Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-17

liable that night, but trudged along
steadily until we reached the place
whence we set out early in the day.
Our landlady's surprise was great
on seeing US again, when she thought
we were far on the road northward ;
but, luckily, our rooms were unlet,
and so we were able To turn in after a
| hasty supper. In answer to inquiries
Lorimer said shortly that we had
changed our minds, and would fol-
low the company later. [ could see
the good woman look upon US as a
couple OF lunatics-and, indeed, now
that the fear was wearing eff little,
I telt uncommonly like one myself;
but she stood considerably in awe of
my compa MON and said little
It was IN vain I tried TO sleep. I
tossed about for an hour or so, my
brain whirling with excitement, won
der, speculation; and then [ got up
and struck a match to look what time
it was.
Lorimer must have heard zee stir
ring, for he called out from the next
room for me to come in beside him.
Perhaps he, like myself, was glad to
have human companionship. At any
rate, he welcomed me warmly, and
there IN the silence of the night open
ed his heart to me and told me the
story of his life.
1t is not necessary for me to repeat
it here, aud after all there was north
ing very uncommon in it. Just the
old story Of a reckless youth-chances
thrown away, talents misapplied,
1 F,sTar dc nl lion tod op1 ha 80 -
Then nasty marriage with sweet,
childish girl, whom he had known
and loved from boyhood, and who
chung to him In spite OF everything,
and Joined her fate to his in the hope
of reforming him, needless of all re
monstrance and opposition.
For time she succeeded, and of a
truth the two must have loved each
other very dearly, for Lorimer's tone
grew tender and reverent as he talked
Of their happiness.
But it proved too hard q struggle
for the girl wife, delicately reared and
nurtured, and her health gave way
under it. Her husband saw this and
it maddened him. For her sake he
put his pride in his pocket, and appeal
ed for help, Fl rst to his own and then
to her relations. But in vain, As the
young couple had soWn SO they must
reap. Her friends offered to take her
back if she would consent to separate
from her husband, but this she refus-
ed, even against his pleadings. Never
! If they were to starve, at least they
would starve together, said the ten
der, clingiRg little creature In an
swer TO every entreaty.
Perhaps those who wished 10 separ-
ate them never fully realized how
very close the wolf was to the door /;
perhaps they meant we'll to Helen in
using every naeans in their power to
bend her to their wishes; but at any
rate they did not succeed, and bitter
must have been their remorse when
the end came.
She died, and her child with Ter,
for want Of the simplest necessities of
life. What wonder that Lorimer re-
fused with bitter scorn to hear of any
reconciliation after that!
She he held dearer than all the
world was gone. He would show
them it was not for himself he had
stopped to ask q favor. And, worse
| than all, now that there was nothing
left to keep him straight, he became
more reckless than ever. He had lost
faith in the God who had allowed her
to die, and Ia the men who might
have hindered it had they shown com
mon feeling, and this made him wild
and careless.
I understood as he talked, what
| had made him SO different from the
rest of us. His heart was broken but
he had got to live his life out for all
that, and the very remembrance of
his love grew bitter to him, and help
ed him on the downward path since
he no longer believed in q heaven,
where they should be again together
| Poor Lorimer! There was nothing
but pity IN my. mind before he had
finished telling me all this.
''Ab, if [ could only live it over
again." he groaned-' the last Two
years, I mean. I promised her I
would be true to myself and to the
memory OF our love, and I've been as
false as-you know how it's been with
me, Tom. though I hate the excuses
into which I've plunged, and heaven
knows I've had little enjoyment out
of them. One tries and tries to drown
memory, and to forget, but with how
little success"
The next day passed uneventfully,
save that [ broke down and had to
keep in bed, where Lorimer nursed
me as tenderly as a woman could
have done, and when the manager
telegraphed for us peremtorilv he,
Lorlmer, sent US curt reply. There
were others waiting and eager to step
into our shoes, he said laughingly,
when I fretted over the future, and it
was only fair to give them a chance.
| knew that Price and Hanson had
both understudied our parts, but this
seemed to me poor consolation. How
ever, was really too Ill to move, and
indeed it was weeks before I was fit
to act again. Nervous exhaustion
and a.shock to the system, the doctor
whom Lorimer called in said it was,
and seemed very curious to know
what had caused the shock. We