Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-08
ing eyes accurately reflected his brothers.

| y
Randall could deny that he had seen Cath
| crime with perfect truth-and did deny it IN
| the plainest terms Herbert was satisfied
I'm all my remembrance of you," he said,
''you have never told me q lie We have
both seen the same newspaper. of course
and you have been the first to clear the thing
up. That's it, isn't it?"
Eyes"
II wonder who this other Mrs. Ormond is.
| Did you find out?'
NO"
'She's not Catherine, at any rate; 1, for
one, shall go home with a lighter heart" He
took his brothers arm to return to the other
platform do you know, Randall, was al
most afraid that Catherine was the woman.
| The devil take the thing and the people who
write in it!'
He snatched newspaper out of his pock-
| ct as he spoke, tore it in half, and threw it
| away. Malcolm meant well, poor fellow"
| he said, referring to the old servant, 'but he
made a miserable man Of me for all that"
| Not satisfied with gossip in private, the
greedy public appetite devours gossip in
| print and wants more of it TIN any one
| editor can supply. Randall picked up the
| torn newspaper. IL was not the newspaper
which he had bought at the station. Her
bert had been reading a rival journal, devoted
| to the interests of society-In which the re-
! port of Mrs. OmOndS marriage was repeat
| ed, with this difference, thatit boldly alluded
| to Capt. Bennydeck by name. Did NAL
! colin give you ths?; Randall asked.
| Eyes; he and the servant next door sub
| scribe to take it in; and Malcolm thought it
| might amuse me. 1t drove me out Of the
| house and into the railway. If it had driven
| mo Of CHI lp,+
| surpriSed.'
Gently, Herbert! Surprising the report
| had been true
after what you have told me, why should
! l suppose anything of the sort?''
Don't be angry; and do pray remember
that the divorce allows you and Catherine to
marry again, if you like"
| Herbert became more unreasonable than
ever. IF Catherine does think of marrying
| again." he said, ''the man will have to reckon
| first with me. But that is not the point.
| You seem to have forgotten that the woman
! at Bucks hotel is described as a widow. The
bare doubt thatmy divorced wife might be
| the woman was bad enough-but what
wanted TO find out was how she had passed
off her false pretenSe on our child. That was
what maddened me! No more of it now.
Have you seen Catherine lately?'
Not lately"
II suppose she is as handsome as ever
When will you ask her to let me see Kitty?''
''Leave that to me-" was the one reply
which Randall could venture to make at that
moment.
The serious embarraSSmentS that surround
ed him were thickening fast His naturally
frank nature urged him to undeceive Her
bert. If he followed his inclinations in the
near neighbOrhOOd Of the hotel, who could
say what disasters might not ensue in his
brothers present frame of mind? If he made
the disclosure on their return to the house he
would be only running the same risk of
consequences after an interval of delay, and,
if he remained silent, the march of events
might at any moment lead to the discovery
of what he had concealed. Add to this that
his confidence in Catherine had been rudely
shaken. Having allowed herself to be en-
trapped into the deception proposed by her
mother, and having thus far persevered in
that deception, were the chances in favor of
her revealing her true poSition-especially if
| she was disposed to encourage Bennydeck' s
suit? RandaFs loyalty to Catherine hesitated
to decide that serious question against the
woman he had known, trusted, and admired
for SO many years. In any event, her second
marriage would lead to one disastrous result.
| 1t would sooner OF later come to Herbert's
ears. In the meantime, after what Mrs.
| PreSty had confessed, the cruel falSehOOd
| which had checked poor Kitty'S natural in
quirieS raised an inSuperabe obstacle to q
meeting between father and child.
If Randall Shrank from the prospect which
thuS presented itself to him, in his relations
with his brother, and if his thoughts reverted
to Sydney WeSterheld, other reasons for APP
prehcnsi0n found their way into his mind.
He had promised to do his best toward per-
suading Catherine to grant Sydney an inter-
vi@w. To perform that promise appeared TO
be now simply impos bic. Under the exas
perating influence disappointment TO
which he was not prepared, it was hard tt
say what act of imprudence Sydney nigh
not commit. Even the chance of successful
ly confiding her to Bennydeck's protection
had lost something of its fair promise since
RandaPs visit to Sydenham. That the cap
tain would welcome his friends daughter a
atfectionately as if she had been his owl
child was not to be doubted for moment
But that she would receive the same unre
hitting attention while he was courtin!
Catherine which would have been offered t.
her under other circumstances was not TO b.
hoped. Be the results, however, what they
might, Randall could see Dut one PLAIN cOurS
before him now. He decided on hastenin!
Sydney's introduction TO Bennydeck and OF
writing at once to prepare the captain TO
that event.
Even this apparently simple proceedin!
l required examination in its different bear
ings before he could begin his letter.
Would he be justified in abiding to Benny
decks supposed relations with Catherine
Considerations of .delicacy seemed to forbi
taking this liberty, even with an intimat
friend. 1t was for the captain to contirT
, what Mrs. Presty had said Of him, If h
: thought it desirable to touch on the subjec
, in his reply. Besides, looking to Catherine
9 interestS-and not forgetting how she ha
suffered-had Randall any right to regar
with other than friendly feelings secon
marriage which united her to a man moral
and intellectually the superior of her frs
husband? What happier future could awai
her-especally if she justified RandaPs pas
experience of all that was candid and truth
S full in her character-than to become hi
friends Wife?
e Written under the modifying influence o
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