Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-03-28
A WOMAN'S ERROR


him. and a sweet, low voice saying,
III can never be a fine lady, Vivian;
you will repent having married me,
then / shall die"
The grave voice of DR.. Sheene
aroused him.
There should be some arrange
ments made, Lord Vivian" he said,
for removing all that is mortal of
Lady Selwyn from here.
His lcrdship looked at him with
clouded eyes.
Are you sure?" he asked, that she
Is dead? Is there no mistake? Could
nothing more be done? ! must see
her. You shall not say me nay!"
They went with him TO the long,
marrow waiting-room, whore, side by
side, the dead awaited removal. She
llay apart from the rest. A resting
Iplacehad been made for her, and there
i'm the quiet sleep of death, lay the
woman Lord Vivian believed to be his
wife. He passed in silence the long
table where the bodies of women,
children. and men lay so motionless
and still-passed them in grave,
isolemn silence. When he came to
the place where she lay, a low moan
broke from his lips.
The golden hair hung in rich pro
fusion, stained here and there with
blood. The costly fur cloak was
wrapped round the quiet figure.
Il Lord Vivian took a tress of the
golden hair in his hands
1t is my wife," he cried. Il bought
that cloak for her three years ago.
let me see her face!"
But her the doctors grave voice in
terposed; the doctors strong firm hand
drew him gently back.
Heaven fobid!" he said. You loved
your wife; | would not have you look
upon what lies there for all the world
the horror of IL would kill you
There is no single feature left; the
weight of half a carriage fell upon
your wife's face and crushed it,"
he knelt down in silence by her side,
and buried his face in his hands.
What passed between his soul and its
Maker in that hour none will ever
know. II ever he had been impatient
with her youth and her simplicity, her
ignorance of the world, her unstudied
frankness, il was all avenged now.
Then TO make her identity doubly
I sure. though no doubt came to them
they gave him the traveling-bag she
carried Yes. there was Violante's
purse. he even recognized in it some
of the bank notes ne had given her;
there was the locket with the young
herC's hair inside; there was a faded
flower bearing his name, and the date
on which he had given it to her: there
(. was Rupert's hair.
/ When he held that little locket in
/. his hand his strength failed him. He
/ forgot the presence of the two gentle
men. be forgot everything, save that
Violante lay dead.
/ He buried his face in the fur cloth,
and wept aloud. They drew back from
the wailing. pitiful cry, unwilling to
. intrude upon him in his sorrow. Then.
when the passion of his grief had
abated. he rose and stood before
them. He laid one hand upon the fur
cloak. as though caressing what lay
underneath.
Il need make no apology. gentle
men," he said. She who lies here
was my dearly loved wife. whom
have never ceased, and never shall
cease. to love!"
And then the heavy task came of
taking home what everybody believed
/ - hn shn , or 80 xrsnfar4a adv Col
wyn. Lord Vivian regained his out
ward calm: in heart and soul there
ragged a torrent of grief. OF remorse, of
bewildered SORROW and hopeless de-
| spair. that knew no words-but he
came OF a race strong TO bear. When
the first sharp pang was over, he be-
gan TO arrange so that all honor should
be paid to the body of his wife. he
would not leave her. Hastily writing
note TO Mrs. Selwyn, he sent Nicoli
back TO Florence with every detail of
the accident. while he remained at
Sedi.
/ Mrs. Selwyn was dreadfully shocked.
For many days afterward she was ex-
| ceedingly III. both i'm body and mind.
She would have given all she had in
the world to have had the unhappy girl
back again.
No one ever knew how Beatrice
Leigh felt that intelligence. She it
was who received Nicoli, and who. at
Mrs. Selwyn's request, read her sons
note. She said the usual civil things
lamented with all due prOpriety the
sad accident; condoled with Mrs.
Selwyn: hoped Lord Vivian would not
| be unconsolable-but no one ever
knew what she really thought and
felt.
rs she went upstairs after reading
the letter. there was a smile on her
face. and fire in her eyes, that did
not speak of sorrow. And in the
meantime the staterooms were hung
with black. the servants all put into
mourning. all the outward forms and
=, customs were observed: and the sup