Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-04-11

must nave brought any OJner man 10
her feet. He was invulneraLle; and
the shield he wore was the memory OF
a sweet. young face, with tender lips
and tender eyes.
An accident brought about that
which afterward happened-his mar.
riage with Miss Leigh. Her superb
beauty brought her many admirers;
she refused all offers. But there was
one so eligible at last, that even Mrs.
/ Selwyn demonstrated. 1t was from
the young Lord Eyrton, the head OF
one of the noblest families in England
He was deeply in love with her. He
made her an offer. and she refused him
Then il was that Mrs. Selwyn spoke
and entreated her beautiful ward not
to throw every chance Of good mar.
riage away.
Il do not love the man." said Miss
Leigh, proudly; land / shall marry nc
man whom / do not love-"
But. my dearest Beatrice" said
Mrs. Selwyn, with your beauty and
your talents, you do not surely intend
to live and die an old maid. Do you
love no Cne!"
81 alone am responsible for my own
loves and my own dislikes," she re.
piled: and Mrs. Selwyn stood too
much in awe of her to repeat the ques-
+ ton.
why are you looking so grave,
mother" asked Lord Vivian of Mrs.
+ Selwyn that evening.
She sat alone in the drawing-room,
with an expression of deep thought
and anxiety on her placid, comely face
Il am thinking of Beatrice" she re
piled; 81 am not happy over her. am
her guardian, yet l cannot help think
ing that | have somehow failed in my
trust"
'Why?" he asked, smiling at the
idea OF Miss Leigh requiring any guar
dian.
Il do not quite know" she replied.
u am annoyed that she has refused
Lord Eyrton; there is net a truer, bet
ter man in England. Such an unex-
ceptionable marriage He is very
wealthy, and Beatrice would have
made an admirable mistress for Eyr-
Ton Court She has refused him,
and he is very unhappy"
"Why did she do it?" he asked
"She says she does net love him. T"
replied Mrs. Selwyn, land that she
will not marry a man she does not
love"
- married for love-" said Lord vi
Wan. musingly, as his mother looked
quickly into his face, fearing she had
PANIED him. But why need you re-
proach yourself. mother. You can
not force Beatrice either to love or to
marry"
Il fear / have been remiss." said
Mrs. Selwyn. Il believe Beatrice does
love some one. and has loved him for
years. | am afraid she will never care
for any one else, and l ought to have
foreseen it,"
who is he. mCther?' asked Lord
Vivian. wondering who had touched the
heart Of that brilliant. beautiful girl
Il cannot answer that question, =
said Mrs. Selwyn: and there was
something so significant in the tone OF
her voice that her son looked up at
her in wondering amaze.
Like lightning the thought flashed
over him. Could it be himself? Was
IL possible that Beatrice had loved
him all these years-that she had re-
fused such excellent offers for his
II hut oil
and his vanity was flattered at the
thought.
Mother" he said. gently. you should
have been less or more explicit. Tell
me truly. do you mean that Beatrice
cares for me in that kind of way
You know?"
Il should not have spoken" she said.
DO not be angry with me. Vivian. |
believe she has loved and cared for
you all her life"
Il never dreamed of such a thing. "
he said, simply, and the conversation
ended.
But he thought again and again of
his mothers words. Beatrice loved
him. and he thought TO himself that he
might. just as well make her happy as
not. Every one was telling him that
he ought to marry again, that a mis-
tress was wanted for Selwyn Castle,
and a mother for his young heir.
. If. as every one said, he ought to
marry. who so well fitted for his wife
as Beatrice Leigh? He was fiattered
to think that she loved him. II would
make her happy. it would make his
mother happy; as for himself-Lord
Vivian shrugged his shoulders-happi-
ness and sorrow were much alike to
him.
Two or three days afterward, Lord
/ Selwyn asked Miss Leigh If she could
spare him a few minutes, he had
something important to say, and she
who had long ceased to hope that the
desire of her heart would be given her,
thought II was something about Ru-
pert. or the domestic affairs of the
household, and told him she was going
4. ,serfaN IL