Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-03
the mixed feelings which have been de
scribed above


COL Punter seated in his room trying to
J. read the paper, but IL reality waiting a
little nervously for Mrs. Werner. She did
not keep him long. On entering the
room she looked keenly at the colonel,
and, advancing quickly, said in rapid,
anxious accents
sob, Col Punter don't keep me in sus-
pense; is it true?" Then seeing his
blank look, she cried out: at is, and he
il dishonored." Then she sank into g
chair and burst into tears. This the
colonel had prepared himself for, SO in
his most winning accents he implored
her TO compose herself. Thus IN few
minutes she partially succeeded il doing,
and Immediately proceeded to cross-ex-
anime him as TO what he had found out
and done at Aldershot; how there was no
1ouot in the regiment as to young Yer
ner's being the son of rich people at
Singapore, now the colo2el himself had
told him so, and how he (Col Panter)
had in a fit of indignation spoken to the
young man himself. For this she mildly
upbraided him, reminding him of her re-
quest, and the colonel deprecated her
wrath and pleaded studded impulse.
When the story was finished she rose, and.
smiling sadly through her tears, said:
81 don't know howl can sufficiently
thank you for your kindness to me, Col.
Punter. You have indesd been true
friend, and I should like, above all things,
| if you will allow me to ask your advice as
to what had better do in this sad matter;
but, indeed, feel quite incapable of do
ing Sd on this occasion. Hearing that
these terrible reports are true has, as you
have seen, upset me very much, and [
think I had better go home now; but if
you will allow me to fix future Inter-
view by note, when [ feel less unequal to
the effort, you will add one more to Your
many kindnesses.
The colonel very readily consented, and
in another moment she was gone, and
with her, so it seemed to our gallant
friend, all light and beauty departed
from the room. From that moment, too
though he would hardly have confessed it
to himself, he began looking forward TO
the day when he should see that note up
on his table.
A fortnight had elapsed since the in
| terview above detailed. but Col. Punter
had not yet received the expected note.
| He had not given up hope, but still he
was undoubtedly depressed, and, whether
it was an effort to throw off his detection
friend Capt. Jones to the Variety theater,
or whether impelled by fate, or for what
| ever reason, we will not stop to inquire,
but at any rate in that theater, and COM
fortably ensconced in two stalls, sat Col.
Punter and Capt. Jones on this evening,
some of the events of which are about to
| be related.
The curtain had just fallen on the first
| ont he hot ~
ped in gloom, sprapg suddenly into light
| Then, as If by common consent, every
man, woman and child in the great audi
ence, with want of manners that would
be permissible no where else, but which
is quite conventional between the acts of
play, commenced, with or without opera
glasses. to scrutinize his Or her neighbor.
For few seconds the colonel had dis
| cussion with his friend as to whether
there was time for cigarette be-
| tween acts. This was promptly decid-
ed in the negative, and both officers,
grasping their glasses, proceeded to join
in the general inspection"
With a calmness born of long habit
Col. Punter. was sweeping the house, when
suddenly his arm dropped and his gaze
became intently fixed on the occupants
of box on the right of the stage; these
consisted of two gentlemen and a lady, the
lady was Mrs. Werner. On this point he had
no doubt whatever, though he looked at
her with ever-increasing surprise, for she
was in very full evening dress, and was
extensively bejeweled. She was, more
over, at this moment talking and laugh
ing loudly, not to say boistorously, with
her companions, both of whom the col
onel mentally and unhesitatingly pro-
nounced to be cads. At this jUnct1re Mrs.
Werner, turning her head suddenly,
caught sight of Col. Punter staring at
her from the stalls; the moment their
eyes met he bowed, and she also bowed
slightly and smiled, then, turning to her
com panions, she seemed, srom their up
roarous laughter, to be telling them a
more than unusually good story. Capt.
Jones had observed the mutual recogni-
ton pass between his friend and the lady
in the box, and was greatly astonished.
''Why colonel" he said, ''do you know
herr You don't mean to say that you
have had to go to the Hebrews, like
younger menu"
Eyes, know her. But what on earth
do you mean by asking whether I have
been going to the hebrews!'
''Wsll, l think it is very natural ques-
ton, under the circumstances"
II don't know what you are talking
about. Who do you think the lady is
then?"
81 don't think at all colonel. know
that she's Mrs. Hart Moss, the female rep
resentative of one of the biggest money
lending firms in town; and they tell me
she's very good hand at the business"
Col. Punter made no reply, but became
| mir Cd Nv
| tressirg reverie, for he clenched his fist
and almost ground his teeth, until he at
tracted the atteRtion of Capt. Jones, who
had, in the meantime, been nodding rec
ognitions to some people of his acquaint-
ance.
"Why, colonel said he, ''what's the
matter? The sight of that Mrs. Moss
seems to have disagreed with you awfully.
Whom did you mistake her for?"
cit has disagreed with me-" said the
colonel gr1mly, "but l see it al now.
What you say, Jones, is all quite true; she
is a very good hand at the business"
Then suddenly his countenance bright
ened somewhat, and he added:
"Oome and have something at the club
after the play, and if you will swear secre-
cy will tell you the whole story"
And ne did tell Capt. Jones every do
tail, finishing the narrative with these
words: $50 you see she made regular
cat's-paw o. me in order TO find out if
Werner was worth powder and shot. /
suppose, as his people lived abroad, she
found difficulties in the ordinary methods
of procedure"
~ expect that you're about right, colo
mel. By Jove! she's clever womanr
81 wonder she had the audacity, though ~