Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-04-18
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Continued.

lost her presence of mind. She sew
in a moment what the letter was
and understood, with her quick i'll
stinct, all that had happened. Her
face flushed, her proud eyes fell, the
iewellod hands trembled The girl
standing before her with set, scornful
face, looked like an injured queen
The dowager felt almost like a
criminal
Read it, and tell me If it be true
repeated Violet. And for a few
seconds the two women looked at each
other in silence that was more terrible
than words.
Slowly enough her ladyship took
the letter and read IT, Violet stood
still and erect before her. When she
had finished, the dowager looked up.
We'll, what do you wish to know?"
she asked, coolly.
Il wish to know, first of ALL" said
Violet, IF the letter to which that is
an answer was written by you?"
ut was answered the dowage".
boldly
you have been trying to discover
whether there was any flaw in my
marriage with your son, in order thai
you might separate us?"
81 have done So" confessed the
elder woman.
you dislike-nay, may say that
you hate me so bitterly you would fain
rob me of my fair name and my fair
fame%
IL am so anxious with regard to my
son" replied her ladyship, insolently,
that ! am Indifferent TO all else"
you wish, then, that the N arriage
between myself and your son could
be undone?" interrogated Violet
81 do wish 1t with all my heart. |
would give half possess If 1t could be
so arranged" said the dowager. ut
is idle to withhold the truth from you.
have done my best; but unfortu1-
ately have failed wrote to one Ct
the most eminent firms of lawyers IN
London; as you have seen, they have
given an unfavorable opinion"
you have really been endeavorinp
to find some reason that would enabi
you to have my marriage annulled?'
pursued Violet, steadily. you tel
me honestly that such Is the case?"
Eyes. There is no need for AM
reticence in the matter. have
know three cases myself in which tn,
marriage has been set aside as null
and void because the supposed hus
band was not of age. 1t seems that II
my sons case, there is no such loop
hole for escape"
With the same white, set face
Violet drew nearer to her.
Tell me one thing more" she said
In a voice that the dowager never for.
got until her dying day. Does my
husband know that you have done
this?"
II told him | should do IT, reptile |
her ladyship.
And he made no effort to stop you
He has allowed you to crown all your
other insults with this?"
He did not say one word to pre-,
vent It." she answered
Great Heaven and they call this
nobility" c;ied Violet. She went
on, trying to speak calmly, IF the an.
swer of your most wicked and un-
womanly letter had SEEN Yes, that
In the marriage your son and myself
though perfectly legal, there was a
flaw. what should you have done?"
Il should have insisted on my son S
taking advantage of il, and at any
price have compelled him TO have the
marriage annulled" was the
dowager's answer.
The two women stood for a few
minutes looking fiSedly at each other.
Then Violet, with shudder, spoke rs
one just waking from hideous
dream.
II will annul the marriage myself,
she said, slowly and solemnly. "Your
son deceived me. Had | known that
he belonged to class hate. had !
known that he would bring me to this
place with surroundings that are
utterly abhorent to me. Iwould not
have married him. have thought
lately more than once that perhaps
mistook the glamour of girls fancy
for love. | will trouble neither you
nor him again. A marriage founded
on deceit is no marriage. | married
the handsome, simple young artist
one of my own class: did not marry
Lord RIVERS of Ryversdale. You
need not employ lawyers on my ac-
count. | will annul marriage that
is hateful to myself"
That is nonsense" rejoined the
dowager. you cannot do anything of
the kind; you have not the power"
II will find the power. the way and
means" said Violet, calmly.
The dowager began to feel Just "A
little bit nervous. II was possible
That she was going to far. that her
son would be terribly angry. There
was no telling what creature like
this, without ANY of the restraints of
class, might do.
Lady RIVERS" Violet went on. you
have hated me from the moment I
entered your house; you have heaped
ridicule and insult on me: now YOU
have crowned all by seeking to ron
me of that which is as dear to the
poorest peasant as to the highest IN
The land-my good name. Let me