Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-03-31

er even than that To die in life, t.
let all the world believe her dead, Il
give up her place that it might be bet
ter filled, to give up her own identity
that her husband might be free, al
this seemed to her the very submit,
OF self.sacrlBce
OF the moral wrong she never
thought, of the possible complications
that might arise she lost sight. The
only thing before her was one huge
sacrifice, and that she Ionged to make
complete.
so, while she sat in her sunlit gar
den amid the beauty OF blossom and
flower OF tree and vine, Lady Violante
Selwyn to all intents and purposes
died With weeping eyes, kneeline
there. her head buried In her hands
with bitter tears she bade farewell tG
the husband she had loved so truly
and so well, TO thee hid she had wor
SHIPPED with a mothers purest and
most tender love. She babe farewell
to the father who had cherished her as
his greatest treasure for so many
/ years. She bade farewell TO herself
as she had been-a child girl, a
wife. u mother; and she rose from
her knees the most desolate creature
under the smiling sky.
There should be no turning back
she vowed to herself, no weak after
replalng, no changing no abandon
ment Of the greatest sacrifice woman
had ever made She was dead, The
palo.faced brokenhearted woman who
lived still, no more resembed Vic.
lante Selwyn than faded leaf re.
sembled blooming flower
God Is more mercful than men. She
was mistaken; she was wrong. She
was giving up that which was not hers
to give; but her mistake was at least
n generous one. She intended no one
to suffer except herself Her sacrifice.
although she ought never to have made
II, was made for the happiness aud
welfare Of others, not for her own.
Thencerorward her life was to be one
long pain, and she knew It, The
smiles and carosses IF her child We're
TO be hers no longer. Never again
should her hand rest upon his curly
head, or her lips upon his fair brow.
Mover again would the comfort and
solace Of husbands love he hers, or
the shelter Of n husbands home. Alone
and dosolate frlcndless and helpless
namoess and desparing was she who
had once been beloved and worship.
ed wife, mistress Of Selwyn Castle and
Of wealth unbounded!
! She wasted no time in vain or weak
regrets She wept no more, for tears
seemed to have left her. The sacri,
fee was made now, the deed was done.
Once or twice there came to her n
dull. panied wonder as to whether
Vivian had felt very much grieved--
whether he had forgiven her faults
now that he believed her dead
whether the cloud, the coldness, the
distance that had arisen between them
had vanished In death. And then, when
she found herself SO wondering, she
would do her best to throw the thought
from her; she would still the moan that
rose to her lips--the tortured, wall.
ing cry--and pray Heaven, from the
very depths of her noble and mistaken
heart, To make her forget.
She remained in the quiet. secluded
lodgings some time longer, At first
she had been unable to decide upon
her plans for the future; the wrench
had been too sudden, every nerve
seemed torn and bleeding. Now her
thoughts grew clearer; there was a life
before her and she must spend II rs
best she could
The first fear that dawned upon heI
was that of recognition. True, ne
strangers came to the little village
neither artists nor tourists even
sought the quiet uuintrrestinG spot
visitors wore unknown in this obscure
! place, whore there was nothing to at
tract them
So the morning came, when Lady
iNiolanto rose and steadtastly regarded
her own face IN the small mirror
Pale and sad with deep lines of sor
row round the quiveriug lips, with
deep shadow round the violet eyes
with all the brilliancy of youth an,
happiness Of love and hope fade,
from it-sho was so changed that sh,
hardly knew herself Was II possible
those white, quivering lips had eve
been beautiful in dmples and smiles
Quite ineoluntarily the memory cam
To her of the image she had seen il
the glass on her wedding morning
the fair, radiant girl whose golde
head was crowned with flowers
That lone, bright golden hair, wit
its graceful waves, must come of
there could be no eoncealmont for he
| while that remained Without
i. sigh for her lost beauty she took II
) the scissors with which she had bee
pruning the flowers, and deliboratel
, cut ii all OF quite close to her heat
| II fell round her in a shining, shin
. mering golden mass II was pitif,
A. ~. 49,.