Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-04-07

and tender eyes.
An accident brought about that
4 which afterward happened-his mar.
riage with Miss Leigh. Her superb
beauty brought her many admirers;
she refused all offers. But there was
one SO eligible at last, that even Mrs.
Selwyn demonstrated. II was from
the young Lord Eyrton, the head of
one OF the noblest families in England.
He was deeply in love with her. He
made her an offer, and she refused him.
Then it was that Mrs. Selwyn spoke,
and entreated her beautiful ward not
to throw every chance Of good mar
riage away
81 do not love the man." said Miss
Leigh, proudly; "and shall marry no
man whom | do not love"
But, my dearest Beatrice" said
Mrs Selwyn, with your beauty and
your talents, you do not surely intend
to live and die an old maid. Do you
love no one!"
II alone am responsible for my own
loves and my own dislikes," she re-
!, piled; and Mrs Selwyn stood too
much in awe of her to repeat the ques
ton
why are you looking so grave
mother" asked Lcrd Vivian of Mrs,
Selwyn that evening
She sat alone in the drawing groom,
with an expression of deep thought
and anxiety on her placid, comedy face
~ ppairipa - oh
piled; 81 am not happy over her. | am
her guardian, yet cannot help think.
ing that have somehow failed in my
trust"
WHY" he asked, smiling at the
idea Of Miss Leigh requiring any guar
dian.
q do not quite know" she replied
II am annoyed that she has refused
Lord Eyrton there is not a truer, bet.
ter man in England. Such an unex
ceptionable marriage. He Is very
wealthy, and Beatrice would have
made an admirable mistress for Eyr.
ton Court She has refused him,
and he is very unhappy"
why did she do it?" he asked.
"She says she does not love him,
replied Mrs Selwyn, "and that she
viii not marry a man she does not
love"
81 married for love- said Lord vi.
Wan, musingly, as his mother looked
quickly into his face, fearing she had
panied him. But why need you re-
proach yourself, mother You can.
not force Beatrice either 10 love or to
marry
Il fear have been remiss," said
Mrs. Selwyn II believe Beatrice does
love some one, and has loved him for
years. am afraid she will never care
for any one else, and | ought to have
foreseen 1t"
"Who Is he. mother?" asked Lord
/ Vivian. wondering who had touched the
heart of that brilliant, beautiful girl.
II cannot answer that question,
said Mrs Selwyn; and there was
something so significant in the tone OF
her voice that her son looked up at
her in wondering amaze.
Like lightning the thought flashed
over him. Could it be himself? Was
il possible that Beatrice had loved
him all these years-that she had re-
fused such excellent offers for his
sake? He was but mortal man,
aud his vanity was fiattered at the
thought.
Mother" he said, gently, you should
have been less or more explicit Tell
me truly, do you mean that Beatrice
cares for me in that kind of way
YOU know"
~ should not have spoken, she said.
DO not lie angry with me. Vivian,
believe she has loved and cared for
You all her life.
Il never dreamed of such a thing,
he said, simply, and the conversation
ended
/ But he thought again and again of
his mothers words Beatrice loved
him and he thought to himself that he
might just as we'll make her happy as
not Every one was telling him that
he ought to marry again. that mis-
tress was wanted for Selwyn Castle.
and mother for his young heir,
If, as every one said, he ought to
marry, who SO we'll fitted for his wife
ms Beatrice Leigh? He was battered
TO think that she loved him. 1t would
make her happy. It would make his
mother happy; as for himself-Lord
Vivian shrugged his shoulders happt,
ness and sorrow were much alike to
him,
Two or three days afterward, Lord
Selwyn asked Miss Leigh If she could
spare him few minutes, he had
something important TO say, am she
who had long ceased to hope that the
desire of her heart would be given her,
thought il was something about Ru-
pert. or the domestic affairs of the
household and told him she was going
down to the lodge, and he might walk
with her
So they went together down the