Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-07-29
She shook her head.

She shook her head.
"He and have been discussing the subject.
and l can only trust" continued the doctor
that, to my sons unnatural conduct to his
father, he has not added a deeper. a more
objectionable, an INCAPABLE offensen
Il am truly his wife, sir"
Truly! Pray forgive me; l may Law
rough fingers on wound my heart would
choose they should touch tenderly But let
me ask you, when were you married to my
SOM SAID the doctor, forcing his voice into a
tone OF suave composure; for emotion could
not be permitted to qualify his dear delight in
asserting his elegance and breeding
Three weeks ago. replied Jenny anxious
ly, with her heart beating painfully, for she
feared the next question.
He was in London three weeks ago. He
went for little holiday, as at that time
suspected his depression, or absent fits were
| owing to the monotony of our scholastic dis
cipline. Were you in London then"
| mo, sir; was at Sydenham stopping with
| my aunt Rachel / met Cuthbert. by an
| pointment, on Wednesday morning at the
bottom of the hill on the road to Dulwich.
and there we took the coach that passed and
afterward, when we reached London, he put
me into hackney coach and we drove to
church, where we were married
The doctor applied a pocket handkerchief
| to his forehead
"A strange rascalr he muttered to himself.
Il had never given him credit for so much
duplicity." And then he sighed and looked
through the window and, recollecting him
self, forced his voice into suavity once more
and said:
Il represented to your father that nothing
could be easier than to prove your marriage.
IT. as / do not doubt, with bland wave
of the hand 'you are my sons wife, IL
scarcely know whether there be cause to
offer you my congratulations Since he has
played his father vile trick there is nothing
to hinder him from deceiving you But each
to his kind; you to your father, to whom you
are accountable, and my son to me-when he
chooses TO return
His whole manner had changed with these
words, and he addressed her with an lev
hauteur of gaze
Jenny looked at him fixedly for some mo-
ments, with wonderful gaze of mingled
CONSERVATION and disdain and rose.
II did not come here in expectation of find
ing sympathy or kindness" she exclaimed.
with bitterness that took keener acidula-
tiou ifoui tHe very DehuCy CnaU should nave
failed to warrant it "You know whose
daughter / am; and what you think of my
father Cuthbert has often told me. have
called to know if you can give me tidings of
my husband Doubt my honor as you please,
sir; but in Gods name, answer me my uues-
ton"
u have answered that question" he re-
piled.
MANY of the elder boys of the school and
several of the men were dispatched by me
this morning to search the shore and the
neighborhood, and likewise are inquiries still
being made in places beyond Greystone If
| obtain information, be sure that | shall
cause 1t speedily to be conveyed to you.
Should he ever return" he continued, in
slightly depressed tones. "this trouble he has
brought upon you is an account to be settled
between him and me, with an adjusting he
will not relish"
She was standing near tho door, and he
was raising his hand to pull the bell; but she
had not done with him yet The change in
his manner from the blandness to hauteur
from kind of tenderness at least, to a de-
meanor of blank indifference to her sorrow.
deepened her doubt of his sincerity, and. fail
ing to find in this old man any such sorrow
ing after his SON as should prove him honest
to her own mourning heart feverIsh sls-
picion that he was holding back the truth
seized her
"You can tell me, sir. that he has not left
me for goodl Say some little word to give
me hopel For his sake, Dr. Shaw-he loves
me truly" she cried, with her hands clasped
The doctor was affronted by her doubt
of him, for it was plain in her recurrent
appeal
u have answered that am as ignorant as
you-perhaps more ignorant, he said, frown-
ing at her.
LAST night" she continued, too bitterly
yearning after hope to be abashed by his
manner, or even to heed the cruel suggestive
ness of his words, che was to have seen
father. This he promised, and l was to
watch for him at my window. Oh, sir, he
would not have bid me wait for him had he
meant to deceive me; for, indeed, he loves
me fondly. A gentleman from this school,
who called on mother this morning, said that
he had seen him leave your house in the
evening; and to father he was coming-oh,
be surel Who stopped him, then, Was he
followed and set upon2 If he had died, or by
an accident been killed, his body would have
been found Do you know where he isa
Tell me, sir The Lord God, who hears me
declare it, judges me; and before Him / swear
thy son was my husband"
Now, but for the continued and afrronting
suspicion informing the girls words, this
piteous appeal, taking tragic pathos from
wild dry eyes and outstre tched hands and
shrill intensity of tone, must have reused
the doctor though his heart of flesh had been
as hard as a pet prejudice. But he was so
extremely mortified to find his word-his
word, too!-doubted by this wench, that
anger came down on all kindly STRINGS with
weight of lead and false perceptions pricked
him. For who was this woman but pigheaded
Strangfie!d's daughter3 And might not all
this bother be a mere trick of the enemy-a
plot speedily Matched out of Cuthbert's strange
disappearance, to moritfy the dignified cul-
tured, wellb bred foe of dissent, and champion
of orthodoxy and divine rightsl
He rang the bell
"a direct answer had been given YOU" he
said, "and you must excuse me for declining
to continue this conversation. l trust,
madam, for your own sake, that you will be
able to establish the fact of your honorable
connection with my SON."
And, with dislike and contempt on his face,
he made her a short bow. Without another
word she passed through the door, which the
servant held open, and left the house.