Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-05-10

| When this truth dawned upon her, Miner
| va, with white cheeks and dilating ewes.
rushed down stairs in alarm. The house
door was now closed, and the stout land.
| lady had invested her head in a cotton
night-cap. Jane had not been home al
| all; the stout landlady inferred that she
was to remain out. Minerva wrung her
hands in helpless distress An hour age
Jane had come along the street alone.
| What had become of her? Minerva
obeyed the first impulse of terror, and
wrote line on her card beseeching aid of
| Herbert Wilson in this emergency. Oh,
what would she do without him now?
That gentleman was smoking his cigar
outside the hotel, still enjoying the glori-
Gus night, and Immediately obeyed
Minerals summons.
In the meanwhile the landladv' had
talked volubly in German, Minerva had
| replied in French, and the maid-servant
had stared at both of them silently. When
Herbert Wilson appeared, Minerva ran
out 10 the gate, and suffered him to take
both of her cold little hands in his own
reassuringly, while she communicated
the dread intelligence of James disap-
pearance.
"Oh, what can become of a woman
dIoHe III pldCe ilhe tnlS DIT night! z! Sne
cried.
Every beer garden and shadowy path
had become pitfall of robbery and vio-
lence to Minerva's excited imagination.
We shall find her soon, | am conf
dent" replied the artist, it must be con-
fessed rather vaguely.
But she never came home" sobbed
Minerva, not daring to frame her own
fears, yet believing the worst.
Jane was scarcely the sort of person to
be Willing away the midnight hours in "a
tap-rOom, or in a solitary ramble through
deserted avenues. The landlady, still in
her night-cap, waddled down the garden
path with fearful suggestion as to noti-
flying the police, which made her hearers
grow cold with apprehension.
At this critical moment of suspense the
voice of Jane reached them, apparently
from mid-air.
Where do I live, did you inquire
Never you mind that, but try to obey the
doctors orders.'
The group at the gate glanced up invol-
UNFAIRLY at the next house, where lights
were moving about, and two forms paused
near the window thus illuminated. One
was Jane, nodding her head energetically,
and the other a tall man, who shrugged
his shoulders deprecatingly.
" Perhaps the doctor will be so kind as
to say that the gentleman came to this
apartment month ago." observed the
tall man.
" l have been here a month, myself"
said Jane, decisively. q don't know
the laws of Germany, though"
"She has gone madr exclaimed Mi
nerva. ooh, my poor Jane, what has
happened to you?"
She has mistaken the house." said
Herbert Wilson, smotherlng laugh.
When Jane had identified the sick man
on the bed, she was very much alarmed,
and instantly attempted 10 revive him, OBJ
llvlOus OF her surroundings. She held her
own vinaigrette to his nostrils, and dashed
the remainder of the water in the carafe
over his face. Then she rang the bell vi
olently; and when it was answered by
chubby servant whom she had never be-
fore seen, Jane managed very well to
frighten her into immediate summons of
the doctor. The alarming impropriety
of the situation never occurred to her.
Had 1t been stranger who thus invaded
her territory, Jane could not have done
otherwise than revive him; but it was act
ually the Rev. Mr.. Powerton in the flesh,
and Jane tiembled as she contemplated
his helplessness.
The Rev. Mr.. Powerton was a clerical
star of the first magnitude in the firma-
ment Of home where Jane dwelt, elo-
quent, genial and popular to the extent
that might have turned the head of a less
wise man. An adOring public had per-
sisted in investing his personal history
with charm of sentiment, for he had
never married, and was the idol of the
feminine portion OF his congregation ac-
cOrdingly. Jane, her inmost heart, had
for years considered him noble among
mankind, but she had withdrawn from all
public manifestations, although she had
in secret wrought one of the innumerable
pairs of slippers sent him anonymous
ly. She always blushed when she thought
of such temerity, While hoping that the
weary feet of the great clergyman might
seek her gift after lie days labor had been
accomplished.
All these things rushed through her
mind while she held the vinaigrette to
his nose, and she had the satisfaction of
beholding reviving consciousness as the
doctor entered. The doctor was q brisk,
abrupt little man, intent only on his bust
ness. The presence of Jane seemed to
surprise him-if anything could surprise
him in his professional career-and he
demanded to know where the servant had |
gone. Receiving no satisfactory response |
from the chubby girl, he made such use
of James services that she had no leisure, |
for that swift hour, to think of any person |
save the sick man. The servant mad left |
him at a critical stage of fever. Jane |
could only think of all those devoted fe- |
male parishioners at home in contrast |
with the pitiable condition of the Rev. |
MIR. Powerton, abroad, stricken with dan |
gerous illness, and left to the tender mer-
cies of careless servant. She had found |
him just at a critical moment, when life |
was ebbing away to Inconsistencies. |
Then lights had fiickered about, and the |
doctor pressed Jane into active service |
during all this interval; and the tall serv- |
ant had only just returned from his stroll |
when sobbing Minerva, looking up at the |
window Of the next house, discovered her |
lost sister. Jane recognized in the sery- |
ant the person on the curb-stone, smoking |
and chatting with the maid servant, and /
instant antagonism awoke between them. |
He had inquired as to her residence, and'I
been answered ia the terms overheard by |
the anxious listeners outside.
Herbert Wilson led Jane down stairs |
later, protesting against his assurance that |
she was in the wrong house, and it was
only when she beheld the fat landlady in |
the adjoining garden that she was stricken |
dumb by her own blunder
Herbert Wilson was installed chief |
nurse, the insOlent servant dismissed, and /
the ladies hovered about the door of the /
ready with sympathy and /
active service.
There came Gay when they waited on
heir own threshold for Herbert Wilson to
lead the convalescent slowly through the
yellow gate into their presence. The
Rev. MIR. Powerton was tall, dignified
man. He advanced to Jane, and took her