Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-07-13
cHAPTER ".

that hopes must perish, love be
wrecked, life all spoiled. Then she
began TO write That moment pre-
scented the supreme temptation OF her
life She longed so intensely TO tell
him that she knew all, TO reproach
him that he had preferred another, to
tell him that IL was the knowledge of
this fact which had killed her. She
longed TO say this 10 him. II seemed
so hard TO die and make no sign. He
would live and be happy, and no one
would ever know what she had
suffered or why she had died.
| She sat for some time with the pen
in her hand. II was the one great
Temptation of her life. Should she
tell him or not? When she came to
die, should she feel any the happier
that she had left him with this sting
in his breast, this memory which
would always be TO him one OF bitter
pain? II would be ample vengeance.
II he knew that her unhappiness had
killed her, he could never be happy
again. He was honorable and SEN
knew the truth he would never marry
Hettie. He was not one to build his
happiness on the grave of the woman
who had loved him so well. She
judged him rightly. If ever he knew
or suspected the truth, he would never
have another happy moment. 1t was
great temptation. Her heart
throbbed with il, her whole frame
trembled; and then with a supreme
effort she conquered il. They-nay,
even he whom she loved, when he
heard her story-had pronounced her
selfish. She could prove now that
that was untrue. She could make the
greatest sacrifice that any woman
could make, all the more noble that
il would remain for ever q secret be
tween Heaven and herself. She would
not tell him one word. If in that
past life OF hers she had been selfish,
I her selfshness would be atoned for
now. She could write a simple letter,
I saying nothing Of love or reproach,
nothing Of life or death, but telling
hin that she had found the wedding
ring broken. My very dear Basil:
To my surprise this morning, on
opening my jewelcase, l found the
wedding-ring broken. inclose it,
You know better what to co with it
than ="
Swiftly, suddenly, as had been fore
told, death came 10 her, without pain,
without bitterness, without agony.
The pen dropped from the white
fingers; her head fell upon the paper.
She died with a smile on her lips.
There was not even a spasm Of pain,
no faint murmur or cry. The throb-
bling, laboring, broken heart had
stopped at last. With the wind that
chanted a requiem among the great
trees her soul rose TO heaven, and the
body left behind grew cold and beauti-
in the embrace of death.
So they found her, dead, with the
. half-written letter and the broken
wejding-ring.
/ The duchess was almost frantic.
She refused to believe that Leah was
dead, it was utterly impossible, she
. declared. She called for brandy,
wine, hot water-every possible
restorative. She would not see the
mark of death or the beautiful face.
She sent for doctors, and one OF the
first was DR.. Evan Grifiths.
Z He recognized her at once. This
was the despairing girl who had come
TO him longing with her whole heart
10 die; and the longing had been
granted. He was accustomed TO
many a sal sight and scene, to every
kind of sickness and distress; but he
had seen nothing which touched him
more than the dead face of this hap
less girl. Tears came into his eyes.
The duchess told him OF the broken
weddins-rins; she thought It a most
marvellous coincidence. And the
little story conveyed to the doctor
almost al that he wanted 10 know.
or course there vas nothing TO be
done. DR.. Gri3ths said that there
was no need for s-y inquiry; the
cause OF death was heart disease
there was no doubt Ct it.
/ The duchess raised her hands in
establishment.
3 Heart diseIe," she c:.s,. - &@Ts
never heard her complain o. her
heart"
! Il have" sobbed Hettie. q have
; frequently heard her complain If a
sharp, strange pain, and of her cart
I beating slowly"
She must have suffered Cor y, Irs,"
said Dr. Grifiths. but he did not add
that the disease had been aggra' ated
by some terrible shock. n respected
the secret that he had kept so well.
The duchess would not allow any
thing TO be touched IN the room until
the general and Sir Basil came. The
unfinished letter lay upon the able
and the broken wedding-ring was in
the folded paper.
They had telegraphed at once for
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