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

rustl!ng OF a dress or the sound Of
footstep. He looked around. 1t
must have been only fancy; there
was no one near.
Then clear. sweet, and soft on the
warm evening air, he. heard his own
name. "Vivian!" and the voice that
uttered it was that OF the fair-haired
girl he had loved so tenderly.
VIVIAN"
Never was sigh OF the wind so soft
or so sweet. He did not stir or move.
He had loved her so fondly. he had
thought of her so continually, that he
may be pardoned for the superstitious
fancy that Cverpowered him. He
had loved her so well that, even should
her sweet, pure spirit return to COM
fort him. he would feel no surprise.
Vivian" cried the sweet voice
again, and he buried his face in his
hands with a low moan. Vivian, do
not be frightened; lock up-look at
mel"
The wonder and the mercy we're that
he did not fall dead in that moment.
He sprung from his seat with a cry of
terror on his lips; ald there, standing
under the lines, with the sunlight on
her hair and dress, was Violante, his
loved. lost wife. Was il Violante. CT
was it the restless spirit of the girl
he had loved?
''Vivian do not be frightened May
come TO you?"
He stood rooted &c the spot Had
Il been to save his life, he could not
have uttered enc word. Remember,
he believed he had seen her buried
and-she stood there!
MAY l come 20 you?" she repeated.
Say only one word"
But that one word he could not ut
ter; he opened his arms, and the next
moment she was kneeling. clasping his
knees with passionate tears, with pas
sionate cries, with passionate prayers
for pardon. He could not realize it
could net understand it. He was like
a man stricken blind. deaf. and dumb,
He only felt the clinging touch of the
white hands-he only saw the golden
head bowed in deepest humility at his
feet.
Then he recovered himself; he bent
over her, he raised her from the
ground, he took her white hands in
his.
~Violante," he cried. looking at her
In the name Of Heaven. what does
this mean-is-is ii you? Speak to
me. Have you risen from the dead OF
did you not die?'
She stretched out her hands i'm
plCringly to him.
viii you ever forgive me. Vivian p
she asked will you forgive me. if
tell you al the truth?"
His half-formed. superstitious
fancy died away. He looked at her
1t was Violante herself, but changed
and altered. The long masses of wav.
ing hair were all gone, her beautiful
head was covered with short golden
curls that made her look years young
er The fact was, as it had always
been. fair and sweet; the brilliancy OF
Z
its place a calm, serene, spiritual love
illness that TRANSPORTED her. The
face was thin and pale-traces of bit
ter suffering were there but it was the
face he had loved long years ago.
Suddenly he clasped her in his arms
he kissed her in a passion of emotion
that knew no bounds. He touched the
golden hair. the white eyelids, the
quiver!ng lips. murmuring the while
words she never forgot. Then he put
her at some little distance from him
and locked earnestly at her.
''V!Olante!" he cried. Have you
been Mrs. Rivers in disguise?"
YES" she replied. Il hungered and
thirsted so for one look at you and my
son. could not help it, Vivian; do
not be angry with me-"
Angry he cried; my poor dar-
ling. what you must have suffered.
am stunned, l am bewildered, Violante
Speak to me again-let me hear your
voice-tell me that ! am not dream
ing" Then. before she had time to
answer. he cried again:
IF you did not die at Sedi. Violante,
who was it that died there? who did
we mistake for your"
my mad, Theresa Bowden," she re-
piled. Vivian, before you judge. be-
fore you coademn me. hear my story
hear al have TO tell you"
He took both her hands in his and
placed her by his side.
Tell me all, Violante," he said.
and then, as you say, car judge"
Seated by him in the warm, sweet
evening light, she told him her story,
word for word, as we have written it,
five different prison pens and two
sparing Beatrice where and when it
was possible, but telling her husband
the plain. nnvarnished truth. Then for
the first time he heard of the cruel
the bitter sneers, the
taunts, the thousand unkind actions
and unkind words that had driven her
almost mad Then he understood for