Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-07-18

my son! You will love him? Do not
tell him about me; let him think
you are his mother. An tell Ran
dolph I should like to be laid to rest
in the old churchyard at St Bynos
Mine has been short troubled life"
Violet" said her friend, would you
not like to see your husband"
He would not come to me.
sent to him twice: he would not
come"
L am sure he would come to see you
and his little son if he knew. Would
you like TO see him?"
Oh. the rapture of love and Of long
ing in the pale face!
Il believe" she whispered, family,
that if saw him should not die
should live in spite of myself"
Then you shall see him., her friend
declared. 81 will go and bring him to
you. Doctor she said hastily, Il am
sure that Lady RIVERS is better; give
me just one CLEAN of hope" The
doctor looked up when he heard the
rank and name of his patient Give
me one CLEAN of hope" she repeated.
THE best that l can say is > that
Lady RIVERS is no worse, and that
| every hour she lives adds to her
chance of living" he answered, grave
ly.
Miss Mari bent over the pale face.
Violet" she said, ''try to live. Try
to think that Randolph is coming and
wants to see you.''
Randolph will marry you: YOU are,
the best suited for him; they all love
you. l am content to die Oh, dear
friend, love my SOM"
And then the pallor deepened, the
white eyelids fell.
rs she dead?" cried the heiress. in
great alarm.
NO! she is only exhausted" re-
piled the doctor.
Then. kissing the cold brow, Miss
Mari stole softly out of the sick-room.
and, fastening at once to the tele-.
graph-office, dispatched the following
message:
From Miss Mari, railway-station,
Weston-on-sea, Kent, to Lord RIVERS,
Athol House, Mayfair, London-Come
here at once; your wife, Violet, is
dying and wishes to see you. l wilt
be at the station to meet you"
What wonder, CONSERVATION, and
bewilderment that telegram caused
Lord RIVERS! That Violet, his
beautiful, willful young wife, should
ibe dying seemed to him impossible.
And why should Miss Mari be with
her? Violet was dying-Violet, for
whom he had given up the whole
world, who had been so brightly happy
with him, who had overwhelmed hin
with bitter reproaches and left him:
Violet was dying; and Miss Mari, the
beautiful woman whom every one ha6
wished him to marry, was with her!
Weston-on-Sea was not very far.
He had reached the ADMINISTRATION
and stood with Miss Marr's hand fast
clasped in his before he realized what
had happened and where he was.
CHAPTER LVIi.
AS they drove hurriedly from the
railway station to the house, Miss
Mari told Lord RIVERS all that had
happened.
And Violet was with you," he cried
REALLY and truly with you? How
strange! 1t must have been the very
hand of Heaven"
Il believe it was," said Miss Mari,
quietly.
And then she told him of the birth
of his little son. He was astonished
and bewildered. All he uould say
was:
my poor Violet! Pray Heaven that
we may find her living! If | can but
look in her face once more and tel
her how much 1 love her."
She was living, and her life hung
upon a thread. The question was
whether his sudden appearance would
snap that thread.
"She told me she should live if she
saw you, and I believe it." said Miss
Mari.
There was another surprise for
Lord RIVERS when he saw Mrs. Car
stone and heard her story, how she
had helped and befriended his hapIess
young wife.
But you,' he said, reproachfully-
you should have sent to me. You
| know how well loved her.
| But Mrs. Carstone had her own de-
fence. Of what use was it for her to
interfere when he had sent no an
swer to his wife's urgent prayer?
Then he heard the story OF the letters,
and for the first time it struck him
! how negligent he had been, that he
ought to have taken precautions. But
he had never thought that Violet
would write. The letters must have
gone to Ryversdale and fallen into his
mothers hands. He told himself that
if his wife died his mother would be
the cause.
| To be continued.
| Sharp Against Sharp.