Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-03-22

Presently he noticed 4 sign OHefluS
nights lodgings beside a flight Of
stairs leading into a large house. He
considered a moment, and then went
in. He engaged a room, then took
his money out of his pocket, and put
it under his pillow. He would be very
careful of it. He would spend moth
ing on himself. He might find Hilary
vet. But where? Oh, my God! With
a sudden icy terror of premonition
shooting through him he turned his
head into his hard, thin, coarse pill
low. Where'
It was a small room, its spaces man
aged and utilised in the spirit of COM
pact snugness which characterizes the
cheaper metropolitan fiat; but it was
a very pretty room. It's grace and
almost elegance of arrangement made
up for its exiguity. And the pretty
woman who poured tea for her one
visitor gave last bright charm to
the apartment which the gentleman
was not slow to appreciate.
He was rather iorid person, to
whose good looks the touch of forty
years had given certain appearance
of added prosperity, and perhaps
pompousness. The appearance of
prosperity was quite justified. Mr..
Vannest McFarlane had all the ma
terial things which man need wish
for.
Perhaps he took them-his unim-
peachable position, his gentle blood,
his inherited and accumulated wealth
rather as a tribute to his personal
excellence and Responsibility; but, all
the same, he was man of many good
impulses and some generosity. If he
were very prudent in some respects
one could not but acknowledge that
he had the right to such prudence, sit
uated as he was.
Eyes, / have a great sympathy with
some of these fellows" observed Mr..
McFarlane, slipping his tea. at is
pathetic the struggle they go through
when they are launched into the mael-
strom of city life. Some swim; but
many more sink. Yes-poor fellows!
I've seen a good many cases of the
kind"
The bright young widows face dark
ened with an alluring sympathy.
Yes" she assented with a soft lit
tie murmur.
"Some have come under my especial
notice"
Eyes? I dare say you have given
many struggler a helping hand, too, "
said the young widow.
She said it quietly, not impulsively.
If she had forced the enthusiastic note
at all, Mr.. McFarlane's delicate taste
would have taken umbrage.
This was exactly what Mr.. McFar-
lane greatly appreciated in the charm
ing little woman in the black dress.
He made no allusion to himself on the
score of her probable original status.
He did not know exactly what it was;
but he imagined. without wishing to
enquire very far back, that it was
something rather simple, while re-
spectacle.
He did not think he should at all
have cared for the acquaintance of the
defunct Mr.. Lawton, who had been
frank, fresh young dry-goods
clerk, with great limitations as to his
intellectual outlook, and evidently
greatly his young wife's inferior.
Mr.. McFarlane could not but con-
slider it as almost providential- and
this quite impersonally = that the
young dry-goods clerk, after insuring
his life nicely, should have left his
wife to pursue her career unhampered
by the restrictions that a husband
without many resources must place
upon a clever and pretty woman.
IF Mr. NIoEarlana littlp slow
in finally crystallising his various feel
ings of appreciation, admiration, for
this particularly clever and pretty
woman into a definite offer of his
person and its accompanying advan-
tages, it is to be remembered, as said
before, that the advantages were real
lv quite uncommon.
"A man does what he can in such a
case" he said, in reply to her remark.
But the remark had tiattered him-had
been delightfully."- agreeable.
And Mrs. Lawton was looking so
very Clearinghouse so even than
usual, if that were possible-th eve
ming. There was such a soft color
upon her cheek, such a light in her
eyes.
And what an air of grace and breed
inc she had! There was something in
personal distinction certainly. 1t was
an excellent substitute for social dis
tincton, if one could not have that.
And a what Il quaint mellow name
Hilary WaSi
Il have had one instance under nv
notice for some time" he pursued.
The young fellow who came from the
rural districts about two years ago.
He was honest, industrious, a capital
fellow, though rather dull. But ]
don't think it was the Gullness which
stood in the way of his getting on.
He had not come to this city with any
intention of seeking his fortune, it APP,
pcared. On the contrary, when he
came-poor wretch!-I fancy lie
thought himself possessed of 4 certain
wealth. 1t was touching story. 1t
seems-I only found this out very
lately, for the poor fellow is very
reticent- that he had an attachment
rather hopeless one. | imagine
for young woman in his own place,
and that she left it to come to the city.
Oliver Payne-that is his name-saved
and toiled and at the death of his fa-
Their sold out his share of the farm and
home.
The young woman, it would ap-
pear, had been rather ambitious in the
time past, and probably would not
listen to his suit. But | suppose Oil
yer felt that if he presented himself
before her as capitalist in mild way
she might be induced to think differ
entity of him and his offer. But he
never found her. She had gone up tc
different things or down to lower, and
he looked in vain. And then he had
his money stolen from him one night