Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-07

fancied them holding the fatal dose,
until I-oh, may heaven forgive mel
until l hated her. l never looked at
her, l never heard the sound of her
voice, without thinking of the MUIR
dered child.
only heaven knows the misery of
our life. She asked me once to go
with her to church at Ulladale, and l
laughed in scorn. A vile criminal, and
the man who had hidden the murder
of child, and that child his own
brothers, at church. No: the bare
idea was revolving to me-
Il remember one morning she came
to me and knelt at my feet. She prayed
me to give her one kind word, one kind
look, and l repulsed her She looked
at me long and steadily.
Rudolph she said, your conduct
is right, no doubt; but I would far
rather have been hanged.
After that I noticed a great change
in her, 1 do not think, frankly speak
ing, that she ever realized the enor-
nifty of her sin. I believe there had
always been a faint hope in her heart
that | should forgive her ard take her
back again, poor child, The stories
that I heard from the servants about
her were so deplorable that | decided
on finding a companion for her. Kate,
who came as poor Nests companion
will be your wife, Uric; and may
heaven send you happier lot than
has fallen to me!
Il could never tell you what have
suffered. When | have seen her most
miserable. my heart has relented
toward her, and 1 have longed to say
kind word to her; then my loathing
returned, and l could not speak it.
Life has been nothing but torture for
me and for her. Least of all could l
bear to see her touch or speak to a
child. She knew that, and in my
presence never attempted it, What
would have become of us had her
death not taken place I cannot tell 1t
was better for her, better for me.
"She sinned, but she suffered;
through all the time Of bitter estrange-
ment she loved me as well ana as pas
sionately as ever. She tried to atone
for her sin. How she pleaded to me
that she might nurse the rectors
child!
az took a life, beloved, she said.
for love of you; let me save one, and
then heaven may pardon me. If heaven
is merciful, you must be merc1ful'
THAT is her story. How do you
Judge herr"
Closed forever were the lips that
might have pleaded in self-defense,
the eyes that had shed so many bitter
tears. She could tell us nothing of the
passion of love that had driven her
mad, Of her sorrow and despair, her
torture and anguish. She lay silent
Heaven would judge her. Dare we?
Rudolph bent down and kissed her
with burning tears. who will Judge
her?" he asked
And no voice replied.
What flowers will you place in her
hands, Kate?" said Uric softly.
All me, not the white roses of inno-
cence or the red blossoms of guilt!
In her golden hair, on her silent heart.
in her white hands, placed purple
passion-fowers, the truest emblem of
her.
l am Lady GILMORE now, for Sir
Rudolph went back into the army and
was slain at Isandula Then Uric
gave up the bar, and we were mar
ried, and went to live at Brooke
The memory of the fair little child of
it's young mother, of beautiful Nest,
has faded now; but Uric, more my
lover than ever since he has been my
husband, says that when he sees the
mistletoe, the white berries look like
tears upon it; and he will not have it
near us at Christmas time
But, though tears lie on the mistle-
toe, the berries on the holly are rud-
duly red as of old; and they, with the
green laurels, tell the same happy
story and seem to breathe to us the
same good wish as always-tA merry
Christmas and happy New Year."
THE END.