Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-06-24

IL Il
to think with her husband and brothe
that the worry these flowers occasione,
her must be the result of weak mind
To his repeated suggestion, however
that if they were troublesome to he
the wiser course would be to get rid O
them, she persistently offered the mos
determined opposition.
/ Altogether, Winifred's conservator,
was puzzle to these three mems heads
the like of which they had never pre-
viously been called on to solve. Sh
was perfectly sane, perfectly coherent
perfectly wise on every subject, excep
those carefully-tended plants. Wha
course, then, remained to those VIII
were interested in her, save to imagine
she was afflicted with mono-manla?
In the first week in May there was ;
a splendid ball given by Lady Div
Farnham. The Moretons were there
and Winifred, in a pale pink crepe
which Arnold had insisted on orderin.
from Paris for the occasion, was sur
rounded by admirers; in fact she wa
on the straight path for becoming
fashionable beauty state OF affairs Y
which Arnold would especially have OBJ
/ ected. had he not been in the frame o
mind to hail with joy any event which
would make Winnie forget to devote
herself to that hateful conservatory
She seemed to be enjoying herself tc
the very utmost; and Arnold felt quite
happy.
While she was standing talking to {
distinguished French diplomat the col
or suddenly forsook her cheeks, anC
she looked as if she was going to faint
Arnold, who had been watching her al
a little distance, was at her side in 8
moment.
my dearest Winnie, what is the
natter" he exclaimed.
ooh, Arnold, the Warehouses;
Dreadful
He looked round, but he saw no one
heard nothing that could give him any
clew to her meaning.
Would you like to go homer" he
asked.
Eyes, please"
He took her down stairs and called
for the carriage. 1t was not till they
were seated in it that she told him that
while she was talking to NJ. de Merin-
an, she overheard; from a converse
ton that was going on behind her, that
Mr.. Wodehouse was locked up In a
French prison for some bubble-share
transactions in which he had been con-
cerned in connection with South Am
erican railway, and that Mrs. Wode.
house was dead
Arnold Morton was not an unfeellng
man, and was truly sorry for this heavy
affiiction which had fallen on the fami-
ly of his old friends. Still he could
not be brought to understand why Win
fired should be so desperately upset by
it; for no sooner had she been released
from her finery, by her maid. than she
threw herself on her sofa, sobbing con-
vulsively, and by turns rejoicing and la
menting over what had happened.
Arnold grew angry for the first time in
his life, really angry with his little wife.
Dr. Jones had more than once rec
commended certain amount of dis
Greet wrath; for the first time to night
he felet inclined to follow his advice.
He represented to Winifred that she
was by no means fulfilling the mission
that either love or duty imposed wound
ing her sensitiveness, too, not a little by
telling her that, while he did every
thing he could to give her pleasure, she
seemed to have tacit delight in re-
'ceiving all his advances with indiffer-
ence-nay, almost with contempt.
His words went like sharp dagger
into poor Winnie's heart; but still che
offered no word of explanation, only
after a while she raised her tear-stained
face from the sofa cushion on which
she had hidden it, and looked at Arnold
with her large, swollen eyes.
Gone more favor, dearest. | know
do not deserve it; but you will grant
one more, will you not2"
"What is it, my love? You know /
shall be delighted to give you anything
in reason that will make you happy"
.'Send for Blanche Wodehouse and
let her come and stay with MS
Arnold's brow contracted frown
1t was not that he had objected to
Blanche Wodehouse coming to stay
with them, but that was totally at a
loss TO conjecture what the affinity was
that existed between his young wife
and these people, even to the extent of
rendering her unfit for all her home
duties. She saw his hesitation, almost
amounting to displeasure, and threw
hirself into his arms with sudden
outburst of affection.
Arnold, dear, grant me this request
do, there's darling Arnold-if you
don't shall be compelled to go off to
the continent myself, in search of
Blanchel"
you, Winifred You must be quite
mad"
ooh, no, am not in the least mad,
only | have terrible secret to keep,
and the keeping of it nearly sends me
mad, Arnold dear. Oh, how | wish l
could tell you all about it2"
"a secret is connected with the
Wodehouse?'
Eyes; and you will let Blanche come,
will you not?"
Il do not object to your having
Blanche Wodehouse to stay for little
while, if her coming is at all likely to
remove the incumbus which has lain
over you of late"
1T will. indeed it will; at least hope
SO. Oh, you dear, darling old pet, you
are much kinder to your little wife than
she deserves, though she is not such
bad little woman as | know you have
been thinking her of late"
Now let us to bed," he said, '.or
you will look so jaded tomorrow you
viii no longer merit the name of my
pretty Winnie"
To bed for Arnold Moreton was not
to sleep. He was perplexed beyond
everything to imagine what this extraor-
binary secret could be which had so
changed Winnie. That the flowers in that
conservatory had something to do with
it he felt sure; but turn the matter in
his mind how he might he could make
nothing ont of it; and after thinking it
over in all its varied phases for hours
he decided that it was perhaps as well
he had given permission for an invita-
ton to be sent to Blanche Wodehouse,
since her presence in the house might
throw some light on the matter.
At last Mr. Norton fell asleep, to
awake after while with the sort of
nightmarish conviction that some one