Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-06-15
A Broken Wedding Ring

By Bertha II. Clay.

girls"
He found them standing side by
side before the new picture. Hettie
did not look at him; but Leah, with a
glance, invited him to join them.
Il am fascinated with Oenone," she
said. How well she loved Paris! Do
you think he made the wisest choice
in giving the golden apple to
Aphrodite?"
Not perhaps the wisest," he re-
piled. zone goddess offered unlimited
power, god-like supremacy, rest in
happy place, and absolute sovereignty.
The second offered him calmest wis
dom, soundest judgment,
Acting the law we live by without
fear;
And, because right is right, to follow
right
Were wisdom in the scorn of con-
sequence
The third, italian Aphrodite, beautiful,
81 Fresh as the foam, new bathed in
Paphian wells
offered him love. 4 promise thee
she said, the fairest and most loving
wife in Greece Love conquered"
How could that be-" said Leah,
quickly, when Paris loved Oenone
first"
over Sir Basil's handsome face
swept a great scorching blush. All!
how indeed? How can a man under
stand his own heart, or the great
mystery of love?
u suppose" he said, that the gods
Of old, like men of all time, have been
inconstant in love. So all poetry and
al mythology say"
"Oh, Basil, you do not mean it,
and the light of Leah's eyes flashed
right into his. Some men are surely
faithful?"
/ Hettie moved away from the
picture; she went TO the other end of
the room and took up a book. He
looked after her with haggard, visit
full eyes; every step of hers seemed
10 draw his heart with it; he did not
know that life could hold such tor
ture.
BASIL" said the musical voice,
you do not mean that. l thought
constancy was the gift of the gods"
4 have read that Inconsistency is the
pleasure of the GODS" he answered,
laughing somewhat bitterly. 1T may
'be the scourge Of men,"
There was a minutes silence, and
then a warm, white hand stole into
mis-, a dark head dropped near him,
and a voice that was sweet as the
cooling of dove, said.-
mo matter who is false, you are
true, Basil. You have truth in your
I eyes and on your lips. II all the
world proved false, you would be the
one true man in it." The dark eyes
were full of love, the beautiful lips
seemed 10 WOO him. What could he
do? you will always be true TO me,
will you not, Basil? You will always
loYe me, my love, better than all the
world beside?"
On the other side of the room was
the girl he loved, her fair face
averted; near him was the despairing
face of Oenone, nearer still the bril-
liant face of the girl who loved him
with her whole heart. Ii was like a
scene from a tragedy to him. He half
wondered If the lights would go out
and a curtain fall. If only the picture
had been away, and the desolation of
unhappy love out of his sight, he
would have felt less distressed.
Better than ali the world" con-
tinued Leah. How weak and worth
less a half love is, / would sooner
have hate. When Oenone's love was
over, ner life was ended. No half love
is worth having-is it, Basil?"
Heaven knows that it is not" he
said, with a great sigh. He saw the
golden head move with a gesture of
WEAKNESS. How hard 1t must be for
her TO bear this!" he thought; and his
mind went back to that one hour by
the sea, when mad hope, love and
despair had mingled. He whispered
some words that comforted Leah
she was so easily made happy by him
and then he said TO her: Let us do
SNulSAuAuS 10 duusS sOuA SlSNSLs sue
looks quite lonely there"
And Leah full of regret for her
momentary forgetfulness, fastened to
her. The face that Hettie raised to
her sister was CHASTITY in its pallor.
You are iii, Hettie." said Leah.
"Oh, my dear, what is wrong? l will
get a glass of water for you"-and she
hastend away.
Il cannot bear IL, BASIL" said
Hettie, looking at him with miserable
eyes. Il have not strength"
"Oh, my darling, would give my
lEe 10 undo it, to save you from the
of my fault, my
miserable fault"
What shall we do?" asked the girl
What will become of
US? Leah loves you so. Help me to
be true TO her and true TO myself,
Basil. How can turn traitress to the
sweetest of sisters, the kinjest and
the dearest? l must go away; can