs. Carstone
perplexed, 1T does not seem to me
that your husband is to blame!"
He alone is to blame" she replied
He should have told me the truth
and then left me to please mysel
when l knew it. l shall annul my owl
marriage"
you cannot do that" said Mrs