Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-06-17

There's nothing to be surprised at, Mrs.
Pfesty. Capt. Bennydeck likes doing kind
things, and hates being thanked for it. l ex-
pected him to meet me here to-day"
Catherine went to the window. "He is
coming to meet YOU" she said. There is
his yacht in the bay"
And in dead calm," Randall added, join
ing her. 1.-The vessel will not get here be-
fore | am obliged to 90 away again"
Catherine looked at him timidly. do l
drive you away?' she asked, in tones that
faItered little.
Randall wondered what she could possibly
be thinking Of, and acknowledged 1t in SO
many words.
''She is thinking of the divorce" Mrs.
Presty explained. You have heard of it, of
course, and perhaps you take your brothers
part"
Il do nothing of the sort, ma am. My
| brother has been in the wrong from the first
to last" He turned to Catherine. Il will
stay with you as long as can with the great
est pleasure" he said, earnestly and kindly.
| 1.-The truth is, l am on my way to visit some
friends; and if Capt. Bennydeck had got
here in time to see me l must have gone
away to the junction to catch the next train
westward, just as am going now. [ had
only two words to say to my friend, about a
person in whom he is interested-and [ can
say them in this way" He wrote in pencil
on one Of his visiting cards. and laid it on
the table. Il shall be back in London in a
week" he resumed, land you will tell me at
what address L can find you. In the mean
While l miss Kitty. Where is she?"
Kitty was sent for. She entered the room
looking unusually quiet and subdued, but,
discovering Randall, became herself again in
a moment and jumped on his knee.
"Oh, Uncle Randall, Pm so glad to see
yOun She checked herself, and looked at
| her mother. MAY l call him Uncle Ran
dal?' she asked. SCR has he changed his
name, tOO?'
Mrs PreSty shook warning fore finger at
her grailddaughter,a and reminded Kitty that
she had been told not to talk about names.
| Randall saw the chId's look of bewilderment
and felt for her. ''She may talk as she
pIeases to me- he said, but not to strangers.
| She understands that, / am sure"
| Kitty laid her cheek fOndly against her un-
cles cheek. ''Eyerything is changed" she
whispered. 1--WE travel about; papa has
left us, and sgd has left us, and we have got
a new name. We are OrmOnd now. [ wish
I was grown up, and understood it,"
| Randall tried to reconcile her to her own
happy ignorance. ''YOu have got your dear
| good mother" he said "and you have got
me, and you have got your toys"
And some nice boys and girls to play
with" cried Kitty, eagerly following the
new suggestion. ''They are all coming here
! directly to dine with me. You will stay and
have dinner too won't yOu?"
| Randall promised to dine with Kitty when
| they met in London. Before he left the
room he pointed to his card on the table.
! LET the captain see my message" he said
| as he went out.
| The moment the door had closed on him
| Mrs. PreSty startled her daughter by taking
UP the card and looking at what Randall had
written on it. 1T isn't letter. Catherine:
and you know how superior | am to common
| prejudiceS." With that defense Of her pro-
| ceedng she c00lly read the message Il am
| sorry to say that | can tell you nothing more
| of your old friends daughter as yet. | can
| only repeat that she neither needs nor de-
serves the help that you kindly offer to her,"
Mrs Presty laid the card down again, and
| owned that she wished Randall had been a
little more explicit WHO can it be?'' she
wondered. Another young hussy gone
WrOng?'
Kitty turned to her mother with look of
alarm. Whats hussy?" she asked. Does
guantanamo mean me?' The great hotel
clock in the hall struck g. and the child's
anXietieS took a new direction. Isn't it
| time my little friends came to see me?7 she
asked.
1t was half an hour past the time. Cath
crime proposed to send to Lady Myrie and
Mrs Ronlscy and inquire if anything had
| happened to cause the delay. As she told
Kitty to ring the bell the waiter came in with
two letters addressed to Mrs. Ormond.
Mrs. Presty mad her own ideas and drew
her own conclusions. She watched Cath
crime attentively. Even Kitty observed that
her mothers face grew paler and paler as
she read the letters. You look as il you
were frightened, mamma" There was no
reply. Kitty began to feel SO uneasy on the
| subject of her dinner and her guests that she
| actually ventured on putting q question to
! her grandmother.
''Will they be long, do you think, before
| they Gomez she asked
The old Iady's worldly wisdom had pass
| ed, by this time, from state of suspicion to
a state of certainty. my child,'' she an
| SWered, ''they won't come at ALL"
Kitty ran to her mother, eager to inquire
| it what Mrs. Presty had told her could posi-
| bly, be true. Before a word had passed her
| lips SHE SlTank Dack, 100 frightened 10 Sptdh
| Never in her little experience had she been
| startled by such a look in her mothers face
as the look that confronted her now. For
! the first time Catherine saw her child trem-
! bling at the sight of her. Before that dis
! coyery the emotions that shook her, under
! the insult which she had received, lost their
! hold. She caught Kitty up in her arms.
! My darling, my angel, it isn't you l am
thinking of. | love you! | love you'll In
the whole world there isn't such a good
child, such a sweet, lOvable, pretty child as
you are. Oh, how disappointed she looks
| she's crying. Don't break my heart. don't
cry! Kitty held up her head and cleared
her eyes with a dash of her hand. L won't,
mamma" And, child as she was, she was
as good as her word. Her mother looked at
her and burst into tears.
! PerYerseIy reluctant, the better nature that
was in. Mrs. PreSty rose to the surface, forced
to show Itself. Cry, Catherine" she said,
| kindly; lit will do you good. Leave the
| child to me'
With 4 gentleneSS that astOnished Kitty
she led her little granddaughter to the win
dow and pointed to the public walk in front
of tba hDuSp ~ know what will comfort Won .