Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-02-04
CHAPTER xxxvl.
A Secret.

against my lady, with a faint shudder,
How horribly ! am digressing!" the
latter went on. "Well, | will not pro
long an account of the immediate
weeks which followed. 1t was the old,
cid story-to youth forever new!
"He came 10 see me; he fell IN love
with me. | did not lack sritors. There
was NOT a YOUNG nohleman in Venice |
could not nave married had | SO chos-
en-; but | gave my heart, in impulsive,
passionate trust to him.
ut was q very sudden, reckless act
for mel was so intensely proud. |
lad heard strangers speak OF me as
Tie proud lady of Venice Now | only
valued my position, wealth, honor, for
bis sake. We were to be married in
I November.
CAS- the time drew near, Give used
TO fall into long lapses of thought, from
which he would arouse himself pale
and moody browed.
well, we were married, and we
went to Rome to spend the winter. |
took with me my faithful duenna. One
night, about a fortnight after our mar
riaPe, we were to go to a certain grand
bali. | dressed, and came down stairs
quite early. | wore my bridal robe Of
srowy velvet all caught with clusters
Of white roses, and lit with diamonds
an empress might have envied.
81 heard the front door open and
slam again. | remember smiling at
the sound, for thought of the tender
admiration which would dawn In his
eyes when he would first behold me.
HE came hurriedly in and up to
where | was standing by a huge, black
marble mantel. His bright blonde face
was perplexed and anxious. He caught
ny hands so fercely in his own that
tho stones | wore cut my fingers.
az have been fighting a battle!' he
seid, am he looked indeed as though
he had-'a horrible battle, and l have
come out defeated! Do you love ME
well enough to believe me when | say
I was, am, more weak than wicked?
Dc you love me well enough to trust
ne-tn silence?'
"Of course | answered him. as would
any young fool as blindly in love as I,
and more Economically pleased than
dismayed at the suggestion of mys-
terry.
1.-TWO years passed and we, weary of
wandering, came home to England.
Here. one year later. my son was born
another Give Darlington. You heard
tie incident OF which old Guialetta to-
day reminded me. Just then | was, I
firmly believe, the happiest woman In
England. l was handsome admired,
esteemed. I had a magnificent home,
ar edoring husband, a beautiful child.
One evening we were sitting alone
In the library, my husband and I. The
windows were open to the floor. The
moonlight flooded the DON We had
just SEN Baby Give to bed and were
recalling, with blithe laughter and bits
OF nonsense our first meeting below
the Rialto when a servant brought in a
cluster Of waxlights and the evening
mail. My husband opened the bag and
I locked over his shoulder as he drew
OUT the contents. There was one let
ter addressed to him In a queer,
crampea hand, and bearing the post.
mark Paris There was nothing for
re. SO I sat down and watched him
open his mail.
"As he took up the particular mis-
sive l had noticed. he started sudden
iy He tore 1t open and was on his
feet In a moment. with a half-repressed
cry. The sheet In his hand futtered
to the floor.
What is itf' l cried. From whom
is 1T?
Nothing no one-on business"
he faltered.
II stopped and snatched up the let
ter.
ct have a right to know!' l said. /
will know!'
And before he could prevent me I
had held it In the full candle light, and
hac swept the page from the first word
TO the last. But of all | read. one SEN
tence, one only, was branded on my
brain: She with whom you left your
% issdead. Shall we send him to
your
II did not scream or cry out. I was
too stunned for that. | have told you
! came OF a face proud and fierce. |
could feel my face growing cold as the
warm blood receded, but | could also
feel every nerve in my body turning
to steel. I think he was afraid OF me
Just then when l turned and faced
hiE..
Now I said, tell mel
~ never for one moment doubted the
truth Of the words l had Rod. not once
And he told me.
"Five years before he met me. he
had seen on the boards OF q second
rate Partisan theater q girl with whom
he became foolishly. recklessly. infat-
uated. She was very pretty. and very
graceful. and very ignorant. He made
ner acquaintance. and in q moment OF
blind. boyish admiration. asked her to
marry him. She wal only too glad Of
the opportunity to exchange her toll
some life for that Of the wife Of an
English baronet. So In all honor ne
married her. and within a month after
was heartily sick Of his bargain. He
could not understand her at times
she acted. dressed. talked so strange
~
about : year after their marriage