Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-05-30

alas, it has never come back to me.
Perhaps, had ] been more like other
girls, had had home, parents, sisters,
should not have trusted all my life
to one venture; | should not have
been so quick, SO eager TO love.
The knowledge that | was TO be in
the house with him for some weeks
filled my whole soul with happiness.
My present self looks back to that
bright young self as to another per
son. With my dead heart, think
can never be the girl who found the
very light of the sun changed because
she had learned to love,
Lady RIVERS deceived me by con
tinually repeating little phrases to me
that her son had used in speaking of
me, and she gave to them different
meaning, a different Interpretation
from that which he intended. | do
not believe now that he ever said he
loved ne, or expressed airy desire 20
make me his wife; but she gave me 10
understand that he did so.
my son thinks SO much of your
taste, Miss MARI My son will not de-
eide until you have given your
opinion, Miss MARI was what she was
always telling me.
80 me she made no secret of her
own wishes. 4 should like you for
my daug hter-in-law, she would say;
and | have every reason to hope that
my wish be gratifed. My son Is not
of age yet; but when he is he will say
in words what he now things Miss
Beaton, what should you have drawn
from such words?"
"A certain conclusion that Lady
RIVERS wished you to marry her son"
answered Violet, but not that the son
himself had the same thought
you are quite right; it was my own
love that misled me. If the same
thing had been said to me of any one
else | should have been most indig-
nant-indeed would not have listen
ed to It, 1t was but secondhand WOO
ing at the best. Lady RIVERS was so
clever, SO skilful. that, without
clothing the idea in words, she gave
me to understand that her son loved
me, but that he did not think 1t pru-
dent to say anything of love or mar
riage until he was of age. / was
blind ! gave myself up to a fools
paradise, | ought to have known that
love and prudence are as far apart as
the poles. | have paid the penalty of
my blindness with the happiness of
my whole life.
What the heart wishes it soon be-
lieves. Deceived by Lady RIVERS, |
really believed that Lord RIVERS
cared for me, and that when we were
wife, True, there was nothing lover
like in his manner. He talked TO me
about pictures because | loved them;
and, when | found that painting was
the one thing for which ne cared
most | studied it. Not that | tried TO
artists, | read what clever men wrote
of them, so that when he spoke Of
anything | could understand his
references. He was delighted He
has sisters; but they either did not
care for such subjects or it had been
an express wish of Lady RIVERS that
they should not encourage him in the
matter of art. The only time she
seemed to tolerate painting was when
Lord RIVERS discussed it with me-"
Again a pain that was both keen
and bitter went through Violets
heart How much better this woman
had loved him than she herself had
done, The rich heress had studied
the things he loved, while she had
never dreamed of so doing; she had
even at times felt impatient with his
devotion to art. The contrast struck
her most forcibly.
Il know, continued Miss Mari,
that that was the tie between us.
am sure now that nothing else was in
his mind. He would ask me to join
him in his rambles through the
woods; but it was never to make
love to me; only to talk of the color
ing of the leaves and the springing
grasses. We spent hours by the
beautiful reach of the river, by tho
well in the grounds; and, when we re-
turned, Lady RIVERS met us always
with the same smile. But l knew he
had never made love to me; we had
talked OF various things, but never of
love.
1T was during those hours that |
found out that Lord RIVERS was one
of the most romantic Of men, that he
had the soul of a poet with the genius
of an artist. / loved him more and
more With every sun that rose and
set my love grew deeper, stronger,
hrmer, and my heart SO one with his
that | can never take it from him.
III he had been vain. as many
young men at that age are, he must
have read my secret, ! was. often
ashamed of the loye-lisht in MY eyes.
of the glow ON my face-ofteu most