Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-05-23

=
] YES" she replied, 81 have had
some; but they are dead
And strangely enough, the sweetest
illusion of both had been love of the
same man.
Days passed on. and the two women
unconsciously drew nearer to each
other. The heiress liked the beauti-
full, golden-haired woman whose fair
face told story that no one yet had
read; and Violet half liked, half
feared, the lovely brunette who
should-so her family said-have
been her husbands wife. Was it
love of her husband that Swallowed
the face Of Miss Mari? Why did
/ she sit hour after hour with such s.
/ listless expression on her face, with
such far-off look in her dark eyes?
Was it for love of him? Was it for
love of him that this girl seemed to
| live in the world, but not to be of it?
In the morning, when the letter-bag
was opened, it was amusing to see
how many letters were addressed to
the heiress. None ever came to
Violet
What number of letters,
Gwennie!" said Mrs Ingram once.
Some are begging-letters," ex-
planned her granddaughter, some
bills, some circulars"
"And some love-letters!" interposed
Mrs. Ingram.
YES" replied the girl, with a
dreary sigh, there are many love-
letters; those are the most tiresome
OF ALL"
q should not have thought so at
your age" said Mrs. Ingram.
Il am older than my years." sighed
the heiress.
And Violet wondered if it were love
Of Randolph, Lord RIVERS, that made
her older than her years.
Love often lies dormant until some
thing quickens it into active life
Violet might have lived for years
without knowing whether she loved or
hated her husband most, but for the
jealousy that sprang into life when
she found that another woman loved
him. She had never been jealous;
she did not know what the feeling
was like. The pain was quite new to
her, but none the less bitter.
When Violet entered the gates of
Queens Elm, the love that she had for
her husband was weak and feeble.
Jealousy was the wind that famed
the smoldering fire into fiercest blaze
She had noticed more than once
that Miss MARI always wore a gold
locket. In the morning it was half
hidden By the folds of her bodice, in
the evening it shone on her fair,
shapely neck; and Violet wondered
why her hand sought it incessantly
Whether she sat reading, talking, or
thinking, she nearly always held it in
her hand. If any one addressed her
suddenly, if any unexpected noise
startled her, her hand sought the
lOcket or clasped it more tightly still.
One morning it SO happened that
Violet went to Miss Marr's room with
a message from Mrs. Ingram. She
found her standing by the window,
with the locket in her hand. 1t was
most deliberately and exquisitely
chased, with a magnificent diamond
ment the cloud upon her face, and
asked, .hurriedly:
What is the matter, Miss Marr?"
The 'heiress looked up with smile
and sigh
81 am in trouble" she said; will
you help me? Something has gone
wrong with the spring of my locket--
it will not close. Will you look at it,
Miss Beaton?"
Violet took the chain from her
hands; and then she saw within it a
portrait of her husband. She saw the
laughing blue eyes, so sunny and 50
true, the cluster of fair hair round the
noble brow, the beautiful mouth so
firm, yet with the sweet and gracious
curves that belong to a woman. A
sharp, bitter pain went through her
heart; for one moment she stood be-
wildered; her face lost all it's color,
and mist came before her eyes.
Her husbands Portrait! Yet this
other woman wore it and cherished it,
clasped it and kissed it.
do you see where the spring is in
jured?" asked Miss Mari.
NO" answered Violet. 81 do not
understand"
Her voice was so faint and weary
that the heiress, in her warm, i'm
pulsive kindness, took the locket and
chain from her hands.
"How cruel I am to tease you."
she said. "You are tired" Then.
with a quick, sudden gesture, she
opened the locket again, and went on
Il heard you say yesterday that you
we're a good reader of character from
faces; tell me what you think Of that
| face"
To be Continued.