Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-04-12

you were marr1ed-the QualnteSt thing
You have it on now, Lucia, perhapsP'
Eyes, indeed. Don gave it to me. Il
was my engagement ring, Tom"
''Then you would not care to lend il
for the goldsmith to see?" asked Tom.
Lucia hesitated. She did not want
the ring her betrothed gave desecrated
by passing from hand to hand. To tel
the truth, she had little rather neither
Kate Despard nor another had ring
just like it. And then Don would be
certain to misconstrue. But Don need
She hated to disoblige Tom.
1t would be away only a night. She
slowly slipped off her glove and gave
it.
''Kate viii thank you so much, said
Tom. He took her hand moment. s'It
is a kind little hand" he said. at will
always wear the pearl of great price,
Once" he added, half laughing, ''be-
fore my darling Kate's was promised
me, had hoped to call this little hand
my own" And they looked up to see
Mr.. Donald Mcdonald towering like an
avenging deity in the doorway. He had
heard only the last phrase.
800 not let me interrupt you," he
said, in his Hottest accent of whitening
scorn.
But Lucia was too quick for him.
''Good-by, Tom," She cried, regard
less of appearances.
"Good-by. I suppose we meet at
Mrs. Maynard's dinner tonight" but
she was at the carriage beside her hus-
band, before the words had passed Toms
lips.
aren't you going to help me in,
DonP" she inquired
40 you wish to enter?" asked the
Grand Llama.
"Why certainly I do. I told John to
drive around and wondered why he was
SO SLOW"
"Slow? Too quick, I should say" he
answered, while John shook his whip
reins to the prancing beasts.
ooh, now Donr' she exclaimed, ''you
are angry at poor Toms palaver.
81 don't know any right poor Tom
has to be talking palaver to my WIFE"
''He was telling of his happiness with
Kate Despard."
81 don't know any right my wife has
to receive confidence from another
man."
don, aren't you ashamed" said Luz
cha, desperately. "An old friend, all
but brought up in the house with me
SIS that any reason that he should be
saying to you that once he expected to
call your hand his own? You married
woman, listening to him? And for all
know, he had kissed your hand. 1t is
shameful! 1t is monstrous! 1t is abom-
inahle!''
'He never kissed my hand"
"Why is your glove off?''
"Oh, Don, my darling, how ridicul-
GUS you make yourselfr'
''Answer my question. Have you
been exchanging rings with that ras-
calP' he cried, his eyes blazing in his
white face. ''By the Lord, if that is so,
l will have his life! Where are your
rings, Lucia?'
"Gracious, Don, what a flame you
can blow up from a spark Do you ex-
pect me to wear my rings about like so
many letters? Rings hurt ones hand
under gloves and l don't always wear
them.
"You will let me see''-his eyes grow
ing blacker and blacker, as if his wrath
condensed its darkness through them
''eVery ring have given you, the mo-
ment we enter the house, whether you
find them letters or not!''
''Do you mean to say, Donald" she
exclaimed, turning on him her beauti-
full eyes, ''that you are accusing me,
your faithful wife, of anything your
words imply?" Then the worm turned.
GLOW long do you think you can keep
my affections"
81 don't imagiue can keep them. I
don't imagine l have keptthem-" And
when, as just at that instant they reach
ed their own door, band of music set
the horses to dancing, the carriage
wheels ran up the stepping-stone, and
a crash ensued, out of which she was
lifted in a dead faint-Lucia counted it
one of the good fortunes of her life.
OF course, with the servants running
this way and that, with confusion and
cries in the house, rings and reproaches
were forgotten, and Mr.. Mcdonald call
ing himself brute, hung over his wife
in despair, and Lucia had a delightful
hour of recovery and devotion; and
then, against her husbands remon-
strances, proceeded to dress for Mrs.
Maynard's dinner.
"Ah, what a hypocrite and actress I
am becoming" she sighed to herself
"And what a coward! And all because
I love him So"
But nobody would have thought the
lovely creature sweeping into Mrs. May
nard's drawing-room in her white, gold
embroidered satin, was any of the hor-
rid things she called herself. They were
the last arrivals, and when Lucia went
out on Mr.. Maynard's arm, she found
herself, in little spasm of fright, with
Tom Dunstable at the other hand and her
husband nearly opposite. 1t was mo-
ment of absolute terror to Lucia. She
knew that the sight of Tom Dunstable
would bring back all her husbands
mood. She saw the black cloud shut
down over his face instantly, and she
felt that her least motion would be
watched with lynx-like narrowness.
But she must get that ring and before
she put on her gloves again.
''Tom," she whispered, not looking
at him, scarcely moving her lips, and
face placid as sunshine, ''give me that
ring at once, as you value my life."
The CONSERVATION and pleading in
her eye would have ruined her had not
her husband trod on Miss Ormond's
train in the general seating, and been a