Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-11-06
She looked at me with a sort of divine


her to me, while you go and tell her hus-
band where she is"
Without word / obeyed, and when I
had led Lady Scarsdale to the couch
where lay the pure-s spirited woman she
had supplanted, | went away on my er-
rand
Unfortunately I was too late. Lord
Scarsdale, feeling better, had risen, gone
to his wife's room, found the note there
left for him, read it, and having ordered
out the carriage, had been driven off to-
the Great Northern! OF course | could
do nothing but wait his return, and that
did not take place till six o'clock in the
morning, when he came in, quaint, fierce
eyed, and CHASTITY, after his fruitless pur-
suit.
| saw in his face my task would be no
easy one.
He would not listen to word His
wife had left him, and should never re-
turn.
| argued, l pleaded, l urged her youth,
her innocence, the fact of my having saved
her, the sin of throwing her back on her
self
He was impenetrable, and declared his
intention Of Immediately taking steps to
procure divorce, and thus give his wife
the freedom her own letter said she
craved; also he would advertise her
parents Of their daughters misconduct.
Of course | knew what alone would be
the result of such treatment on a wilful,
impulsive girl of nineteen; and failing
all else, took higher ground, reminded
Lord Scarsdale of our earlier acquaint-
ance, and asked him, with sufficient con-
tempt, if he had ever sinned against faith
l.
judgments.
He started at that, REDEEMED hotly, and
said, 81 remember your name now |
thought your voice familiar and | excuse
your manner because you are right; but
dom. speak of that now. She was the
only good woman that ever loved me, and
| was worse than villain-a fool when |
left her. Let that pass; my life has been
sufficiently cursed since then, and | have
heard she died long ago-God bless her!
You say | sinned; did, and my sin has
found me out So may it do with my
wife; and now, doctor, good-by, and leave
me-"
What was | to do with him? | was not
going to bring my gentle friends name
again into the discussion, or let him know
she yet lived and mourned him. / had
simply said his wife was with lady
friend; and now, irritated by his obstina-
cy and by old recollectiOns, | fairly lost
my temper. He lost his also, and so we
parted.
In utter dispair l went back to Miss
Quincy. Lady Scarsdale was there, sub
dued and penitent enough now, and eager
to return and ask her husbands pardon,
which Kate, judging from her own gener-
GUS nature, had persuaded her was await
ing her.
1t seemed cruel to undeceive the child
and knowing what titful, impressiona-
bic little creature she was, shrank from
the result of her discovering herself a
disgraced woman. Yet | had left Lord
Scarsdale writing to his lawyer.
In my despair | told Miss Quincy the
case was hopeless.
To my surprise, almost my terror, she,
who had never risen to her feet for nearly
twenty years, sat up, and saying, "Ihen
| must take her to her husband, for moth
ing is hopeless under God" stood up all
white and trembling, like a spirit
/ sprang forward to catch her, thinking
she would fall; but only steadying herself
by my arm, and silencing all nay remon-
strances, she crossed the room to her bed
chamber, herself put on her bonnet and
cloak; then taking my arm again, and
holding Lady Scarsdale by the hand, went
down to the cab which was in waiting at
the door,
1t was useless to try to dissuade her;
see moved and spoke with the decision Of
one inspired, and when seated in the cab
did not even lean back, but held Lady
Scarsdales hand tightly, and only said:
pray, pray that | may not fail on the
way"
saw her own lips moving silently all
the Journey.
When we reached Scarsdale House we
were told his lordship was in the library,
and accordingly led the two ladies into
the dining-room which adjoined the
former apartment, and lett them there.
The wife sank down on chair at once,
crimsoned and trembling with fear and
shame; but Miss Quincy kissed her reas-
suringly, then turned and walked straight
to the library door, knocked gently, and
without waiting for an answer turned the
handle and entered.
Lord Scarsdale was writing, with his
back to the door. He must have thought
it was servant, for he said harshly
They are not ready yet, William" but
Miss Quincy crossed the room, and lay
ing her hand on his shoulder, said very
gently:
Guy, have come here with your wife
to ask you to forgive her and take her
home again.
If it had been voice from the other
world, he could not have sprung to his
feet more suddenly. She stood still before
him. tall, pale, and pure, looking in her
deep mourning dress, with the light in her
loving eyes, and the wavy line Of gold
brown hair under her black bonnet, so
little aged, so little altered from the or
phan girl he had last held in his arms ere
he went to Ireland twenty years ago, that
his face blanched as he gasped out:
Kate! is it you? And thought you
had died. Good God, how you must de-
spise me! And yet you can forgive"
Her patient mouth quivered little.
Nay" she said simply, 4 forgave
you long ago, Guy, and for that reason
have come to you to-day to ask you to for
give your young wife, who has been very
foolish but not guilty, Guy; and who
husbands love for the future. You will
let her 40 so if l ask you, dear, will you
not?"
He could not speak. Shame, and per-
haps the sense of what he had thrown
away, held him silent. But he knelt
down and kissed her hands as though she
were queen.
She let him kiss them, and then just
touched his bowed head with her slight
fingers, saying something very softly,
which only he heard.
Five minutes later Lady Scarsdale was
weeping out her repentance in her hus-
bands arms, and | was leading Miss Cur
npv hack to the cab