Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-09-29
CHAPTER XxXlIi.-Continued.

She nodded Eyes. Debauchee,
rake, monster, degenerate, product of
that aristocracy which had oppressed
us, | was obliged to marry him, a
man three times my age! | pleaded.
| begged l was taken away by night
l was-I was They say I was mar
ried to him. For myself, | did not
kno~ where I was or what happened.
But after that they said I was the
wife of this man, sot, a monster, the
memory only of manhood. Now, in
deed, the revenge of the aristOcracy
was completed"
She went on at last in a voice icy
cold II fled one night, back to Hun
gary. For a month they could not find
me. l was still young. | saw my
people then as | had not before. I
saw also the monarchies of Europe.
All, now I knew what oppression
meant, Now I knew what class dis
tinction and special privileges meant!
| saw what ruin it was spelling for
our country-wbat it will spell for
your country, if they ever come to
rule here All, then that dream came
to me which had come to my father,
that beautiful dream which justified
me in everything I did. My friend,
can it-can it in part justify me
now?
For the first time, then, I resolved
to live! | have loved my father ever
since that time. ! pledged myself to
continue that work which he had I'M
dertaken! | pledged myself to better
the condition of humanity if 1 might.
There was no hope for me. I was
condemned and ruined as it was. My
life was gone. Such as had left, that
| resolved to give to-what shall we
cali it?-the idee democratique.
Nov, may God rest my mothers
soul. and mine also, so that some time
| may see her in another world
pray l may be good enough for that
some time. I have not been sweet
and sinless as was my mother. Fate
laid a heavier burden upon me. But
what remained with me throughout
was the idea which my father had be
gueathed me-"
"Ah. but also that beauty and sweet
ness and loyalty which came to you
from your mother" I insisted.
She shook her head 'Wait!" she
said. Nov they pursued me as
though I had been a criminal, anC
they took me back-hOrsemen about
me who did as they liked. I was,
say, a sacrifice. News of this came tt
that man who was my husband. He
had not the courage of the mobiles left
But he heard of one nobleman against
/ whom he had a special grudge, anC
him one night, foully and unfairly, hi
murdered.
! News of that came to the emperor
| My husband was tried, and, the case
| being we'll known to the public, it wa.
| necessary to convict him for the sake
| of example. Then, on the day set TO
his beheading, the emperor reprieve(
| him. The hour for the execution
passed, and, being now free for The
time, he fed the country. He went t,
! Africa, and there he so disgraced thu
state that bore him that Of late times
| hear he has been sent for to come
back to Austria. Even yet the EN-
peror may suspend the reprieve ant
send him to the block for his ancien
crime If he had thousand heads
he could not atone for the worse
crimes he has done!
But of him and of his end | know
nothing. So, now, you see | was ant
am wed, and yet am not wed, ant
never was. I do not know what [ am
nor who l am. After all, cannot tel
you who | am or what / am, because
myself do not know.
at was no longer safe for me II
my own country. They would not lie
me go to my father any more. A
for him, he went on with his studies
some part of his mind being brigh
and clear They did not wish hir
about the court now. All these ma