Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-03-17

you had better have il at once"
"A telegram" said his master
sleepily: who can have telegraphed
to me? Read it, Nicoli.'
But the valet hesitated; his white
face and trembling hands might have
told his master that he had already
done so.
Perhaps" said Nicoli, 1T would
be better If the signor would read it
himself; it might contain bad news"
"Nonsense!" said Lord Vivian, with
a smile, rousing himself. What bad
news can come to me?"
He took the paper from the mans
hand and read Bewilderment and
unutterable surprise came over him
mistake! Far from being in the train
al Sedi, his wife was sleeping near
that he knew For the accident he
was sorry; but it was not his wife who
was there.
There is some mistake" he said
to the valet who stood by in silence
Il must get up, though, and set it
straight. Get me some Coffee,
Nicoli."
The man went away, Still silent
and trembling, Lord Vivian dressed
himself hurriedly.
How could such a mistake arise?'
he asked himself How could such a
foolish error be made?"
He went to his wife's room and
turned the handle; the door was
locked.
"Violante.' he cried, Il want to speak
to you"
There was no answer
"Violante, darling!" he cried again,
"a want you"
Still no answer, and a deadly chill
of fear came over him He tried to
remember when he had seen her last,
and what she had said to him. He
remembered she was standing with
Mrs. Rochester, Prince Cesare and
Miss Leigh. He had gone to remind
Beatrice Of the next dance. He could
not recall any word he had spoken to
his wife, but he remembered how she
had looked at him--the sweet, plead
ing expression of the dark eyes, the
love told so plainly in the beautiful
face. He had not seen her after that
"Violante!" he cried again, and his
strong heart began to- tremble with
strange dread
Just then he heard Nicoli enter his
room with the coffee.
i Never mind that" said Lord Vivian.
hastily. "Nicoli, could you break open
door quietly, without making much
noise?"
Yes, Nicoli could do that He went
To fetch the necessary implements, and
his master stood with the dawn of
terrible fear in his face. Once more
he cried "Violante!" but no answer
came from the silent, deserted rooms.
/ Then came Nicoli. and in three min
utes the door was opened, and Lord
Selwyn entered. What did il mean?
There was the bed, with its pretty
white hangings, but no Violante lay
there. No one had slept there; the
room was empty. silent. and desolate
With that strange dread growing on
him, he opened the door that led to her
dressing.room: it was all silent all
desolate No Violante was there.
What did ii mean? An accident at
Sedli, and Lady Selwyn was in the
train The words. in letters of fire,
seemed to flame round him Then his
eyes fell upon the letter addressed to
himself, in Violante's well-known writ
ing.
He tore 1t open; he read it once
twice thrice; he cried aloud that he
could not understand it--he knew not
what il meant. Why had she gone
from him Ibis wife, whom in spite of
the cloud and the GOODNESS that had
arisen between them, he loved better
than all the world besides.
What did she mean by setting him
free? What was freedom. or anything
else to him. compared with her? He
knew nothing of the cruel words she
had erheard--nothing of the torture
that had been hers when she saw him
50 kind TO Beatrice Leigh He did not
know that fierce jealousy and deep
love had driven her half mad, He I'M
dorstood none of these things. and he
cried aloud again, Why had she left
him?"
A fatal accident. and Lady Selwyn
was in the train The words came to
him with fresh meaning now Sedi,
he knew. was a station on the road to
Genoa Genoa led to England, The
cry that came from his white lips
startled the sleepers from their
dreams He understood at length
Niolante had left him. and something
terrible had happened, What was il?
What was The worst? Was she living
or dCadP
To be continued
Romance VS.. Reality.