Woman's enterprise. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1921-19??, 1922-04-07
Loves Consunlation
VIRGINIA BRANSFORD.


; We could see day after day, that
beautiful Aunt Virginia was not long
. for this world; her soft black eyes
; had haunting look in them and her
crimson lips often moved, as in silent
prayer, or in communication with
some unseen friend.
l, her contant companion, through
many years had learned to love her
dearly.
i A Virginian by birth, finely edu-
Gated, in fact had been a law student,
passing her examination with credit,
though never practicing her profess
sion.
My uncle, her first husband, had
died while they we're both young. She
had since married, and was now again
widow. Aristocratic, proud, and
still beautiful, and yet while a woman
advanced in years still companionable
for girl of my age, for at that time
l was only a slip of gil, about eigh-
teen.
Dread cancer had set its fangs in
one breast of this loved one, and all
that care and surgery was unavailing
and we realized she would soon pass
away. Slowly the sun sank in the
West, its last rays fell across the
snowy cot, where Aunt Virginia lay
so near the pearly gates.
With look of almost girlish tim
idity, she called me to her, to lock
the door, and come close to her bed
side, as she had something for my
ears alone, before she passed away.
Kneeling by her side, with one Of her
small, fragile hands clasped in mine,
she told me this story.
when | was a young girl, IN Rich
mond, Va, l fell in love with boy,
by the name of Wilton Harcourt; he
was a fine character, but on account
of our youth, and for reasons, un-
known to me, my mother, who was
widow, objected to the union; we were
separated, my mother taking me with
her to a distant state; our letters
were intercepted, and child-like, l re-
signed myself to my fate.
Meeting your uncle in my new,
and lonely home, we soon became fast
friends, and never hearing from Will
ton, I was puzzled, and piqued, so l
married your uncle, but only few
years of comparative happiness, and
death took my young husband.
"Once more my heart turned, with
an intensity of love to Wilton Har-
court, throwing aside all feeling Of
wounded pride, and conventionality, l
wrote to him, mailing the letter my
self, telling him Of my old love, that
I was free now, mother and young
husband both dead.
"Oh! the bitterness of it, when no
reply came. How I covered my face
in shame, and kept the secret locked
in my own heart. The months crept
on, l was invited to a distant city to
visit relatives, taking my babies with
me, for had two.
"There l was thrown constantly
with a wealthy lawyer. Remember,
my dear, l was young, and they say
beautiful. Well, in time I married
Mr.. Lawton, and in constant whirl
of gaiety and with the care Of my
children, the years passed rapidly
away.
zone day a stranger came to our
city, and inquired for me at a local
hotel, was told was the proud, hap
py wife of the leading lawyer of the
city, and he quietly left on the next
train. Hearing through friend Of
the incident, who was in the lobby at
the time, my curiosity was aroused
went to the register, and found the
name of Wilton Harcourt.
my husband never knew of the
old love and no mention was ever
made of the incident. Now my hus-
band has passed away, and this
dread enemy has claimed me for its
own.
"Write, my child, to Wilton Har-
court, to this his old address, put in
care of the post master; send him
whatever the newspapers may be
good enough to say about me when
am gone, but wait till I am gone
Tell him I have been twice a WIFE,
and while loyal to my husbands, my
. heart has held him on its throne all
these years. May God forgive me-
: she added.
Only few more days, and we laid