Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-09-23
HER MARTYRDOM
BY the Author of Sunshine and Roses.
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BY the Author of Sunshine and Roses.

|
1t was not until the first shock was
over that any one thought of the child.
They found her lying near the window
of the room, in an agony of grief which
no words of comfort could abate.
| The mystery surrounding Sir Charles
Rooden's death was never solved.
Whether he had attempted to cross the
river where it was shallowest, and had
! been carried away by the force of the
current, or whether his horse had be-
come FESTIVE and dashed into the
water, no one ever knew. No one had
ward to say that they had met him on
| that day. That it was an accident
every one agreed, but how it occurred
there was no living witness to tell.
| How deeply the genial, generous
master of Rood was mourned was
shown by the assemblage of rich and
poor who came to pay last tribute
of respect to neighbor and friend.
| In his will Sir Charles had not for
gotten any of his faithful old servants
or any Of the charities he had sup
ported. Yet to those who listened to
the reading of the document there
seemed to be something strange in it.
| It was strange that no income had
been settled on the daughter for whom
| he had always such unbounded affec-
| ton, strange that no dOwry had been
| left to her, strange that not one farth-
ing Of what must ultimately be large
fortune should reach her until her
mothers death, strange that so large
fortune should be left to the abso-
lutte disposal Of beautiful young
widow No restriction was placed
upon her; there was no forfeiture of
money if she married again. The only
thing she could not do was to part
with property belonging in any way to
house or estate. She could not sell a
picture or a tree; everything was to
descend to Angela just as she had re-
ceived it.
"a strange will" the listeners
agreed, but it only showed the implicit
trust Sir Charles had in his wife.
Lady Rooden was a little surprised
herself. She had not expected such
unreserved generosity, and she had
certainly thought that provision would
have BEEN made for Angela. She
caught the child in her arms and kissed
the fair young face in passion Of
tears.
''You shall not suffer, my darling"
she declared, "for papa's generosity to
me. I shall more than make up to
you for it.
But Angela did not understand. She
only clasped her arms more tightly
round her mothers neck.
Mamma she asked with a shudder,
is it true that they have left papa in
the ground?"
''Alas, yes, my darling; it is true!"
|And he hated cold and darkness.
Do you remember how he always asked
for light and warmth. I cannot bear
to think of him lying there
when you think Of your papa, do
not think Of the cold dark grave; but
look up at the sky, SO bright and blue,
and remember he is there"
'Then he can see u.s." she cried, and
the sweet childish voice was full Of
awe.
'I do not know, my dear, I am not
wise enough to tell you; but very
likely he can"
And Angela grew up with habit of
raising her head to the skies, asthough
seeking her fathers face there. How
she missed him! How terrible was
the blank, the desolation, the pain that
seemed never to grow less! There
were times even when Lady Rooden
seemed to grow impatient with the
child for her excessive grief.
"You forget, Angela" she said to
her one day, chat 1 am left with you. -
| ooh, mamma" cried the child, sit is
not that! love you with all my heart;
but papa was all the whole world for
me-"
| Lady Rooden mourned her husband
very sincerely. She knew her loss was
| irreparable, for no woman living had
ever known love more true and tender.
He had been so careful of her, so anx-
ious to study her wishes, so kind to
her, that she felt her loss most griev-
ously. While he lived she had never
to think of herself, she was surrounded
| by such constant love. She had never
even he'd time to form new wishes and
speak of them before they were graft
| fed. And now, though she was a
wealthy widow provided with every
luxury, with vast fortune at her dis
posal, she realized every day of her
life how she missed the protection and
sheltering love of her husband.
After Sir Charles death, she did not
care to remain at Rood Abbey. Her
one desire was to go abroad, to seek in
change some relief from her present
sorrow. She was married so young
when only seventeen-and the whole
of her happy married life had been so
completely engrossed by her love for
her husband and a ceaseless round of
pleasures, that she had given little
thought to foreign travel Now a
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