Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-03-02
A Broken Wedding Ring

By Bertha III. Clay.

that he considered due to himself; be-
sides which, his health was rapidly
failing. He did not rest until he had
left the great city behind him and was
once more in his pleasant country cot
tage.
Leah did not know that her sister
had seen her, and the little incident OF
the flowers had never been mentioned.
1t happened that an artist, travelling
in the county where Martin Ray and
Hettie lived, had seen her, and had
made a very perfect sketch OF her
face: this he had afterWard made the
subject of a picture that he sent to
the Royal Academy. 1t was called
''The First Glimpse of Morning., and
it was one of the finest paintings ex-
hibited that year. 1t represented
young girl looking from a easement
window in the early morning. The
gray and rosy dawn was in the eastern
skies; the trees and flowers seemed to
| be waking from their sleep, and a few
birds were on the wing The window
was wreathed with lovely roses; and
the girls face, framed in the green
| foliage and crimson flowers, was
something to wonder at On 1T there
was the reverent look of one whose
! first thoughts in the morning mad been
given to heaven-a face so fair and
sweet that one felt the better for gaz-
| ing upon it. The golden hair and the
blue eyes, the delicate bloom, the spiri-
tual rapt expression, made the picture
! famous.
Leah and Sir Basil went together
to the Royal Academy. She was ex-
ceedingly fond of pictures.
''Have you seen The First Glimpse
Of Morning. Leah?" he asked her. eff
not, come this way There is always
a crowd round it. There-that is my
ideal face, the loveliest that could
be either imagined or copied"
Leah looked at it earnestly, and in
her own heart she thought how much
! twas like the face of her sister. She
did not know. then that it was per
fectly like her.
1T is a lovely face" she said slow
ly, wondering if Hettie, whom it so
strongly resembled, had grown up as
beautiful as that.
DO you know said Sir Basil, that
l see in it a great likeness to your"
do your" she questioned, her face
! flushing warmly.
Then, as though he had made dis
i cCvery that surprised him, he said
THAT face, Leah, has what yours in
some ways tenderness.
It was perfectly true; yet the mo-
ment he had said the words he re
pented of them. she looked so terribly
Ipained.
II am sorry that my face lacks any.
thing in your eyes" she said-"above
all, tenderness.
do not misunderstood me, Leah.
dc not say the heart-merely the lines
of the face"
What do the lines of my face e1
pIess?" she asked.
Courage, pride, spirit" he replied
This face is full of yielding and
sweetness"
She said no more. But after they
had left the Academy and reached
home, Leah went up to her lover. he
was bending over table, writing. She
PIT her arm round his neck, and her
beautiful face touched his
Basil" she whispered, I am not
happy
What is the matter, Leah?" he
asked
With her white hands she raised his
head until his eyes looked into her
own.
'Will you promise not to laugh at
me" she said. eff I tell you why?"
Eyes; I promise, Leah
Il am not happy because you have
seen a face that you like better than
mine"
May, Leah. I did not say that. [
said that the pictured face had what
yours lacked. [ did not add that l
| liked it better.
do you like my face-love it, |
! mean?" she whispered.
For answer he kissed the sweet
lips, and whispered words such as she
| lOnged to hear.