Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-07-04

~ lady whose face would never glau-
den them more.
Men of high repute were there; no
one failed; and the funeral of Lady
Selwyn Of Selwyn Castle was re-
membered long afterward as one of
the grandest ceremonials ever wit
messed.
Then came a lull, a time when Lord
Selwyn seemed TO sink into the very
depths of despair. It had been so
sudden. He had seen his wife one
morning, looking much as usual; In
four days afterward she was dead and
buried. The only thing that saved
him was anxiety for Rupert. The in
tclligence Of Lady Beatrice's death
could not long be kept from him. He
saw the sad faces, the mourning
dresses; he heard the tolling of the
distant church bell, and the noise OF
The long funeral procession. They
were obliged to tell him; and although
she had been unkind to him-how I'M
kind none but himself knew-still he
felt keen and generous sorrow at her
death.
1t retarded his recovery, there was
no mistake over that, and the doctors
strongly advised his lordship to take
him away as soon as he was able to
travel
On Mrs. Rivers the sad, sudden death
produced a strange effect. 1t gave
time for thought. She had dreaded
the revelation of her secret; she had
dreaded the terrible scene that must
have elsued when it became known;
and now IL was once more her own.
She deplCred Beatrice's sad DEAN
more, perhaps, than any one, for she
alone knew the secret of the terrible
crime the dead woman had planned.
She mourned not only for the lost
life. but for the sin-laden soul so
swiftly. so suddenly summoned before
/ It's Judge.
She was miserably undecided what
10 do. There were times when it
seemed 10 her the only atonement
she could make for her error was TO
confess her fault to her husband to
tell him every motive which had
actuated her, and let him punish her
as he would. That idea would take
possession of her until she was near
~ throwing herself at his feet and
telling him all.
Then came the reaction. The same
motives that had led her TO make the
sacrifice existed still. They were
rather deepened by the thought of
how her son would listen to such a
story, and how it would affect him.
She resolved at last upon keeping
silent a short time longer.
The day came when Rupert was
able to leave the room in which he
had fought so fierce a battle with the
grim King Death, and go downstairs.
Soon as he was able to travel, his
father asked him if he would like to
70 10 Scotland, and the boy was de-
lighted with the idea.
There is only one drawback, papa"
said Rupert; Mrs. Rivers had been so
good 10 me. do not like leaving her"
I'VE Will find some means of repay
ing her" said his lordship with a
smile. 4 thought over that. Little
Lance viii not go 10 Scotland with
us; Or. Danvers does not think il adj
visable. have decided upon placing
him under the care Of Mrs. Rivers
She win have house at Brighton. and
keep him there. When you are quite
wen. and we are all at Selwyn Castle
again. will make Mrs. Rivers happy,
Il it be in my power to do So"
His 'crdship proposed the plan to
Mrs. Rivers, and she cheerfully con-
scented. II was some consolation TO
her TO have the charge of little Lance;
he was a beautiful, lovable boy, re-
sembling his father in disposition as
in face.
Lord Selwyn and Rupert went to
Scotland. There in the clear. trac-
ing northern air, health and strength
came back TO the young heir of Selwyn.
He grew rapidly; his fathers eyes
rested upon him in admiring love.
Rupert was a noble, princely boy,
and his father gloried in him. There,
in the long walks by mountain and
glen, they spoke of Violante, and the
boy day by day loved more dearly the
memory OF his gentle mother.
Mrs. Rivers went to Brighton with
little Lance; his nurse accompanied
her A pretty house was taken for
them on the Parade and the patient,
gentle lady, who had repented so bit
terly of her error, set herself to work
bravely TO fill a mothers place to the
motherless child. She lavished care
and tenderness upon him; she taught
him, nursed him, caressed him; she
kept him with her all night and all
day-she never liked him one moment
out Of her sight, and ii seemed to
her that by this devotion to the boy
she made some slight atonement to the
mother for the wrong she had unwit-
tingly done to her.
What she should do in the future,
Violante did not know. The summer
and autumn wore away, winter and