Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-05-09

happy, and Lady Beatrice never sought
10 do that for him. Before her hus-
band she was kind to him, sOlicitous
for his welfare, anxious to please him;
but when, as often happened, Lord
Selwyn was away. it was quite diff
ferent story. She dare not be I'M
kind TO him-she dare not say any
thing that he could repeat; but with
adrOit skill and rare cunning she con
trived in a thousand different ways to
thwart him, to vex him, to oppose him,
yet in such a manner that when her re
peated to his father what she had
said or done, il seemed rather against
him than against her.
She had never ventured to utter
one word against his dead mother, the
object of the boys proudest idolatry.
1t was not possible that with her
naughty, jealous, envious nature, she
could love Violante's son, but she
might have been a more generous foe.
The name of Lady Violante was sell
dom mentioned before her successful
rival-Lady Beatrice showed so plainly
that she did not like it; but when
father and son were alone together
they spent long hours in talking about
her; Lord Selwyn describing to his
son her fair face, its childlike, limo
cent, dimpled beauty, her golden hair,
her pretty, shy, timid manner; of her
sorrows, of what drove her from hus-
band and child Rupert knew not one
word. He had an instructive dislike
to Lady Beatrice, which would have
been deeper and far more intense had
he known that she had been his
mothers bitter enemy.
Mrs. Rivers thought she had gone
through the greatest pain she could
ever know. The agony of death was
not so great, she thought, as the
anguish of seeing and speaking to her
son, while he knew her not. But there
was even greater pain in store.
She came out of the schoolroom one
afternoon. tired with the heat and the
noise of the children; her head ached,
her eyes were half-blinded with the
glare of the sun; she longed for rest
and sleep. The little cottage stood
all alone; no one ever came near it.
She dreaded no intrusion, either of
friend, or visitor, or foe.
So. on this sultry afternoon, leaving
the door which led TO the garden wide
open to admit free current of air,
she sat down in the pretty rocking
chair, and. laying her tired hea1 on
her hands, fell fast asleep. Only
Heaven knew what was her dream.
Perhaps the odor of the lily and the
rose took her back TO the Arno or TO
Woodeaves; a smile of deep. unutter-
able peace came over her face, bring
ing back. as though by magic, her
lest youth, and fair, tranquil beauty
a smile her lips were never more to
know. AS she lay there, so unconsc-
ious, so happy in her dream, so peace
full in her sleep, the sunshine playing
over her. the wind signing gently
round her, a step sounded on the path
that led TO the door. Lord Selwyn
was passing the cottage, and thought
10 please his wife by an act of atten-
ton to her governess. He went slow
ly up the garden path, and smiled
when he saw the open door. He en-
tered, and there before him saw the
sleeping woman, with a peaceful smile
on her face.
He did not recognize her. How
should he, believing, as he did, that
she slept under the white marble mon
ument at Florence? He saw the dark
hair and the widows cap. the patient
lips frightened by a smile that came
from the peace of Heaven, not earth,
and his kindly, noble heart warmed
to her. The helpless, wearied atti-
tude. the folded hands, the dark mourn
ing dress, all touched him with mex
pressible pathos. He would not have
disturbed her, he would have turned
away without speaking. only that he