Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-11-30

the flowers outside seemed as LuoAHA
they bowed their heads in greeting;
lilies and roses were at their fairest;
the suuEeams swept in through the
fower-shaded windows, and they fell
upon a quiet, pretty scene that spoke
OF home. afnuence and elegance.
They fell first upon the proud. i'm
uerfCus face ca an elderly lady, the
mother Of the earl. the Hon. Mrs. Ger
aid seIwyn. q lady who sits calm and
erect. There IS not a bend in her
figure. not a wrinkle in her calm
ratrician face; one can see that she is
proud 90 a fault. scrupulOus. ambitious.
worldly and fond OF life She wears q
dress of stlvergray silk and a white
headdress. Her face is fine one.
with little trace Of care upon IL.
Calm. proud. stately HRS. Selwyn-
Her heart cold and naughty as her
face. with only one weakness in her
nature. and that is her blind. passion
ate worship Of her only son, a worship
that is neither more nor less than pure
fdoIatry. for she gives no thought
away from him. As she sits now. her
ewes Hnge- On his portrait, a picture
uainted when he wore the uniform OF
the Oueen's own. The sunbeams fall
there. too. Frightening the dark, hand
some face into wOndrOus beauty. Mrs.
Selwyn always sits where she can see.
that picture: it is the next best thing
90 seeing her son.
The sunbeams fall on something else
on the proud. high-bred face OF a.
young girl. who is arranging some
lilies so as 20 form a bOuquet-On a.
beautiful oval face. with a short upper,
llp and 2 fresh, ripe under one, with
clear. calm. proud eyes, and straight
brows-a girl with a long, graceful
white throat and small white hands,
with every mark OF race about her-a
thorough pStrician; no smiling, dim
pied beauty. fun of Wild, fresh impulse,
such as ViOlante Temple. A court
beauty. this-au aristOcrat, with al
the naughty loneliness and dignity OF
8 queen. She wore no jewels, few
ornaments. but a plain white morning.
dress. that is closed up TO the throat
and falls iE long. graceful folds down
10 the pretty little feet
And this young lady, who moves
with such calm. serene. proud grace,
is called Beatrice Leigh. She is the
niece of Mrs. SelwyE. and cousin of
Lord Vivian
Cousin Orce removed. Mrs. Selwyn
had a stepsister. a fair. timid. gentle
girl. who married you2s al went
abroad with her husband. Colonel
Leigh. The colonel died in Canada;
his yCuuE wife did not long survive.
him. and she left her little daughter
Beatrice as a legacy to s.Selwyn.
Next TO her own son. Mrs. Selwyn
loved Beatrice Leigh better than any
enc else in the world. and from the
first moment the child entered her.
house. she had one wish. and II was.
that her proud. beautiful niece should
marry her son.
AS children. Vivian and Beatrice
spent much OF their time together.
When he finally went to Oxford, and
theft into the army. they were separ-
atei. Vivian retaining for his beautiful
little pIayfeIlOw a warm. kindly. broth
esIy affection. She. fed by his moth
C~'s continual praises OF him, and con-,
slant rsiteratiOn % her wishes. gradu-'
ally came TO love the brave young cap
tain better than all the world besides.
~ Mrs. SeIwyn had kept her wishes
tc herself n harm would have been
done. As il was she talked most
uureEervedly TO the girl. She rejOiced
in the peerless patrician beauty that
day by day become more and more
developed.
Vivian will see no one in India like
YOU. my dear she would say; you
are sure 10 win his heart at once when
he returns; then / shall have nothing
left to wish for-when / see my son at
the castle. and you the Countess OF
Selwyn."
So the girl grew up to believe implic-
itly i'm her destiny. She was TO be
Vivian's wife. The same picture that
charmed Mrs. Selwyn was her constant
resource. She spent many hours
before il. until the dark, handsome
face was SO deeply engrayen on her
heart that nothing could remove 1t
again. She was a beautiful girl, Of a
naughty. determined. passionate ma
ture. and with the whole force Of the
passion that was in her-with the
whole strength OF a strong sOul-she
loved Lord Vivian Selwyn.
She looked very fair and serene as
the sunbeams kissed the beautiful face
and the white dress; her hair, dark
and shining like the wing of rare
bird. is braided round her beautiful
head. after the fashion of a Grecian
statue. leaving the two pretty. Pearly
ears 10 be seen.
Letters" cried Beatrice. az the
fo0tman entered. I wonder If Vivian
has written; II he Is still lingering az
that wonderful place-what is it?-