Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-12-01
A Broken Wedding Ring

By Bertha N. Clay.


made much pretense OF having mar
ried for loYe-a rich widow, Lady
BourgOyne, whose husband had been
one OF the Wealthiest men in India,
and had left the whole OF his fortune
to her. The fair willow herself HAD
given the first sign Of preference tor
Sir Arthur. She admired the gallant
soldier, with mis- brOnzed, handsome
face and fine figure. she gave him to
underst stand, in royal kind of fashion,
that she liked him.
Hitherto Sir Artnur had not given d
thought to love or marriage. He look
ed upon matrimOny as something not
quite fitted for soldier. He won
dered a little when he heard OF officers
and privates marrying. He wondered
yet a lutte more when he thought OF
all that the wives and mothers had to
suffer.
He was amused, rather than other
wise, when Lady Bourgoyne COM
menced to WOO him. When she first
began to Distinguish him by her at
tentions, he was timid and half shy,
wholly amused and quite ignorant OF
what to do or say. Lady Bourgoyne
managed it all for him. Considering
that she was at that time one OF the
most popular and wealthy women in
the whole presidency, her admiration
and evident liking for the genral
created no small sensation. She mar
ried him at last; for, oddly enough, in
speaking of the wedding, no one ever
remarked that the general had married
Lady Bourgoyne.
They lived together happily for
many years. Lady Hatton was one OF
the best and most submissive OF
wives. She simply adored her hus-
band, and lived for his happiness.
He seemed to be always more or less
surprised at himself Tor having mar
ried. When Lady Hatton died, she
left the whole OF her enormous fortune
to him. Sir Arthur missed his wife;
he incurred for her with all sincerity;
and he lived on without knowing that
his heart was still sleeping, and had
never awakened to the least knowl-
edge Of true love.
Before his marriage he had received
the letter written by his sister, and it
had touched him deeply. He had
loved lutte Doris very dearly. She
was but child when he had left
home, yet he retained the liveliest
and most loving memory Of her. He
said to himself, when he read the
letter, that he would most certainly
attend to her wishes. But it was a
difficult thing to do. He was thous-
ands OF miles from home, and his
time was inces santly occupied. He de-
layed from day to day, not quite know
ing what to do, until at last the letter
was put away with other papers and
forgotten. Then came the busiest par:
OF his life; he married, lost his wife,
doubled his fortune, and resolved upon
returning to England. He resigned
his command, gathered together his
wealth, and, to the great regret of all
who knew him, sailed for his native
land. He had spent the best part of
his life in India, he had accumulated
much treasure, and he determined that
he would spend the few last years Of
his life in ease and enjoyment. Under
the heat of the tropical sun, and amid
the discomforts of a tropical cline,
this had been his one idea, the one
dream in which he had reveled-to
return home, and in the heart of his
native land, fairer to him than any
other on which the sun shOne, make
for himself a perfect home.
Everything succeeded as he wished.
The princely mansion and estate OF
Brentwood were in the market, and
the generals solicitors declared that he
could not do better than purchase
them. He did so; the grand old house,
with it's magnificent grounds, its
woods, and streams, became his, and
he was proud of it. Brentwood stands
II the beautifully-wooded and pic
turesque country of Warwickshire;
the lovely Avon runs near it, great
hills crowned with trees stretch out
on either side Brentwood Hall and
Brentwood park have been famous in
picture and song for many generations.
1ne general was pleased with his new
designation-"Sir Arthur Hatton Of
Brentwood"
Many people wondered if he would
marry again; but the general had no
such mention. He knew nothing of
house-furnishing or decoration; but
ne gave carte-blanche to Messrs. Car
son & Son, the famous uphOlsterers,
the result of which was that he had
one of the most magniicentIy fur
nished houses in England. He had a
correspondi1gly heavy bill to pay.
He looked at it, sighed, wondered what
his wife would have thought of it,
drew a check for it, and forgot it..
When the Hall was ready for occu-
patton, he took up his residence there.
All his papers were sent to him, and,
looking over them one day, for the
purpose of arranging them, he found
his dead sisters letter that had teen
hidden away for so long. He re-read
it with a smothered cry of self
reproach. He had forgotten it all
these years.