Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-03-14

Selwyn.
She found the butler, who sought
his lordship and delivered his lady's
message. Lord Vivian shrugged his
shoulders. sent some commonplace
message in return, and said to himself
1t was always the same-"Violante
was always III when there was any
thing to d."
When the nurse was gene, she knelt
down by her sleeping child. She laid
her tired head on the white pillow by
his side. All, no. not even for him,
her dearest and best beloved, was her
life worth preserving. For his dear
sake she would be better dead than
living. Dead, people would treat her
memory, at least, with respect; living,
they would tell her boy, when he grew
older that she was untitled to have
the charge Of him-that his father had
married beneath him. How could she
bear that her precious boy. her only
child. should hear such words? Dead,
a veil would cover all.
She was net one of those grand,
heroic natures that can suffer all and
grow the more noble for the suffering.
There was a strong element of self
sacrifice in her character; but here
there seemed TO be no scope for it..
Death for her would be gain, not sacri-
fee.
She laid her gentle hands On the
child's beautiful head; she kissed, with
the passion of a mothers love, the
sweet, white eyelids, the red, smiling
lips. the bonny bright curls with gold
shining in them. She kissed the white
hands. that clutched so tightly even in
sleep, a child's toy; then, in her pas
sion of grief. she prayed aloud that
Heaven would bless the little boy. Lit
tle-ah. so littlei-dreaming CT when
and how she should kiss that face
again.
There was no settled plan in her
mind then. From the chaos Of heI
thoughts came only one clear idea, and
1t was that never again--never again,
could she look upon the face Of her
husband or Beatrice Leigh. Hearing
the nurse return, and not caring to be
seen. she went back to her own room,
and the eyes of the mother fell upon
the child's face no more.
Another hour in the starlight, an
other hour of thought that was almost
prayer. and then her resolve was
taken.
Not death, She dared not meet
the angry face Of the Omnipotent The
temptation was trampled upon, cast
under her feet. She would go away
go somewhere out of his life-go where
her failings and imperfections would
annoy him no more. Go first to her
father. Horace Temple. whose only
son slept in a hero's grace, and ask
him 10 find for her refuge and re-
treat-to place her somewhere in soil
tude and seclusion. where her husband
would neverd ream of looking for her
"Then no need" she said To herself
with a bitter cry-"no need for Miss
Leigh to 60 away; then can all be hap
by. when am gone"
The more she thought of that plan.
the wiser IL seemed. Perhaps" she
murmured with her white lips.
Heaven may be merciful to me, and
let me die soon. Then he can rectify
his mistake-he will be free!"
Only one idea tortured her and that
was a hungry, passionate longing to
take her child with her. Here jus
tice interfered. She had no right to
deprive her son Of title and estate, OF
honor and wealth. The time must
come when the bright-eyed boy would
be the head Of a grand and gallant
race. She could not take him from
the brilliant future that awaited him,
and give him solitude and hard work
for his portion. Even should she re-
main. her son would be lost to her.
She knew that he would not be left
with her many weeks longer.
Yes; she would go from this man
who had married her because he had
fleeing fancy for her fair face, and
now repented his fancy. She would
so from the home where she had never
reigned as mistress. where scorn and
insult had been her daily portion
back to the quiet life she ought never
TO have left. Perhaps, just for forms
sake. Vivian would make some attempt
to frd her. but in her heart she be-
lived her absence would be a great re-
lief to him.
So she buoyed herself with bitter
thoughts-she remembered her hus-
lands cold looks, his cold words, the
estrangement between
them, his impatience at her shortcom-
ings. and in that most bitter hour she
forgot his love-she forgot the worship
he had lavished upon her in the first
happy months of their married life;
she remembered only what she had
heard him say to Beatrice Leigh, and
what all Florence thought Of their mar
rage.
She was still child. Looking at the
white. wearied face. the eyes from
which all light had been wept away,
at the golden hair pushed back from