Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-08

CHAPTER XIII.
The weather had been unusually warm.
Of all oppressive summers a hot summer in
London is the hardest to endure. The little
exercise that Sydney could take was, as
Randall knew, deferred until the evening
On asking for her he was surprised to hear
that she had gone out.
SIS she walking" he asked, ''on such
day as ths?'
No; she was too much overcome by the
heat to be able to walk. The landlady's boy
had been sent to fetch cab, and he had
heard Miss Westerfield tell the driver to 60
to Lincoln s-Inn-Fields.
The address at once reminded Randall of
Mr. SarraZin. On the chance of making a
discovery, he went to the lawyers Office. 1t
had struck him as being just possible that
Sydney might have called there for the sec
ond time; and, on making inquiry, he found
that his surmise was correct. Miss Wester-
field had called, and had gone away again
more than an hour since.
Having mentioned this circumstance, good
Mr. SarraZin rather abruptly changed the
subject.
He began to talk of the weather, and, like
everybody else, he complained Of the heat.
Receiving no cnn0ura cement so far, he Sc
lected politics as his next topic. l. !ntlaI WAS
unapproachably indifferent to the state of
parties and the urgent necessity for reform.
Still bent, as it seemed on preventing his
visitor from taking leading part in the con-
verSation, Mr.. Sarrazin tried the exercise of
hospitality next. He opened his cigar-caSe
and entered eagerly into the merits of his
cigars; he proposed cool drink and de-
Scribed the right method Of making it, as dis
tinguiShed from the wrong. Randall was not
thirsty and was not inclined to smoke
Would the pertinaciOuS lawyer give way at
last? In appearance, at least, he submitted
to defeat. You want something Of me, my
friend" he said, with patient smile. 'What
is it?'
81 want to know why Miss Westerfcld
called on YOU"
Randall flattered himself that he had made
prevaricating reply simply impossible.
Nothing of the sort! Mr.. SarraZm slipped
through his fingers once more. The mWrit-
ten laws of gallantry afforded him refuge
now.
The most inyiolable respect" he solemn
Iy declared, lis due to lady'S confidence
md, what is more, to a young lady's conf
dence-and, what is more yet, TO pretty
young Iady's confidence. The sex, my dear
fellow! Must | recall your attention to what
is due to the SeX'
This little outbreak of the foreign side Of
his friends character was no novelty to Ran
dial. He remained as Indifferent to the in
violate claims Of the sex as if he had been an
old man of 80.
''Did Miss Westerfeld say anything about
me%' was his next question.
Slippery Mr.. Sarrazin slid into another
refuge-he entered a protest.
''Here is q change Of persons and places y
he exclaimed. Am a witness in court
of justice-and are you the lawyer who ex-
amines me? My memory is defective, my
learned friend. Non mi ricordo. [ know
nothing about it."
Randall changed his tone. "We have
amused ourselves long enough" he said. Il
have serious reasons, Sarrazin, for wishing
to know what passed between Miss Wester-
field and yOu-and [ trust my old friend to
relieve my anxiety
The lawyer was accustomed to say to HIM
self that he never did things by halves. His
answer to Randall offered a proof of his ac-
curate estimate of his own character
Your old friend will deserve your conf
dence in him." he answered. you want to
know why Miss WeSterfield called here.
| Her object in view was to twist me round
| her tinger-and [ beg to inform you that she
has completely succeeded. My dear Randall,
! this pretty creatures cunning is remarkable,
even for a woman. [ am an old lawyer,
! skilled in the ways Of the WOrld-and q
| young girl has completely overreached me.
| She asked me-oh, heavens how innocently
if Mrs. OrmOnd was likely to make a long
stay at her present place Of residence"
Randall interrupted him. You don't mean
to tell me you have given her GATHERINGS adj
dress?'
Bucks hotel, Sydenham,7 Mr. Sa1razin
answered. ''She has got the address down
in her nice little pocket-book."
"What amazing weakneSsr' Randall eX-
claimed.
Mr.. Sarrazin cordially agreed with him.
Amazing weakness, as you say. Pretty
! Miss Sydney knows many things more, be-
sides the address. She knows that Mrs. Or
mond is here on business relating to new in
veStmentS of her money. She knows, be-
sides, that one of the trustees is keeping us
waiting. She also made sensible remarks.
She mentioned having heard Mrs. Ormond
say that the air Of London never agreed with
her. ami she hoped that a comparatively
healthy neighbOrhOOd had been chosen for
Mrs OrmOnd's place Of residence. This you
see, was IeadlnS up 10 the discovery OF the
address. The spirit Of mischief possessed
me; | allowed Miss WesterfeId to take lit
tie peep at the truth. Mrs. Ormond is not
actually in London said; she is only in
the neighborhood' For what followed on
this my experience of ladies ought to have
prepared me. l am ashamed to say this lady
took me completely by surprise"
What did she dO?'
Fell on her knees, poor dear, and said:
ooh, MI Sarrazin, be kinder to me than you
have ever been yet; tell me where Mrs Or
mond is! put her back in her chair and
took her handkerchief out of her pocket and
[ wiped her eyes"
And then you told her the address?'
Il was near it, but didn't do it yet. J.
asked what you had done in the matter.
Alas, your kind heart had led you to promise
more than you could perform She had
waited to hear from you if Mrs. OrmOnd
consented to see her, and had waited in vain
Hard on her, wasn't it? l was sorry, but
was still Obdtrate. l only felt the symptom;
which warned me that | was going to make
a fool Of myself when she let me into her Sc
cret for the first time and said plainly wha
she wanted with Mrs OrmOnd Her tears