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

W
herself. Il will never see him or speak
to him again. If it cannot be an
nulled, | shall insist on living with
them. and she shall never have any
authority in this house.
And in the meantime she made
Violet suffer as much as possible
s2 she could have guessed at the
thoughts that wont through the girls
mind, she would have been more
merciful, The smallest thing, the
lightest word, gave her some preteXt
for cruelty to Violet. As rule, the
girl resented it. but showed her anger
by proud silence; at other times. when
she felt tired or unhappy, she would
weep bitterly.
She came down to breakfast one
morning in fashionable morning
costume purchased in Paris, but it
was not becoming to her,
Il do not like your dress, Violet
said the Countess of Lester, who, ac-
cording to her lignt. was endeavoring
TO form the mind, the taste, and the
manners of her sister-in-law 1T does
not suit your style"
81 hardly knew had style"
laughed Violet, when that was sent
home | should not have kept it if
had known as much of dress then as
do now"
Il always thought the instinct for
true and correct taste in dress was
loIt he
| Countess.
You are quite right" put in the
dowager. 1T is born with every lady,
| it is not given to every one
If Lord RIVERS had been there, M
would have Indignantly sllenced his
mother, who was speaking in her
Ihaughtiest tone of voice.
Il consider 1t criterion" said
she. "One may always know lady
by her taste in dress"
Your ladyship's remarks are
levelled at me-" said Violet, "ani
would seem to indicate that you do
not consider me lady. | think con-
sideration for other peoples feelings
far more an indication of nobility
than taste in dress"
| Your ideas are provincial" replied
the dowager. There is no more to be
said"
How / hate herr" cried Violet,
afterward, in the solitude of her own
room; and her hatred grew with
every hour.
The dowager never lost an oppor-
tunity of making her feel her position
! In her sons presence her ladysh;p
exercised some little control over her
words, but not when he was absent
She then made no attempt to conceal
her bitter disappointment with regard
to her sons marriage; she never lost
an opportunity of haunting her with
it, lamenting the ruin of his prospects,
the utter spelling of his life.
All these taunts seemed to set
Violet's heart against her husband
He found her one morning in her
room, her beautiful eyes half drowned
| in tears, her lovely face pale and
troubled. He caught her in his arms
and clasped her to his breast; ne
kissed the white eyelds and the
quivering lips.
You have been crying, my darling ="
he said. Tell me why; | will kno v.
You shall not shed any tears You
shall not be troubled, or vexed, or
grieved What is it?"
But she would not tell him. Tor
| lures would not have dragged the
truth from her She had been nobly
| loyal to her resolve. She had uttered
no complaint Of the mother to her son.
and never would She was proud ~
her own courage in keeping her re-
solve, although there were times when
some scathing word from the dowager.
some cruel insult, would send her,
flushed and quivering with rage from
the room.
You shall not be annoyed, Violet"
cried Lord RIVERS. II insist upon you
telling me what is the matter. You
are the dearest object in life to me;
your happiness is my first thought.
and always shall be-"
For once the girls pride and cour-
age broke down utterly
ooh, Randolph" she cried bitterly.
why did you marry me? You knew
the difference which existed between
our positions in life; | did not. Why
did you marry me?" she reiterated
ITO make you happy and mean 70
do So" he answered. Violet, every
tear of yours is rending my heart"
why did you marry me- Why did
you bring me here? =, | hate 1t all, /
shall never be happy 1t was cruel
thing of you to do. You must have
known that your mother and sisters
would never like me-"
Why. Monica loves you" he cried
Gloves you more than she does Mar.
guerite, | ain sure, / never thought
Of my mother and sisters; thought
only OF you. II you are not happy
here, will take you away again; you
shall not be unhappy anywhere, my
beautiful wife. ! have been weak and
foolish to give in to my mothers