Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-01-24

marriage he found out that she had
never cared for him. that she had
loved a penniless young captain in the
army, and had married Lord Ather-
| leigh for his money. He was gen
| tie, sensitive. loving man, and
| it broke his heart, Violet; he could
not recover from it. He tried to take
his place in the world. he tried hard to
| live for other things, but it was i'm
possible; and, when he was dying, he
sent for me to say good-by, he had al
ways been SO fond of me. The doe
| tors had given some long Latin names
to his disease, and they said he was
dying Of it; but he was not. His all
ment was a broken heart. He told
| little lad he loved-when | went to see
him. l was just eighteen years of
age then, and it made a great impress
sion upon me. l remember the ex-
preston on his face. the pain in his
| eyes, the pitiful voice; | remember
! the room. and the sunlight that came
| through the window and fell upon the
floor. He called me to him; his hands
were so thin and white. He took
mine in his. Randolph he said, my
little schoolfellow. l am going to die,
and | have sent for the little lad l
loved so well to whisper one word Of
warning in his ear He drew my
face down to his. You will be a rich
man some day, Randolph; mind what
I say to you. Let no woman marry
you for your money. Marry some one
who loves you for yourself alone. To
be married for money or rank, without
love is to be cursed. My life has
been cursed; guard yours I never
forgot the words, Violet never
shall; and from that moment | made
up my mind. even if l never married
at all, would wait until I met some
one who cared for me alone. Listen
to me, Violet. Woman misjudge men
because some poet has chosen to
write:
Mans love is of mans life thing
apart,
'Tis woman's whole existence
Every one believes that to be true; I
say it is not true. Love is quite as
much to man as to a woman. often
more; but men say perhaps less about
it. Look at my friend He died be-
cause the woman he loved did not love
him. You must not think that all the
fret and the fever and the passion of
love lies with woman; it does not.
Listen to me. Violet. You will not
turn your face toward me. How can
you be so cold to me when I love you
so well? l began my life with this
idea fixed in my mind. that l must be
loved and married for myself alone.
| went great deal into society. 1t is
true [ was only a youth; but I under
mothers cCtrted me for their daugh-
tiers. | will not say more; I have
chivalrous love for all women, and
cannot bear to speak even against the
worldly ones. It is enough to say that
it was my wealth and title that were
the attraction. and not myself; per-
haps with one or two it may have been
different. People said, but never be-
lieved them, that Gwendoline Mari
would have married me even if l had
been penniless. | cannot say; she
was not to my taste"
Slowly enough the fair head turned,
and the beautiful face was raised to
his. There was a faint CLEAN of inter
est in the violet eyes.
"Who was Gwendoline Marr?"
Violet asked
heiress, the daughter of Lord MARI OF
Marsland, and considered 20 be the
most perfectly beautiful brunette in
England"
why did not you marry herr"
To be Continued.