Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-01-07
Continued.

VIVIAN Deen 10 see you toruhy
There was strong impulse in the
young Wife'S heart not to answer that
question--to repay Miss Leigh's sar-
tcasms by silence; but the sweet and
gentle nature that had grown with her
years came TO the rescue now, and she
answered without any trace OF the
emotion that was raging In her heart.
81 asked" said Miss Leigh, with a
careless smile, because we have had
some long rides together lately, and
wished to know II he was going out
to-day"
But Lady VIolante could not tell,
and not knowing how far the sweet,
forgiying temper OF the young wife
would extend, Miss Leigh thought 1t
best to be civil. She talked a few
commonplaces, OF the weather, the
neighborhood, the flowers, and then
withdrew
Lady Violante's thoughts were not
very pleasant ones, She tried to ban
ish them; to say to herself that she
was blessed and happy; yet why had
Vivian been taking long drives with
Beatrice? He had only mentioned
being out with her once or twice, yet
Beatrice spoke Of 1t as an habltual
practice. She tried TO say to herself
that, even If II were so, nothing could
be more natural; and yet she would SO
much rather not have known It.
They are solemn words, spoken ,ong
ago, written by inspiration, and be-
leved In by nll good people--most sol
omn words CHOSE whom God hath
Joined together, let no man put asun.
der" Did Beatrice Leigh remember
them when she deliberately tried to
torture the gentle heart OF Vlolante
Selwyn, by sowing tho seeds OF jeal-
ousy that were afterward to bear 80
fatal and 80 strange a harvest2 She
liked to watch the color come, In ntful
Pushes, on tho lovely face; she liked
TO watch the qulverlng Of tho sweet
lips, when some curious or false word
OF hers struck home
She had never said to herself In 30
many plain words that the one object
OF her life was to part husband and
Wife; to SOW discord and strife be.
tween them; to make Lord Vivian
ashamed Of his wife; to make Lady
Violante jealous of her husband. Per.
haps she would not have liked such
plain words, but none the less was
that the one object for which she
lived.
Every resource Of her subtle mind
was brought to bear upon It, every
word she uttered was spoken with one
OF these two objects. While Lady
Violante was Ill, during tho sweet
month of May, when the almond bios.
SONS fell on the grass, and the syrlnga
trees bloomed, she tried to make her.
self indispensable to Lord Vivian. Her
quick intellect, her graceful fancy, her
bright wit, wore all his She was
plquant sarcastic, and sentimental by
turns, always proud to others, always
humble To him He could not avoid
seeing It, and there In no surer way OF
natterlng mans vanity than by treat.
ing him In different way to the rest
of the world
Beatrice oXcelled In this. She was
proud, defiant, naughty. and reserved
TO the world In general; to him she
was gentle, deferential, almost humble.
When no one else could persuade, in
fuence or coax her, one word from
Lord Vivian was sufficient He saw It.
She had clear field when Lady
Vioanto was Ill Almost lnsensibly
TO himself, Lord Vivian began to look
for the beautiful animated face, and
the interesting on dts that she had
always prepared for him, She had n
gift rare among women, that of rare
and brilliant conversational power
No man could listen unmoved to
Beatrice Leigh whether she scofrod
or praised, whether she blamed or ap.
proved, whether she argued contra.
dicted, or assented; no matter what
she said, every one listened to her,
People with an hour 10 spare thought
themselves fortunate II thoy could
spend II with Beatrice Leigh. Ennut,
monotony, and weartness fled from
her presence She was neither gentle
nor tender of heart, She was neither
spirituelle, nor poetical as was Vic.
lante; but she was u woman whom all
men liked as companion. whose so.
ciety was agreeable TO all And this
brilliant, witty woman flung her wit,
her accomplishments, all at Lord Viv.
ian's feet, II he went TO drive, or to
walk, she manoeuvered TO 10 with him,
and no one could talk about the estate
like Beatrice, II IN the soft May
cleaning he sat and smoked n cigar
she was ready with some story that
never shocked, but always had In Il a
soupcon of something fast When he
looked tired, she sang to him: not
sweet old ballads. such as Violantc
sung, but passionate love songs, with
words that made his heart beat fast
and his pulses thrill.
II he had tiresome letters to write
she was there ready to do all for him: