Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-07-23
The girl eolored with pleasure.

Oh, yes, she answered, earnestly,
more than can say. But you know,
duke-why ask met You know that |
am happy perfectly happy"
Her voice was low and sweet, and the
expression on her face thrilled him with
its exquisite charm.
Gould You not stay-must YOU ever
goF" he asked, impulsiyelv.
GU must not laugh at me- she re,
pileo, IN a tremulous tone, that is not
nice of you. How could l stay at Ester
court?'
There is but one way-can you not
guess, Lady Viola!"
Hs:e shook her head but Cecil saw that
she had grown suddenly pale with emo
ton.
Daring :" he went on. in a yeri5a ble
burst Of passion, now that his feelings
had found on outlet at last. Viola. You
have guessed already. All! | am sure
you must have seen--I love YOU! Nv
whole heart and sonl are bound up in
you. Ever since | saw YOUR dear face
that day in the park, have worshiped
you, and | have not had a thought or
dream which has not been full of longing
Tor YOU. Viola, darling l love you; will
you be my wife,"
A Hood of happiness filed Viola's heart.
AT last her cold heart was touched. and
she knew that in the duke she had met
her fate.
Turning to him, she placed her delicate
hand in his.
My life is yours" she said. simply.
L love you, Cecil must have cared for
you from the first!"
And thus, as the sun went down. they
were betrothed, and in their great alb
sorblng gladness no shadow of the sor-
row that was creeping down so merci-
iessly on them reached their JOYOUS.
throbbing hearts. They stood there, in
the sacred calm of that glorious summer
evening, perfectly matched in their youth
and grace and beauty, and heaven itself
seemed to smile upon them and their
love.
The news caused great excitement in
the castle, and congratulations we're
| many and sincere, for both the duke and
hls young fiancee were universally adj
Dlred and liked. Lord Bervs was de-
lighted; the Duke of Estercourt was a
prize in the matrimonial market, and it
pleased him that his daughter should
have succeeded where all others had
falled-tor many women had coveted the
position of Duchess of Estercourt. He
WAS fond of Viola, and would have done
much TO secure her happiness, and this
marriage needed no words of hers to
tell him-would give her what she truly
deserved, a life of perfect contentment.
wealth, and one of the finest titles in
England, with the only man she had ever
loved.
Lady Viola had never been more di-
vineiy lovely than she appeared tonight,
snd there was no happier man in the
world than Cecil as he gazed at her, with
all the pride and alteration of a lovers
eyes. She had promised to be his; every
one present knew her now to be his
| atfianced bride; and on the morrow all
England would hear the gladstone news.
1t was late when he went up to his
room, and even then, though it was long
past midnight, he felt he would not
| sleep. He wanted Just to be alone to
think il over, to tell himself it was not
dream.
His valet was waiting mp for him.
Your grace told me to remind Won o.
these letters" said the man. as the v.uI,t
duke entered, handing him bundle Of
correspondence; then, at sign of dis
missal from his master. lie left the room.
Cecil sat down and looked through the
letters. They had come by the last post.
but he had not had time to read iheu
earlier.
Without the faintest interest he opened
one, then another They were mostly
notes from ambitious and match making
mothers, begging him to spend part of
the holiday season at their houses. There
was even one from n royal princess, ask
ing him to dine on certain date. lie
cared for none of them Only one woman
occupied and absorbed his thoughts.
Violet, his love, his promised wife.
Half-impatiently. he threw the pretty.
scented eifusions from him, and. with a
sigh of relief. ran his letter-knife along
the TOP of the last envelope. He noticed
| that this was addressed in peculiar
fashion, and that the handwriting was
cramped and almost illegible
Drawing the missiye forth, be began to
peruse it. As he did so, his face grew
ashen pale. It ran thus:
TO the Duke of Estercourt Take
warning! Your hour is at hand. You
have dared to take position 10 which
you have no legal right. and you must
suffer the consequences. You are not the
Duke of EStercourt any more now than
you were three months ago, and YOU Will
awaken to find yourself the dupe of 4
very clever and unprincipled rogue. The
writer wishes you well over it. and hopes
YOU will stick it out"
| These ominous words were written in
printed capitals, and, with a beating
heart. Cecil turned the piece of paper
and the envelope over and over, endeavor
ing to find some clue to the sender, but
in vain. The message was of that most
shameful and cowardly order-an anony-
nous letter.
A great fear clutched at the young
mans heart. What if it be true, and he
we're cast once more upon the world,
poor, nameless, starving? 1t was not the
idea of poverty or the shame that
dragged him into a very abyss of de-
spair-it was that he would lose Viola
the breath Of his life
ooh, heaven grant it may not be-" he
cried out, wildly Take from me wealth
anything leave me Viola, my
Lowell"