Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-06-06
Continued.

mistress of Ryversdale, that she wa
sure Randolph loved me. She wa
equally sure that, when he was OF age
he would ask me to be his wife. Sh'
told me that he had peculiar ideas o
marriage; but have discovered since
then that they were of very differen
kind from what l expected.
Lady RIVERS was very cruel il
talking to me after this fashion. She
would Speak of the time when
should be mistress of Ryversdale as
though it was a certainty. One day
ventured to say to her:
"'You speak as though l were en-
gagged to your son, Lady RIVERS
whereas he has never said one word
of love to me-neVer one
"'He will do So she said, smiling,
when the right time comes
Then | asked her shyly why she
was so anxious that l should marry
him, and she told me frankly that
even since she had heard of and seen
me, she had wished me to be her son s
wife.
Not for your money, dear she
said, although a fortune like yours
gives influence and has great ad-
vantages-it will help Randolph 70
make a position for himself second to
Aone in the land. 1t is because you
are in every way fitted for him.
You have every one of the gifts and
advantages that | desire for him;
you have not one of the drawbacks
that would have grieved me-.
ut was very consoling; but should
have valued one word of love from
the son more than all these overtures
from the mother. We were together
three weeks at Holt Castle; adding
those to the seven weeks at RIVERS
dale, count my life ten happy weeks.
Some have ten happy years, some
have a whole happy life; 1 have had
ten perfect weeks"
But you may be happy yet" said
Violet; you will not spend the whole
Of your life il lamenting for one who
did not love YOU"
ut sounds like lunacy," said Miss
Mari; but what am | to do? l have
given my love; | cannot recall it. It
is not my fault. There are some
things irresistible, and this is one. I
would free myself from this bondage
of terrible love if l could. Do you
know what this love will do for me?"
NO." answered Violet, wondering
ly.
ut will kill me, sooner or later. No
one can live long with a broken
heart; and mine is surely broken
Then Violet wondered more and
more. This is how Monica had spok-
en-. She asked herself if Randolph
had left her, had gone away from
st. Byno's without telling her he loved
her, would her heart have broken?
Would she have felt as though all
life were ended? And this time
there was a thrill both of pain and
pleasure in her heart as the answer
came. She was beginning to think
differently of her husband, viewing
him in the light of another woman's
love.
The strangest part of the story is
yet to come" said Miss Mari. Lady
RIVERS wrote to me in the month of
April, and told me that her son had
asked, as a special favor before he
settled in life, that he might have one
year for sketching-tour. He had
promised her that, if she would con-
tinue her administration of his
estates, and extend her reign until
the expiration of that time, he would
willingly attend to the duties she was
most anxious to urge upon him.
That was in April. In June l went to
Ryversdale. Of course he was alb
sent, and the difference was as great
as between night and day. Still
Lady RIVERS talked to me in the
same fashion-of what / should do
when | went to reign over the grand
Old house where she had been mis-
trGss so long, what plan Of life she
wished Randolph to pursue
As,ain came the mingled sense Of
paira and pleasure, SO new to Violet,
at THE sound of her husbands name
on her rivals lips.
This autumn continued the heir
ess, ~ was staying with some friends
near REVERSIBLE and / heard strange
rumorss about the young heir. At
hast | saw Lady RIVERS, and she pray.
ed of ME so urgently to go to her at
Ryversdale that l could not refuse.
But, ah ME, what different place it
was! A blight seemed to have fallen
over it. Lady RIVERS looked like q
woman PRESSED down by some terrible
sorrow, and tafter awhile, she told il
to me. It was a strange story, but
knowing her sons romantic nature,
cannot say that it surprised me-"
It was by supreme effort tha
Violet refrained from speaking; she
felt that it was her own story she wa
about to heara and, for some mex
plicable reasona she dreaded hearin:
it.
cit seems" continued Miss Mari
that Lord RIVERS always had
dread of being married for money o
title, that the great wish of his hear
was to marry for love. That was hi
dream, just as some dream of a sea
in Parliament and, others Of tn
Victoria Cross. 1t was the desire e
his heart, the one great ambition {
his life. AS have tod, you, he wer
on sketching-tour. He would hav
no valet, no servant; he left a
ceremony and formality behind hin
He dropped even his name, and tit
for time; he wanted to realize to il
fullest extent the freedom and char