Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-03-31
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/ A WOMAN'S ERROR 4:
III BERTHA M. CLAY Gl1
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Continued.
BY
BERTHA M. CLAY

There she passed the first day In
what seemed to her one long dream Of
pain, unable to think clearly, or Il
remember, or to plan for the future, OF
do anything, except realize that she
had left husband, child and home for
ever. The second day passed In the
same manner hour after hour Vic
lante Selwyn sat in her solitary room
watching the clouds that drifted along
the blue sky and the birds that sought
SO eagerly the shelter Of green boughs
On the third day she went out To
one Ct the little shops in the village,
and there saw copy OF one OF the
daily papers sold in Florence. She
took II M, without dreaming that II
would contain any intelligence to in
terest her. Then her sartled eyes fell
upon the words:
Terrible Railway Accident at
Sedi!"
Breathlesa and with throbbing pulse
she read the story Of the fatal acct
dent that had happened to the train in
which her maid travelled. She was
to be startled yet more for the story
continued.
Among the sufferers by this lament
able accident. we may mention one
whose loss plunged a noble family into
the deepest anlictlon. Lady Sclwyn,
wife Of Lord Vivian Selwyn. of
Selwyn Castle, who had Leen suddenly
summoned to England, was travelling
by this same train to Genoa or all
the deaths hers was perhaps one of
the most terrible; she was crushed by
the falling OF carriage The deeeas-
ed lady was young, beautiful ana
amiabe. Lord Vivian Selwyn, who
was almost Immediately upon the scene
of action, was ineonsolable. We un.
aerstand that the funeral of the un'
fortunate lady takes place today. We
may mention that the money and pa.
pers belonging to Lady Selwyn were
found safe and intact"
The paragraph concluded by blaming
the signals, and those who used them
Tho paper dropped from the white,
nerveless hands and Lady Selwyn
could with difficulty repress the cry
that rose To her lips,
She saw In amoment what had hap
pencd. Theresa Bowden wore her fur
cloak she carried her travelling bag,
containing her money and papers, she
resembled her In stature, In the color
Of her hair, and they had mistaken
The mai FOR the mistress, II she were
by this accident crushed beyond all
recognition who was to know that 1t
was not Lady Selwyn who lay waiting
fcr burial In the statorooms OF the
villa?
She saw II clearly enough; they all
believed her dead they all believed
that she had been killed In the terrible
accident yet here she was living and
well
Then came to Lady Solwyn the temp.
tation of her life. the temptation that
led her into what was indeed "A wo.
mans error" She went with the pa
per still In her hand through the
quiet village street into the little gar
den nj the end of the house. She sat
down there to rest, and the tempta.
ton shaped itseli--.the error that was
To have such strange consequences
became as virtue In her eyes,
They believed her dead" she said
to herself. and dead she would be to
them forever and evermore' She
had n thousand times wished for
death, that he whom she loved SO well
might be happy and free, Now the
very thing she had wished for had
come to pass To all intents and pur.
poses she was dead Her husband,
tho papers said had regretted her;
her friends had all mourned for her,
II she were to 80 back, to show herself
to them alive and well, how would they
receive her? The Jealous, wounded,
sensitive heart answered her that she
would no. be welcome that sarcasm
and sneors would greet her, as they
had so often done before.
Better make the sacrifice; better die
to her own identity, to her own name
die To her country her father, hel
child and all that life held dear than
return tN stand again In the way OF her
husbands happiness.
The sin OF II never occurred to her
the wrong Of II never struck her II
seemed rather to her ovCrstrainet
mind an act of heroic selfsaCrifice thai
she would die to all things in order
that her husband might regain hap
piness and love,
CHAPTER XXI.
UGppo Gin. tharn nre