Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-16

r@a Our conversation at All end 7
,squesteu to be shown to nv room
tlo.lislng to be in the drawiny-room
!or hve o'clock tea, when / shonld ha
Introduced to Mrs. Crawford.
AS Mr. LcnnoN, if you please" sup-
Ses,ed her husband as we crossed tho
nai5. You remember that / asked Won
to drop the doctor, and seem nm oyd;s
nary visitorp" "A oioi-
VI course l agreed; and then he told
me he had spoken to her of me ~ an
me to myself. y
Nhen l descended to the drawinn.
room, found both Crawford and his
Wife waiting for me. He was standino
by the open window PLAYING with the
climbing roses that We're nodIina s hv
!ts SUI; he was talking merrily as [ en-
Isfeo' ana looked the personitication of
!lle ana good spirits. A girl was stand
ing by, the mantel-piece with her back
toward me, and l had barely time to adj
mire the slight figure and graceful pose,
before Crawford's voice rang out in
hearty cordially.
"Ah! there you are at last! Let me
introduce you to my wife. Beatrice,
tnls is MI. John LGnnOX.H
She had half turned when he began
sPeaklng; but as he said my name, She
gave a sudden gasp and confronted me
with large, startled eyes 1 have seen
the eyes of q shared bird and those of a
hunted stag. but l have never seen such
a look Of piteous fear as dwelt in hers
then. For n moment she seemed
half mad with terror; but the next it
fled It's quickly as it came, and she held
out her hand in greeting. AS she did
so an ugly scar on the smooth, white
wrist caught my eye. 1t looked to me
like an unskillful but Intentional cut
from a knife, and while we were e x
changing commonplaces as to my Jour
ney, etc., l was wondering whether she
had ever attempted her own life. She
was IN the first flush of her womanhood,
and her glorious blue eyes and coil OF
auburn hair would alone have sufficed
to stamp her as a beautiful woman, had
it not been that the curious expression
Of her face outweighed every other fas-
clnatlon. She gave me the impression
OF being literally consumed by a terrible
dread, to the nature of which I, of
course, as yet held no clew; and with
this dread an equally strong desire to
suppress all outward Indication of it.
Add to this the fact that her face was
entirely colorless, and that the hand she
gave me. in spite of the warm June
sunshine, was cold as ice, and it will be
seen that my first case promised to be
full of interest.
She poured out the tea silently, while
her husband and / went on chatting.
and she did not speak again until he
proposed to ring the nursery bell.
"We have not seen BERTHE all day.
he added, land 1 know you would like
to show him off to Lennox."
"He is having his tea," she rejoined
quickly. ''Show him off in the morning,
Arthur; I don't think we want him
now."
so fie! there is an unkind mamma!
I wonder what BERTHE would say to YOU?
He can finish his tea here, dear I'll
fetch him."
"No, no; I'll CO." She ran out Of
the room as she Spoke; and Crawford
turned to me with a weary-looking
smile. .
"You see, Lennox, I generally give
way; but / am afraid It is growins
upon her. He is such a Splendid
fellow"' AS he spoke his wife returned
with the boy in her arms.
81 met him in the hail." she ex-
planned; she was just coming in from
his walk. No, Arthur; don't take
him; he isnot at all heavy" This last to
her husband who had advanced with
outstretched hands. "Look here,
BERTHE, darling. Who likes cake?"
She seated herself on a low chair, still
keeping a Jealous arm around the
child, and went on talking, this
time to me. "Arthur and [ quarrel
over this small boy" She laughed a
little, but it sounded very mirthless.
.The last cause of dissention is his
health. l think he is growing delicate
and wants change, and papa doesn't
agree. Does he, my beauty?"
The boy laughed as she held him vet
more closely to her.. and looking at his
rosy cheeks and bright eyes, it seemed
to me that there could not be a healthier
youngster.
Il am afraid Unjust take papa's side, -
I said. "You must not alarm yourself
unnecessarily, dear Mrs. Crawford, for
l think l stopped abruptly, alarmed
by the expression on her face. 1 was
new at my work, be it remembered: but
l think that older men than I would
have been frightened. BERTHE had re-
belled against the retaining arm; and
sliding on the floor, had run to his
father and climbed into his arms.
A fine game of romps now ensued,
and the mother sat and watched them.
Sitting there facing her, I, too, was
watching. In my student days, l had
kept a tame lizard, and by whistling to
it, had been able to direct its move
ments at will, and now l was reminded
of my whilom pet by watching Beatrice
Crawford's eyes. Every motion of her
husbands, as he al round the room
tossing the laughing boy in his arms,
appeared to hold a fascination for her,
and her gaze never left him but once.
That once was when she walked swiftly
to a further table and possessed herself
of a paper-knife, which she handed to
me, commenting on its curious make.
1t was of steel and sharply pointed; and
l handed it back again with tho remark,
that it would make a nasty weapon if