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

| dear?"
Mrs. Goodheart warmly-.I will
never ask people to meet each other
again unless | know the day of their
birth, and their godfathers and god
mothers, and-and-" (sobs).
Lilla-'.If I could only 90 home
nowp'
She can and shall 90 home; no need
to wait for her carriage. Mr. Good
heart will be only too glad, too sorry,
too thankful to do anything; he will
see her home in q hanson, it will not
take him ten minutes, q message will
bring him out of the dining-room, and
he can be back before he is missed;
and Mrs. Goodheart will have it so.
All right: Goodheart is delighted.
1t appears presently. however, that
ne did not 90 in that hanson. Stacer
had to leave early, he said, and he was
going Miss DeIancyIs way, and so there
was no reason why
Lady Blanche-sWhy! Good Heav-
ems! you did not send Lila Delaney
home in q hanson alone with Colonel
Theophilus Stacer!'
Goodheart, peaceably-''It was bet
ter he than |, you know. He would be
less missed. l put it to him."
What on earth does this mean?
wnat has he done wrong? What is
The matter? He looks blankly round
on each in turn, plainly imploring in
formation, pitiably at sea.
Matter! Oyou born fool, you blind,
thick-headed iackass Matter! He is
told shortly and sharply what is the
matter. And here we draw the veil.
We can picture him for the rest of the
alleys, the back slums of the great gay
room, q miserable outcast, despised,
enlightened, bewildered pariah; we
can see him covering beneath every
whitening glance, shrinking from every
eye, scarce venturing to return the
cold 'Good-night," far less to offer the
parting arm; he has at heart, his
afflicted family may dare to hope, the
grace to feel his ignominy; he will
never again in this world, they may
rest assured, presume to NEEDLE with
matters so far beyond him. he is
crushed, annihilated; down-trodden
reptile-a dead worm.
SCENE III.
Ali hour later. G0Odheart'S study, GOOD
HEART 1esuScitated, brought back to life
radiant as ever, laughing as he has often
laughed before, but as no one had thought
he would ever laugh again; and THEO-
.PHILUs STACER shaking him by both
hands, as il his great end in life were to
tear elbow from shoulder, and shoulder
from socket.
Stacer- ''Ha! ha! ha! Ha! ha! hal"
Goodheart -"Ha! ha! ha! Ha! ha!
hap o
Stacer- bravo, my kind old friend!
The most splendid successr'
Goodheart-''Very fine, my brave
young friend. The success lay all
with you, though; OF rather, you had
the sweet, | the bitter, of the mixed
cup"
Stacer-''No one but you could have
done it. You, withyour honestface and
placid, guileless smile; you, with your
fatherly, benevolent, domineerino
manner-O, how | laugh to think of it!
And no one, not even your own wife,
to suspect you! Goodheart, you are
an actor born! The talent lay latent
until now, but"
Goodheart-"But [ have 10 share
the fate of all the truly great-to be
misunderstood. Never mind; you are
happy"
Stacer-''Happier than words can
express. She is mine once more, and
mine knowing all. [ confessed every
thing to her before I asked her again,
and We'll have no more secrets in fat
ure. No, Goodheart. | was bound to
make one concealment pay the bad
debt Of the other. Lila had refused to
see me, to hear me, or to allow me q
chance in any way of making up our
! quarrel; yet knew that she loved me
us | loved her, and was [ to let our
mutual happiness for life be spoilt by a
whim? | had to resort to stratagem;
you were the only person | knew of
who could and would help me, for YOU
alone had had real ignorance of the
dilemma until informed of it by me my
self; and so when / arranged with you
this most successful dinner-party-
Goodheart-''Andy yet my wife tells
| me | am never to have a say in q din
ner-party again"
Staccr- Never again will you make
such u point rs you did at this. She
was so sorry for me, SO pitiful toward
me, so grateful, so melting-in short,
| | had her fast. That hanson was the
| GROWING glory OF lnlS glorious even
| ing
Goodheart-''And yet for it was
more numerically belabored than for
all besides
Stacer-.'Ihose were the blows re-
| ceivcd in 4 good cause; they were hon
! orabIe scars, wounds to be Victoria
Crossed; you will parade them on the
! great day of our union. Where was Ii?
! 0, in the hanson with Lila, who was
! flying from me, and whom you-yes,
| you-had SO ruthlessly captured on my
bchoof. l bided my time; we were
silent for the full space of sixty Sec
onds, or one whole minute, and then
| o, she will know the place again, I
dare swear; twas where the wooden
! pavement is most smooth and noise
! less, and where me met the full moon
shining right into our faces. She
could not get away nor turn to hide
herself; THAT was my time, you
! know"