Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-03-10

Selwyn.
She found the butler, who sought
his lordship and delivered his ladys
message, Lord Vivian shrugged his
shoulders, sent some commonplace
message In return. and said TO himself
1t was always the same-"Violante
was always III when there was any
thing TO do"
When the nurse was gene, she knelt
down by her sleeping child She laid
her tired head on the white pillow by
his side. All, no! not even for him.
| her dearest and best beloved, was her
life worth preserving. For his dear
sake she would be better dead than
! living. Dead, people would treat her
memory, at least, with respect; living,
they would tell her boy, when he grew
older that she was untitled to have
] the charge Of him--that his father had
married beneath him. How could she
bear that her precious boy, her only
,child. should hear such words? Dead,
a veil would cover all.
She was not one of those grand,
heroic natures that can suffer all and
grow the more noble for the suffering.
There was strong element Of self
sacrifice In her character; but here
there seemed to be no scope for 1t.
Death for her would be gain, not saCri-
! fee.
She laid her gentle hands on the
chlld's beautiful head; she kissed, with
the passion Of mothers love, the
sweet, white eyelids. the red, smiling
/ Hips, the bOnny bright curls with gold
shining in them. She kissed the white
hands, that clutched so tightly even in
sleep, n childs toy; then, In her pas
sion OF grief she prayed aloud that
Heaven would bless the little boy. Lit
tie ah so little.-drcaming Of when
and how she should kiss that face
allin.
'l'hore was no settled plan in her
mind then. From tho chaos Of her
thoughts came only one clear idea, and
1t was that never again---never again,
could she look upon the face Of her
husband or Beatrice Leigh Hearing
the nurse return and not caring to be
seen, she went back to her own room,
and the eyes of the mother fell upon
the child's face no more.
Another hour in the starlight an.
other hour Of thought that was almost
prayer and then her resolve was
taken
Not death, She dared not meet
the angry face of tho Omnipotent The
/ temptation was tramplod upon cast
under her feet She would 20 away
go somewhere out of his life-go where
! her failings and imperfoCtions would
annoy him no more. Go first to her
father, Horace Temple whose only
son slept in heros grace. and ask
him to find for her refuge and re-
treat-to place her somewhere in soil
tude and scCluson, whore her husband
would neyerd roam of looking for her.
"rhcn no need," she said to herself.
with bitter cry-"no need for Miss
Leigh to go away. then can all be hap
Ipy, when | am gone"
The more she thought Of that plan,
the wiser It seemed Perhaps she
murmured with her white lips,
Heaven may be merclml To me, and
! let me die soon. Then he can rcctiry
his mistake-hc will be froe!"
Only one idea tortured her, and that
was a hungry passionate longing to
take her child with her Here JUS
tice interfcrcd She had no right to
deprive her son Of title and estate, Of
honor and wealth The time must
como wheu the hrighteyed boy would
be the head Of grand and gallant
race She could not take him from
| the brilliant future that awaited him.
land Give him solitude and hard work
for his portion, Even Should she re.
main her son would hc lost to her
she knew that he would not be left
with her many weeks longer,
Yes she would 80 from This man
Iwhc had married her because he had a
footing fancy for her fair face aud
nov rcpoutcd his fancy She would
go from the home whore she had never
rcipned as mistress, whore scorn and
insult had been her daily portion
haCl, to the quiet life she ought never
to have left Perhaps, Just for forms
sake, Vivian would make some attempt
to find her. but in her heart she be
lived her absence would lie great re-
4 lc, to him,
So she huoyed herself with bitter
thouehts she remembered her hus-
/ lands cold looks his cold words, the
eNcrdeepenng estrnngemcnt between
4 chem, his impatence at her shortcom.
/ ings, and IN that most bitter hour she
forgot his love she forgot the worship
he had lavlshed upon her in the first
happy months OF their married life;
| sic remembered only what she had
heard him say TO Beatrice Leigh and
what all Florence thought cf their mar.
1 riage
She was still child Looking al the
white. wearied face, the eyes from
which all light had been wept away.