Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-03-16
A Broken Wedding Ring

By Benba N. Clay.

! view or interesting you thaJ desired
TO see you"
Il did not intend to be rude" re-
turned Martin Ray. Il mean this
my life has been a fierce fight.
know but two extremes. You must
forgive mel hate all mediocrity."
you are like an old soldier who
smells gunpowder," said Sir Basil,
| good-temperedly. You would enjoy a
warm political; argument with me;
| but Il is not possible. / am only just
/ beginning TO understand matters.
could not hold my own with you
which words delighted Martin Ray. Il
have not had the advantage of an Eng
lish education: my youth has been
spent i'm Italy, and politics have formed
no part OF my training"
a sad pity. An English lad should
be reared in England" remarked Mar
tin. grufiiy.
There is an exception TO every
rule, and every creature living has to
bow TO circumstances" said Sir Basil.
NO man can be so arrogant as TO
stand up and say, All other men
should do this or that
Perhaps not" admitted Martin,
more humbly.
In a few months or a few years, "
continued Sir Basil, Il shall be better
informed about politics than l am
now. / intend to read, to study, TO
think; and then, when have mastered
both sides of the various questions l
shall be able to form clear and de
cided views of my own"
That is right" said Martin.
AT present l am inclined to trust
in what / should call the happy
medium. All my faith does not lie
with those who believe in the divine
right of kings, nor yet with those who
would make a kings crown fair target
for good shot I have read some Of
yur writings. You go too far; they
bristle with sedition.
You are plain spoken" said Martin
Ray.
4 believe in truth and plain words, "
replied Sir Basil. Il have heard that
you are out of health, and that of late
you have not been fortunate. ! hope
& is not So"
1T Is quite true" was the answer.
Martin Ray was beginning to like
this handsome, frank young man who
was evidently interested in him. If
any one had whispered to him that
this was caused by the fact that he
was Hettie's father, he would have
secuted the idea. MY health and
strength have failed me-" he said; and
there was a certain dignity in his
pathos Il am a dead lion; and every
one knows that a live dog is better.
Time was when my roar struck the
| ears of thunderstorm il is not heard.
nave outlived myself. l had great
hopes once, great ambitions. l must
have been mad when l dreamed that
I should be the elected leader of a free
people"
All Englishmen are Free" said Sir
Basil.
All" he cried, with sudden energy
ana fire, but they have not the same
freedom that would have given
them, / have been mad al ny life,
believe; but / have hal dreams Of Il
4 2Uand nation, a grand people, free
from taxes and national debt-free,
and led by me. There have been
times when l have seemed oven to NY
self, by the splendor of my own
dreams, my pride, and my very life
almost have come TO an end"
Il cannot quite see the sense of
your argument" said Sir Basil. 'If
rcople are to be led. what does it
matter whether they are led by high
soulcd, generous king. by a noble
woman like our queen, or by a man
like yourself, whose rule would of
necessity be inferior, because your
education and learning must be in
feriOr?"
Il will answer that question another
time" replied Martin Ray, with a nod
OF dismissal. Come and see me
a ain. You have stirred an old pain
! IL my heart Good-5y."
Z And without another word Sir Basil
! retraced his teps to Dene Abbey,
thinking the whole way of the man he
had just left.
CHAPTER xxx.
On that same evening a large party
was assembled at Dene Abbey, and
Sir Basil made a great effort to give
his mind TO the present. He tried TO
forget the beautiful voice he had heard
and the sweet face he had seen in the
old gray church; he tried to forget
the stern, haggard man looking with
sad, wear.ed eyes over the waste of
waters. He did his best; but the
eyes of love are keen and Leah saw
that he was quiet and talked less than
usual
How she loved him, How her whole
heart shCne in her face as she went up
TO him. How the love-light glistened
in her dark eyes and the sweet, sen
s'tive lips trembled with their love
sighs. She had a caressing fashion of
coins behind him AID whispering low
ing words that no one else could