Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-01-21

Dy GQat ne would FaGnor De ScOrned by
her than worshipped by any other
woman He did his utmost, humbIy
and persistently, to win her tolera ton.
To do him justice, it was always her
liberation not her love. Dick had
most of the vices in the calendar, but
there was no cold .bloode calculation
about him, and but little coaceit. He
knew that he had nothing to do with
Iris Enderby, yet he was fain to con-
ciliate her by word. or action, by the
delicate oourtesies that please women.
He had beea a gentleman once, he
said bitterly TO himself; he would try
to fall into the old ways again for the
last time. It was easier than he had
thought.
But Iris never changed. She was
always courteous, sometimes kindly;
but the look of scorn In her eyes
seemed to Warrington's embittered
vision never to pass away.
For five weeks he saw her daily
deft, tranquil. gentle, the light of
that dark time; at the end of those
weeks Hartley died. His death was
sudden at the last, and only Warning
ton and his wife we're with him. Iris,
was to have watched that night,
an hour later. When she entered
with flowers in her hands, for she
had brought fresh ones every day to
please the invalid, Warrington was
alone la the aoom. A dull pain was
upon him, heavier than his grief for
the dead man, the hard, bitter cons
ciousness that he should see Iris
no more. He rose as she entered, and
though he did not speak his look
warned her of the truth, and she
glanced hastily at the quiet face on
the pillow. Her lips quivered, and
the roses dropped from her hands and
were scattered spots of glowing color
on the dingy floor, Warrington,
hardly knowing what he did, fell Ola
his knees and began to gather them
up with a wild longing to speak at
all hazards, to call her his saint, his
divinity.
s'Give me a rose" he said, huskily.
The girls voice faltered as she ans
wered him, but il had d ring of IN
dignation III it that touched him to
the quick.
''This is TO time to talk of roses"
she said, passionately.
''Oh, you do not understand"
he exclaimed holly. "You have no
pity for the living"
He did not glance up as he spoke,
or he would have a seen strange look
pass over her face. 1t passed like shad-
ow-was gone; she turned away, and
the next moment he heard her voice,
all sympathy, speaking to Mrs. Hart
ley. Then, feeling like an arrant
coward, he skunk back to his own
room.
Iris left an hour later Some rela-
tives of Mrs. Hartley had come, and
she could do little more. Dick reap
peared as she was quitting the hoase
to offer his services as escort.
s'Thank you" she said, not udkind
ly, but with quiet decision. II would
rather walk alone"
sit is very Late" urged Dick.
ST am not nervous" she said, in
cool tone of dismissal, ssand he fell
back. But ne was not to be baffied
so easily. Iris might walk solitary if
she liked but she could not prevent
all events till she reached the main
street. He took no pains to keep I'M
der cover, for he was reckless, and,
indeed, had she turned, his tall figure
and careless gait would infallibly
have betrayed him. But whether or
not some instinct warned her of the
truth [ cannot tel, but she ne yer cast
a glance behind, not even when her
quick footsteps brought her into an
ally rather too riotous for her liking,
and he saw her hesitate once Or twice.
But further on, when they entered
Oarrick street, ne himself hastily
lessened the distance between them,
for things were beginning to look
ominous. Half a dozen sailors, British
and foreign, but all drunk, and all
very mucn excited, had just poured
out of one of the worst public houses
in the quarter, and were commencing
a free fight among themselves. A
little throng had gathered, cursing
and cheering, and obstructing the
path way, and Iris stopped, good deal
frightened. Dick noted one police
man on the extreme outskirts of the
disturbance leisurely whistling for
help; and tben-it all happened in an
instance drunken Lascar broke out
of the throng and caught IRIS by the
arm. She uttered a low cry. The
next moment that Lascar was lying
On the pavement, to which Dick had
flung him with perhaps unnecessary
force.
Not for long. He was up again,
with a demoniacal look of rage on
his face and he sprang at Dick like a
wild beast. Something flashed in the
crimson tavern lights. Then, as in
wild dream, the throng melted away,
with fierce cries and CALCULATIONS, and
Iris was kneeling at Dick Warning
toms side chatting his hands. There
was surgeon standing by, and one
or two constables, looking down COM
passionately on the PROSTATE figure,
and some one had said, ''There is no
hope" For the Lascar's aim was not
made false by passion, and he had
struck at the heart. A strange and
wild dream, life that she had tried to
scern, passing away for her sake into
the darkness. Dick seemed to awake
from a heavy sleep, with the sound Of