Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-08-14
SCENE II.

SuOIJ, llOJ QuIGG lUC Uullg.
Enter LADY BLANCHE MALINGERER and
Miss DELANEY, almost the last
arrivals
Lady B anchc-''Are we the last? q.
how shocking! Not the last? O, how
lucky! Dear Mrs. Goodheart, who
have you got here? Everybody How
dye do? how dye do? how dye do?"
all around.
Miss Delancy-'Hou dye do? how
dye do?"
They seat themselves and conjecture
who is to be their fate. The party is
nearly complete and is being rapidly
coupled by Mr. Goodheart, florid, short
breathed, anxious, white Waistcoated;
paper in hand, he has gone the round
of the circle, but no one has yet been
brought up to Miss Lila Delaney.
The door opens and-a thunderbolt
falls. It admits Nh. Theophilus Stacer,
late and hurried, and he is Miss Delan-
cy's man.
He knows her? o, will he kindly
take her in to dinner?
The gentleman bows, the lady bends;
Theophilus feels his heart humping
against his waistcOat. Lilla's is throb-
bling in her throat; the eyes of the
room are upon them, and-they know
how to behave themselves.
Thcophilus-''A lovely day! So
warmr
Lilla-'Delightfu So COOL"
Theophilus--'' Have you been-any-
whereof"
LilIa-''Everywhere. II mean I
did not 90 out.
Theophilus-'' was ah-pIeasant-
er indoors. "
Lila leasanter- about of doors.
Yes"
They were out on the staircase.
Theophilus, hoarsely and low-'Lil-
Ia, this is dreadful But what are we
to do? We cannot have everyone star
ing at us; we cannot let them triumph
over us"
Lilla-s.No, no; whatever we do, not
that"
Theophilus-'Can you put q brave
front upon it? 1t is. but for an hour"
herself q heroine in distress, and dares
the worst that misfortune can do. Il
can. and [ will
Theophilus-"I am so sorry for you
it is for you that | mind"
They are at the turning of the stair;
Lila trips over the mat in her earnest
ness and impressiveness.
''Pray-pray don't you mind Theoph
Col. Stacer; it is-it is for you that [
heel"
Theophilus = confdentially = eve
shall have to speak to each other"
A tiny pressure of the arm.
ThsophiIus-''You will speak to
me?'
A nod.
They are at the dining-room door.
Lady Blanche is there before them; is
there anything she can do to separate
the pair? 1t is really quite too awful,
quite too hideous! She can explain it
to the Goodhearts afterward; turns
round and says, ''Tilla, Lila, my love,
l know you hate the fire or the sun-it
is just in your eyes; do come round
and sit by me; positively you must. p"
Obtuse host-''No occasion, Lady
Blanche. The blind can be let down"
(Aside)-''Hang it all! am [ not to
have the arrangement of my own din
ner table?'
Wretched hostess, who has just
learned the truth Colonel
Stacer, | am afraid | must ask you to
to come and sit here by me. 1t is so
awkward-we are such an awkward
number; but fear L must part some
one pair"
Indignant husband, in an unmistak-
able will be-master- of-my -own-house"
tone-''Mv dear, Stacer is seated. We
do very we'll as we are"
Company in general (aside) blum
dering idiot, he sees nothing even
yeti"
Tragedy proceeds: A deep gloom, a
terrible shadow pervades the meal; by
the time the first course is over every
one who did not before know the
frightful state of the case has been in
formed of it, and in consequence an
intermittent fever of delight, alarm,
and curiosity makes every other topic
flat rs q pancake. Who can talk while
that is going on? Who can do any
thing else than cast surreptitious
chances up and down the board, varied
by awful frowns and internal threats
directed against the miserable author
of the mischief? One tongue, however,
never flags, never tries, nor stops to
rest; and that is the tongue of Stacer.
Stacer talks on, and on, and on.
! Stacer appears TO have laid up fund
OF information upon every conceivable
/ topic, which he is now steadily giving
vent to; even when the ladies rise, and
Lila rises with them, and he gives her
back her glove, which had fallen IN
der the table, and he talks still How
good he is, how kind, how thoughtful!
and how very, very sorry she is for
him.
But upstairs all the commiseration is
| for her.
My poor child! My dearest Lila!
How unlucky! Such mistake! Mr..
Goodheart will never forgive himself!'
The last asseveration is Mrs. Good
hearts, and she is nearly weeping.
Lady Blanche consolingly-''Yes.
my dear Mrs. Goodheart, it was un-
fortunate, most unfortunate, and shows