Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-01
CHAPTER XXXVDI.

"Ni Herbert LinIey, ask permission to
reply your inquiries IN writing, because
it is quite likely that some Of the opinions
you will find here might offend you if | eX-
pressed them personally. | can relieve your
anxiety on the subject OF Miss Sydney West
ertield. But | must be allowed to do 50 in
my own way, without any other restraints
than those which | think it becoming to an
honorable man to impose on himself.
You are quite right in surprising that
Miss WeSterfield had heard me spoken Of at
Mount MOrVen as the agent and legal adviser
Of the lady who was formerly your wife.
What purpose led her to apply to me under
these circumstances you Will presently dis
cover. As to the means by which she found
her way to my office l may remind you that
any directory would give her the necessary
information.
Miss Westerfeld's object was to tell me.
in the first place, that her guilty life with
you was at an end. Acting under motives
which | am sure you must understand, and
which | hope you will also respect, she has
left your prOtectiOn-nOt to return to it. |
was sorry to see Though she tried to hide it
from me) how keenIy she felt the parting.
You have been dearly loved by two sweet
women, and they have thrown their hearts
away on yOu-as women will.
Having explained the circumstances so
far, Miss WeStertield next mentioned the mo-
tive which had brought her to my office. She
asked if | would inform her of Mrs. Or
mOnd'S address.
This request, | confess, aSt0nished me.
ITO my mind she was, of all persons, the
last who ought to contemplate communicate
ing in any way with Mrs. OrmOnd. | say
this to YOU; but refrained from saying it to
her. What | did venture to do was to ask
for her reasons. She answered that they
were reasons which would embarraSS her if
she communicated them to a stranger.
After this reply-Speal1ing as gently and
considerably as possible declined to give
her the information she wanted.
Not mprepafed, as 1t appeared to me- for
my refusal, she asked next if | was willing
to tell her where she might tindyour brother,
Mr.. Randall LinIey. In this case | was glad
to comply with her request. She could adj
dress herself to no person WCrthier to advise
her than your brother. In giving her his adj
dress in London l told her that he was abb
sent on visit to some friends, and that he
was expected to return in a weeks time.
''She thanked me and rose to go.
Il confess | was interested in her. Per-
hapS | thought Of the time when she might
have been as dear to her father as my own
daughters were to me. l asked if her par
entS were living; they were dead. My next
question was: Have you any friends in
London" She answered: / have no friends
1t was said with resignation so very sad in
so young a creature that L was really dis
treSSed / ran the risk of offending her
and asked if she felt any embarrassment in
respect of money. She said: L have some
small savings from my salary when | was a
governess." The change in her tone told me
that she was abiding to the time of her resi-
dence at Mount MOrven. 1t was impossible
to look at this friendless girl and not feel
some anxiety about the lodging which she
might have chosen in such place as Lon
don. She had fortunately come to me from
the railway and had not thought yet of where
she was to live. At last | was able to be Of
some use to her. My senior clerk took care
OF Miss WeSterteld and left her among re-
spectacle people, in whose house she could
live cheaply and safely. Where that house
is refuse, for her sake, to tell you. She
shall not be disturbed.
After week had passed | received a
visit from my good friend, Randall Linley
He had on that day seen Miss WeSter-
field. She had said TO him what she had
said to me, and had repeated the request
which l thought it right to decline; owning
to your brother, however, the motives which
she had refused to confide to me. He was so
strongly impressed by the sacrifice of herself
which this penitent woman had made that
he was at first disposed to trust her with Mrs.
OrmOnd'S address.
Reflection, however convinced him that
her motives, pure and disinterested as they
undoubtedly were, did not justify him in let
ting her expose herself to the consequences
which might follow the proposed interview.
All that he engaged to do was to repeat to
Mrs OrmOnd what Miss WeStertield had
said and to inform the young lady of the re-
suit.
''In the intervals of business | had felt
some uneaSineSs when | thought of Miss
WeSterheIds prospects Your good brother
az once set all anxiety on this subject at rest
He proposed to place Miss Westerfield
under the care of an old and dear friend OF
her late father-Capt. Bennydeck. Her vol
untary separation from you offered 10. your