The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-09


other, never Dear to my heart as yov
are. Laura. if you committed an acs
which reflected dishonor upon our
name, l could never, never forgive you.
Nay, dear child" he said, kissing the
pale face which was raised pleadingly
to his, lido not know how impossible
it is for you to do wrong? only
wish to prove to You how irrevOcable
is my resolution. Every man has a
SHELTON in his house, and must not
grumble at mine. would like to lock
it in an iron safe, and throw the key
into the eea-"
"What, whatr' cried Doctor Bax,
who, coming into the passage with the
household cat upon his shoulder, heard
the last words of the uncompleted sem
tcnce. "What do you want to throw
into the seae''
The key of the safe in which 1
would like to lock my skeleton" re-
piled Reuben Harrild, with smile.
"Trying to get away from your skel-
et0n!' exclaimed Doctor Bax, tickling
the ears of the cat. Pooh! rubbish!
As If you or any man could escape it!
No, no, my friend. it will stick to you
while you draw breath, and, as likely
as not, it will follow you into the other
world. just now you have house full
of old invisible bones. l warrant you
every mans skeleton has stepped out
of its cupboard to accompany its owner
to your Christmas party, and that there
are score of them jostling up against
us, if we could only see them. For
curiosity, now" he said, motioning
Laura and her father to the half-opened
door of the room where some of the
elderly people were playing cards, and
most of the young ones playing forfeits
and making love. ''loOk at Stephen
Winkworth there, sitting by himself
what skeleton he has got! A perpet-
ual day and nightmare! 1t never leaves
him. 1t perches upon his shoulder,
like the bird of ill-Omen we read of:
"sleaye my loneliness unbrOkenl
Quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart.
And thy fern from off my door,
Quoth the raven. "Nevermore!
And Stephens daughter. poor child!
has not sne skeleton? Heaven help
her! hers is the saddest of all, for it
stands at the portal of a girls bright
est hopes, shutting out the light. Look
ut little MIR. Ramage-Mrs. Rbmage is
his skelcton-and is not she an awful
one, hanging round mans neck?
And you, my dear" he said to Laura,
'.you have your skeleton, and have
mine-here. herer' and ne smote his
breast Electrically, and upset the cat.
"YOur skeleton, Doctor Bax," said
Laura; ''why, what kind of one can
that be?"
"A tearing, staring, horrible, mali
cious. wicked skeleton!' cried the doc
tor, so loudly that the eyes of every per.
son in the room were turned upon him.
"A fearful, hideous. monstrous, hob
goblin kind of skeleton. l will tell you
what it is-in confidence, SO that nobody
shall hear" (He raised his voice to its
highest pitch. II love you, and you
are going to marry another: If it be
not true, may this kiss l am going to
give you under the mistletoe be my
lastr'
But Laura darted away, and the little
doctor, pursuing her. turned all the
card-tablcs topsy-turvy and set the
whole room in an uprOar.
Oh, but it was a merry Christmas
party, despite the skeletons, and little
Doctor Bax was the life and soul of it!
Had an account been kept it would
have been proved that he kissed every
female in the house at least half dozen
times over. Even Mrs. Ramage SUBJ
mitted to the salute; and as for Miss
Wymer, she stepped under the mistle-
toe like willing lamb and smacked
her lips after the operation.
There were two or three coy little
rooms on the lower floor of the house,
in which the guests found themselves
almost by chance if they happened to
stroll out of the larger apartment
where the chief merry-making was
carried on. In one of these, an hour
later, were Stephen Winkworth and
his daughter.
Take me home. father" said the
girl. Il am weary of this; want to
be at home"
II thought you wished to be here"
he returned. wistfully. at is gaycr
than our dull house"
81 know it is-but how can be
merry, seeing what l see?" she ex-
claimed, fretfully, II am like baby
crying for a toy which somebody else
has got"
Child whispered Stephen, bend
ing low, ''if William Fairfield loved you,
you would be happy"
do not speak of it, father" sobbed
Alice. ut can never, never be! Love
can not be bought"
''But it can be won and lost" he
muttered, in tone SO low that his
words did not reach her ears. If it
can be proved to man that the woman
he loves is false" He stepped
few. PAGES from his daughter, and closed
the door to prevent interruption. MY
girls happiness may hang upon the
discovery I have made tonight. Shall
l let the opportunity slip from mes It
was destiny that led me from the house
an hour ago, to see-what? TO see
this immaculate, spotless woman who
is engaged to marry William Fairfield
in the arms of another man, and to
hear her make an appointment with
him at midnight. At midnight. by the
Lord! when no third person is nigh to
witness her disgrace" A low, scorn-
full laugh fioated on the air. unheard
by the weeping girl. ''This fair Great
ure, SO outwardly honest, this paragon
of modesty and virtue, is like the rest
of her shameless sex-false, false to the
backbone! On, my ladies. shame upon
you! Not for me, whose life has been
blasted by your treachery, not for me to
spare you! l would whip your false
bodies with whins m ade of yonr own