Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-01-04

not feIuse me.
4 He laid his ha- d caressingly upon
! her golden hair.
Il viii not hear another word now,
/ he said, kindly. IL will talk to my
mother and Miss Leigh; we have
plenty of time to decide; for the pres
ent he can be called baby you know
Promise me-" she said eagerly
What have Mrs. Selwyn or Miss
Leigh to do with my .baby?-why must
you see them?-what have they to dc
with it? Surely, Vivian, we can please
| ourselves. You could not lightly put
aside my wish to crafty Miss Leigh"
But. as many another a man has
done before him, Lord Vivian parted
q question he could not decide. He
was brave by nature, kindly of heart
this handsome young master of Sci
wyn Castle; but he was weak and i'm
questionable, easily led, and somewhat
apt to be ruled by women of strong
will as brave men often are.
So he kissed Lady Violantes flushed
| face and sweet, questioning eyes. He
would not see that they were half fill
ed with tears. He kissed the soft
cheek nestled like tender little bird.
do not trouble, Violante," he said !;
Il will see about it,
So he went away. and in some vague
manner all the sunshine of the May
morning went with him. The gay
bells no longer seemed full of music;
the harmony had gone from them.
Lady Violante turned to the little one
lying in her arms, and bending her
face over him, wept bitter tears.
She thought it was all unnoticed.
but one of the attendants in her room
came hastily forward.
'My lady" she cried, never do that;
never let tears fall on the face of n
little babe. 1t will bring him some
terrible misfortune in the years to
come"
Lady Selwyn raised her head quick
ly; then she saw the tiny, sweet, sleep
ing face covered with tears, that lay
like pearls upon it.
II will kiss them away" cried the
young mother. Heaven grant my
tears may never harm my child"
She kissed them carefully away
with prayerful words, then turned
from the bright sunshine, that she
might weep at her ease. 1t was the
first favor she had ever asked her hus-
band during the whole of their short,
happy, married life; the first, and she
had expected that he would grant It to
her with willing words and smiles.
Instead of that, he quoted Miss Leigh.
and Miss Leigh's wish. So, while the
joy-bells FLASHED, the mother Of the
young heir wept over her first jealous
pain.
Lord Vivian found his mother and
Miss Leigh in the picture gallery.
Beatrice looking imperially beautiful
in a long, sweeping dress of black vel
vet made after a picturesque fashion
all her own.
81 have just been to see Violante,
he said, land she wishes very much to
give our young heir her fathers name.
What do you think, mother? Horace
Selwyn would not sound badly"
Beatrice Leigh turned TO him with
flaming eyes.
IF were you, my child should be
called after the heroes of his race, ;"
she said. Call him Huldibrand, that
he may be wise and great in council;
call him Hugh, and he may excel, as
Hugh Selwyn did, in all that makes
man noble: call him Rupert, and he
may be as true and loyal as that Ru-
pert who gave his life for his king;
but think twice, Vivian, before you
give the heir of the Selwyns country
solicitors name"
81 quite agree with Beatrice" said
Mrs. Selwyn, slowly. Mr.. Temple Is
a most respectable man, | am sure,
hut I do not think your eldest son
should bear his name, Vivian"
OF all phrases in use, Lord Vivian
disliked respectable man" most. He
shuddered to think such title should
be applied to his wife's father-a
country solicitor" too! Beatrice
might have spoken differently, and yet
IL was true Perhaps it was not quite
reasonable that his heir-the future
Lord of Selwyn-who was TO carry on
the honors of his house, should be
named after one who was aptly de-
scribed as a respectable man. He
wished Mrs. Selwyn had not used
those words; they haunted him.
II should like to have pleased Vic
lante." he said. somewhat wistfulIy.
"You should explain to her" said
Miss Leigh, chat different castles have
different customs She will not be 50
unreasonable as to let her wish to
compliment her father interfere with
your right to choose name for your
eldest SON."
81 suppose not" he replied; and
though he thought much of Violante's
fair face and pleading eyes, yet when
the interview ended, it was settled
that the child should be called Rupert.
CHAPTER XIV.