Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-04-18
Continued.

Ill d IlOlISAL "41clI I4lN ANISS1 "C"SJ
and understood, with her quick in
stinct, all that had happened. Her
face flushed, her proud eyes fell, the
iewelled hands trembled. The girl
standing before her with set, scornful
face, looked like an injured queen.
The dowager felt almost like a
criminal
Read it, and tell me if it be true
repeated Violet. And for a few
seconds the two women looked at each
other in silence that was more terrible
than words.
Slowly enough her ladyship took
the letter and read it. Violet stood
still and erect before her. When she
had finished, the dowager looked up.
well, what do you wish to know?"
she asked, coolly.
Il wish to know, first Of ALL" said
Violet IF the letter to which that is
an answer was written by you?"
1T was" answered the dowage",
boldly.
you have been trying to discover
whether there was any flaw in my
marriage with your son, in order that
you might separate u.s."
Il have done So" confessed the
elder woman
you dislike-nay, | may say that
you hate me so bitterly you would fain
rob me of my fair name and my fair
fame?"
Il am So anxious with regard to my
son" replied her ladyship, insolently,
that | am Indifferent to all else
You wish, then, that the marriage
between myself and your son could
be undone?" Intercepted Violet.
Il do wish it with all my heart. |
would give half l possess if it could be
so arranged" said the dowager ct
is idle to withhold the truth from you.
| have done my best; but unfortul-
ately have failed. | wrote to one Of
the most eminent firms of lawyers N
London; as you have seen, they have
given an unfavorable opinion"
You have really been endeavoring
to find some reason that would enabie
you to have my marriage annulled?"
pursued Violet, steadily. You tell
me honestly that such is the case?"
CO. 1hClC 10 ~ nccu lOl duy
reticence in the matter. | have
know three cases myself in which the
marriage has been set aside as null
and void because the supposed hus-
band was not of age. 1t seems that in
my sons case, there is no such loop
hole for escape"
With the same white, set face,
Violet drew nearer to her.
Tell me one thing more" she said,
in a voice that the doWager never for
got until her dying day. Does my
husband know that you have done
this?"
Il told him l should do it," reptile
her ladyship.
and he made no effort to stop you?
He has allowed you to crown all your
other insults with this?"
He did not say one word to pre-
vent it," she answered.
Great Heaven--and they call this
nobility" cried Violet. She went
on, trying to speak calmly, eff the an
swer of your most wicked and I'M
womanly letter had seen. Yes, that
in the marriage your son and myself
though perfectly legal, there was a
flaw, what should you have done?"
Il should have insisted on my sons
taking advantage of it, and at any
price have compelled him to have The
marriage annulled, was the
dowager's answer.
The two women stood for a few
minutes looking fixedly at each other.
Then Violet, with a shudder, spoke rs
one just waking from a hideous
dream
4 will annul the marriage myself"
she said, slowly and solemnly Your
son deceived me. Had I known that
he belonged to a class | hate, had
known that he would bring me to this
place with surroundings that are
utterly abhorent to me, 1 would not
have married him. | have thought
lately more than once that perhaps
mistook the glamour Of a girls fancy
for love. | will trouble neither you
nor him again. A marriage founded
on deceit is no marriage. l married
the handsome, simple young artist
one of my own class; did not marry
Lord RIVERS. of Ryversdale. You
need not employ lawyers on my ac-
count. | will annul a marriage that
is hateful to myself"
That is nonsense" rejoined the
dowager. 'You cannot do anything of
the kind; you have not the power"
Il will find the power, the way and
means" said Violet, calmly.
The ~dowager began to feel just a
little bit nervous. 1t was possible
that she was going to far, that her
son would be terribly angry. There
was no telling what a creature like
this, without any Of the restraints Of
class, might do
Lady RIVERS" Violet went on, you
have hated me from the moment I
entered your house; you have heaped
ridicule and insult on me; now you
have crowned all by seeking to rob
me of that which is as dear to the
poorest peasant as to the highest in
the land-my good name. Let me
assure you of one thing-you are look
ing at my face for the last time on
earth"
She seemed to hold the elder wo-
mans eyes by the force of her own for
some minutes, when slowly, with a
gesture of grace, dignity. and sorrow,
she left the room. The dowager tried
to laugh
Quite tragedy queen!" she said.