Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-02-23

Don't meItlOn IL, sir, and thank
you very much" replied the landlord
In another moment the door opened
again, and the unexpected intruder en-
.ered-a lady. tall and very graceful,
having a pale, Madonna-like face, and
golden hair shining like an aureole
round small, classic head.
Seton's face had grown white to the
very lips, and his voice quivered per-
ceptibly as, extending his hand, he
said:
This is a very unexpected meeting"
every unexpected" echoed the lady,
removing her wet mantle, and sitting
down on the leather sofa. The reoog-
milton had been mutual, but women, as
a general thing, have more self-posses-
sion than the sterner sex.
"Let me recommend this chair" said
Seton, laying his hand upon the one
from which he had just risen. "No,
thank you; [ prefer sitting away from
the fire.
81 am sorry the room should smell
so of tobacco" observed Seton, after a
pause, "but you see | did not expect
the pleasure of 81 visitor"
She smiled a rather forced smile cy
way of answer, and Seton folded elab-
orately and put into an envelope blank
sheet of paper.
"The country is very beautiful
around here" he observed, writing his
own name with great care upon the
envelope.
owe have only been back from the
Continent six weeks" she observed
after pause. Mamma has taken a
house near Chiselhurst. I was driving
over to Sevenoaks this morning, and /
was caught in the rain, and indnced to
ask for shelter here"
&c And how is Mrs. Clarefield ?"
Mamma is quite well, thank YOU
Then after a pause, in full, sweet,
low contralto voice, which had ring
of infinite pathos, care you stopping
here?"
Hardly" said Seton, with an as
sumption of gayety in his tone, "but
I'll tell you all about it. My friends
kindly took it into their heads that
was sticking too closely to work-that
[ wanted fresh air and exercise-so
they bound me over on my word of
honor to walk from London to Hast
ings in week. l acquiesce in every
thing now, so, of course, acquiesced in
this, and this is my first day of hard la
Dor and imprisonment"
"But a man changes a good deal in
three years" he replied, YEARLY.
1t would weary you, dear reader, and
to no purpose, were | to set down here
the dreary cemmonplaces with which
these two tried to beguile the time for
over an hour. Atlength, worn out by
the arduous effort Of trying to entertain
each other while their thoughts were so
far away, they took refuge in silence,
while the wind roared, and the rain
dashed the window, and the dusk came
on prematurely; and Seton, looking out
on the cherries prospect, shivered as
with the cold. Then that other person
rose very quietly, and stirred the fire
into blaze, and resumed her seat on
the sofa.
'No, you shouldn't really" said Sc
ton, not turning round, however, though
with look Of great pain on his face. 1t
is wonderful what sutferings some small,
commonplace word or action may
cause us. What vistas of possible joys
may they not open up to us!
81 suppose the carriage will soon be
back" said Alice, presently, and speak
ing with effort, 'and our coachman
drives so fast, too"
eyes, and your term Of imprisonment
will soon be up" rejoined Seton, rest
hIc oil
and examining with critical interest a
photograph before him.
"How the time passed !" said Alice,
in a low voice as if speaking to herself.
Then, with sudden energy. 81 cannot
tell when we shall meet again. Before
we part, answer me one question. You
are looking worn and weary-are you
happy"
Now he stood before her, and through
the dusk and the freight his eyes
flashed on her, as he said, in low,
harsh voice;
" From your lips that question is an
insult"
"Of which you need not fear the re-
petition" she reioined promptly with
cutting formality.
"No, it can't end like this" he went
on. 'DO you know, eyer since you
have been here, l have bitten my lips
through and through to keep them from
speaking of the past? This meeting
was not of your seeking, and it seems
to me unmanly to make advantage of
this opportunity.
"We are sometimes so mistaken"
she said, hurriedly, but her words were
hardly audible, and he continued
"Alice, you have treated me very i'll.
On that day, now three years ago, when
gave you my love, and believed in
yours, [ was frank with you. [ told
you how wild and irregular my life had
been, and how full of faults 1 was.
You reclaimed me-you transformed
my days-you made life, all at once,
pure and fair; and then because some
thorn in my love hurt you, you threw
it all away and left me to perish miser.
ably" She would have interrupted
him, but he silenced her with gesture,
and went on: "And now when we meet,
after three year, you ask me if [ am
happy. fl loved you once, I shall
love you forever. Do 1 look happy ?'
I" think there were faults on both
sides" Eshe said quietly.
Yes, perhaps there were," he re-
piled; "but was reading your last
letter over only to-day. Oh, how ter
ribly bitter it was p
"And have you forgotten your an
swer to that letter." she said passion
ately, her voice quivering and her
breast heaving.
Il don't remember it word for word"
he returned, quickly; I" | know it was