Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-04-11

made her defer breaking the seal.
When at length she did SO, she read
the letter slowly; but she was long in
understanding 1t perfectly.
'Lincoln's Inn, London, Nov. Sd.
Dear Madam,--In accordance with
your wish, we have made every pos
sihle inquiry with regard to the sir,
cumstanees attending your sons mar
rage. Mr.. Macivors has himself
the matter personally. He has cx-
amined the register, spoken to ne
clergyman, and the result is thar he
finds no formality has been omitted 10
render the ceremony valid We are
therefore in position to state most
positively that there is no flaw whet-
ever in the marriage, which is per-
fectly legal in every way. BY your
ladyships desire we have consulted
one Of the most eminent Queen
Counsel as to whether the marriage
could be annulled on account of his
lordship's being under age, and the
opinion given is decidedly adverse.
We consider nothing further remains
to be done, and beg to subscribe our
selves your ladyship's obedient SER
wants,
Barnard & Macivors.
ITO the Lady RIVERS"
What did it mean? She knew 10
firm of Barnard &c Macivors. OF
whose marriage were they writing o
her? Her mind seemed suddenly
blank.
Then a terrible though flashed into
her mind, IN idea so horrible that ii
seemed for . few moments to paralyze
her. she read the letter again, ana
again looked at the address. 1t vas
not for her--that was certain. She
had opened a letter intended for Ran
dolph's mother, and had read its on
tents. Quite slowly the dreadful
truth came home to her. She had
opened her morther-in-law's letter,
who had evidently been writing to this
firm of lawyers to see if it were pos
sible, on any ground whatever, to
annul her marriage with Randolph.
Slowly but surely the truth came
home to her This was what her hus-
bands mother had done. She sat
silent for some time with the silence
of despair; then she said to herself;
Il will take the letter to her. and |
viii annul my marriage myself"
CHAPTER xxxViI.
The dowager Lady RIVERS was in
her own boudoir, room on the lover
| corridor OF the west wing OF Ike
house. 1t was nearly ten O'Clock. and
cold November morning. Her Lady
shin had ordered her breakfast to he
sent to her own room. The fire
burned cheerily in the CRATE. Her
| ladyship, in warm dressing-gown
with a picturesque little cap of fine
pointlace on her head, and holding
the morning newspaper in her hands,
! looked the very picture of comfort.
She wondered just little why she
had had no letters that morning; sho
never thought of the new footman, or
, of the possibility OF any mistake. She
| had been expecting an important
! letter from London for some days, but.
as yet, it had not arrived.
That letter she fervently hoped
! would put an end to the present I'M
pleasant state of things. With every
day that passed her dislike to her
sons wife increased. and she hoped
to find that in the eyes of the law she
was not really his wife. Then all
would be plain sailing. She trusted
to her own influence over her SON; sac
willfully blinded herself to the IA /
that he worshiped his wife, she chose
rather to believe that. if the law gave
him chance OF escape from lie
she hated, he would avail himself Of
it.
OF course there would be a little
scandal and wonder that could not lie
helped She comforted herself by
thinking that many marriages had
been annulled in this fashion-shc re-
WONDERED several No one had
thought it very strange or wrong.
She knew that all the fashionable
mothers would sympathize with her;
she never though at all Of the harm
she might do to Violet. Randolph
could go to London in a season or so.
and marry whom he would. She
smiled to herself as she finished her
chocolate. It did not occur to her thai
she had tho strong passion and the
lifelong love of man to deal with.
Randolph had always submitted to her
sway; why should he not do so now?
Then. and most Unexpectedly, came
an interruption in the shape OF
quick sharp rap at the door.
"Fntrez," said her ladyship, who
considered the French word far more
elegant than the English equivalent;
and there entered Violet
She was a new Violet to the
dowager--no longer the girl she could
insult and hum'liate at will, but a
stately woman. with head proudly
carried and flashing eyes, woman
whose whole figure ana bearing spoke
OF outraged dignity and pride. There