Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-02-03
CHAPTER XVIII.

From that tine the SnaQcW uSGp-
ened and the breach between husband
and wife widened
The captain avoided his wife for
her pale. sad face was a reprOach 10
him, and he knew we'll that his whole
conduct was indefensible.
Day by day The GOODNESS increased;
but it did not interfere with the cap
tain's enjoyment He called at Lady
Kinloch's as often as he thought pru-
dent and he troubled himself about
his wife just as little as possible.
The old gloom and melancholy re
turned to the unhappy woman, who, do
as she would, could not tear her
heart from the man she loved-could
not love him less, although she knew
that he was unworthy of her.
Then there came new phase in
her martyrdom, one thai was most
painful. when her heart and soul rose
III rebellion against the cruel fate
that was hers, when she cried TO
Heaven and asked why such torture
and punishment fell to her lot.
There We're hours when she would
sit watching the sea. broOding silently
over her sorrow, and then giving way
to such bitter tears that Angela grew
seriously alarmed.
The unhappy and sighted wife had
not felt this keen rebellion against her
fate before; now she was keenly
alive to it.
Mother and daughter were walking
one morning down the Kings Road
and they stopped before a shop with
a number of pictures in it. Lady
Lauras attention was riveted to one
of them. The subject. of it was the
martyrdom of a young and beautiful
woman. Underneath it was inscribed,
"a Woman's Martyrdom." Her lady
ship stood gazing at it with fixed at
tention. A woman, young and fair,
witt a veil of golden hair falling over
her white neck and shoulders, lay
fastened to the rack. In the back
ground were the dark walls of a prison
cell, and the white body of the woman
stood out against them in bold relief.
Two grim executiOners stood ready to
begin their hateful task. In the cor
ner, half hidden by the shadows, was
q handsome man with a cruel, trl-
Vmphant, evil face.
It was not the fair limbs bound so
tightly, it was not the cruel deep lines
made by rope or chain that drew
Lady Lauras attention and kept 1t;
it was the expression Of unutterable
pain on the face, the agony in the up
turned eyes. What her history could
be who should know? Why she was
dying that terrible death none could
tell. But it was plain to see that be-
fore the physical pain Of her martyr
dom had begun her heart was broken.
Her ladyship seemed fascinated by
the picture.
angela" she said in a low voice, Il
should like to buy that. I must have
lt-for my own"
'It is a melancholy picture, mann
ma" returned Angela, who knew by
instinct what her mother thought and
felt.
81 must have it, my dear, she de-
clared GA Woman's Martyrdom'
Angel, have been thinking that, de-
spite their smiling faces, most women
are martyrs in one way or another.
Some live and move with a dagger in
their heart, others with a sword sus
pended over their head; but live as
the woman in the picture, fastened to
the rack That wOman's martyrdOm
is more merciful than mine. When
her executioners apply that instru-,
mGnt she will soon cease to feel any
pain; and the ropes that fasten her
delicate body are not so terrible as
the weight that drags at my heart.
She will die quickly; but I must live
On while suffering torture. Angel, is
every woman's life martyrdom ?"
mo, mamma" she answered gently.
Think how happy you were when my
father was alive. Think how happy
and beloved you would be if he were
iiving now"
II must have the picture Angel"
repeated Lady Laura "My dear,
am the woman fastened to the rack;
and there is one who sees all my pain
and smiles over it. But in the pict-
ure Of my martyrdom it should be
Gladys Rane, who stands by the rack
ready to apply the instrument"
oh, hush, mammal! [ cannot bear
20 hear you say such things; it breaks
my heart. Do let me persuade you
not to buy the picture. 1t will fill
your mind with melancholy thoughts
whenever you look at it.
mo" she said, dreamily, cit will be
70 me a realization of my life and
death. 1 must buy it, Angela and it
shall hang in my own room"
When the captain first saw the
painting, he examined it with unusual
interest and curiosity.
IA Woman's Martyrdom, he
said, when he had finished his inspec-
Won. What a gloomy, terrible pict-
ure, Laura