River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-06-23

In the first week in May there was q
splendid ball given by Lady Olive
Farnham. The Moretons were there
and Winifred, in a pale pink crepe
which Arnold had insisted on ordering
from Paris for the occasion, was sur
rounded by admirers; in fact she was
on the straight path for becoming a
fashionable beauty state of affairs to
which Arnold would especially have OBJ
ected. had he not been in the frame oil
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 TO
the very utmost; and Arnold felt quite
happy.
While she was standing talking to a
distinguished French diplomat the col
or suddenly forsook her cheeks, and
she looked as if size was going to faint.
Arnold, who had been watching her at
a little distance, was at her side in a
moment.
"My dearest Winnie, what is the
natter he exclaimed.
"Oh, Arnold, the Wcdehouses-how
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 Merlin
an, she overheard; from a converse
ton that was going on behind her, that
VIZ. Wodehouse was locked up in a
French prison for some bubble-share
transactions in which he had been con-
cerned in connection with a South Am
erican railway, and that Mrs. WOde-
house was dead.
Arnold Morton was not an unfeeling
man, and was truly sorry for this heavy
affiiction which had fallen on the fami-
" 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.
"One more favor, dearest. | know
do not deserve it; but you will grant
one more will you nOt?"
"What is it, my love? You know |
shall be delighted to give you anything
in reason that will make you happy"
''Send for Blanche Wodehnuse and
let her come and stay with lis"
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 d
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 a sudden
outburst of affection.
arnold, dear, grant me this request
do, there's darling Arnold-if you
don't l shall be compelled to go off to
the continent myself, in search of
Blanche"
"You, Winifred! You must be quite
madp
ooh, no, am not in the least mad,
only have a terrible secret to keep,
and the keeping OF it nearly sends me
mad, Arnold dear. Oh, howl wish l
could tell you all about it?'
ga secret is connected with the
Wodehouse"
Eyes; and you will let Blanche come,
viii! you not?''
~ do not object to your having
Blanche Wodehouse to stay for a little
while, if her coming is at all likely to
remove the incumbus which has lain
over you of late"
at 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
a 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
will 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 out 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.. Morteon fell asleep, to
awake after a while with the sort of
nightmarish conviction that some one
had arrived, and that this some one was
Blanch Wodehouse. 1t was s o'clock,
and the sun was streaming gladly into
the room. He was not dreaming then,
and it was actually the voice of the
butler outside the door, informing HIM
that young lady in deep mourning
had arrived from abroad and wanted to
see Mrs. Moreton Immediately. of
course it was Blanche Wodehouse, and
of course Winnie, in her dressing gown,
rushed off without further delay to re-
ceive her; and "most extraordinary"
muttered Arnold, as he peeped over the
staircase to see them meet, they have
actually gone into the conservatory and
locked the door" He went into his
dressing-room to performe his morning
toilet with a sort of desperate resolu-
ton to give up attempts at guessing
the very difficult conundrum that had
been presented to him He did no
hurry himself in the least; having re-
solved to give the matter up, he wrap
ped himself up in sort of gloomy res
ignation.
Quite an hour later, when he came
out of his room, thinking that if posi-
81 L If Il