Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-09

guiSe only revealed her unhapplnesS
SO much the more.
The case assumed alarming proper
tons to him as he paced the library
until long after midnight. Guilt? No.
1t was impossible for him to entertain
that idea; but might not there be
alarming complications, some COM
promising situation, which would in
clude him of necessity?
He constructed dozen possible sit
uatiOnS from the materials at his COM
mand, and fitted them to himself.
How should he act if this or that
should be the solution of the mystery?
Yet over and above all this sensi-
tive dread of possible scandal he felt
strong sympathy which longed to lift
this burden from her life, or at least
to share it. She seemed to be reced-
ing-gliding away from him. Was he
to lose her?
He reached out his hands instinct
lively. He brought her before him as
she had appeared in the evening in
her dress of dark garnet and black
lace, that harmonised so well with her
dark, flushed, brilliant face. He felt
a new realisation of her beauty. lie
started to go to her. He would plead,
urge, insist upon her confidence. But
pride put in its plea. 1t was for her
to come to him.
His mind wandered back over the
past year regretfully.
at was fawless," he whispered.
sit was too perfect to last. My turn
has come to suffer"
1t was two o'clock when he went to
their chamber. The gas burned low.
Evelyn was sleeping. There were
traces of tears, and something so pit
eous in the unconscious face, that he
was constrained to kiss her lips. She
stirred and murmured warren" in
her dreams.
The next morning he told her he
should be detained late that evening.
and kissed her good-by with outward
cheerfulness but a heavy heart.
All through the day some prescience
kept urging him to cancel the i'm
portant engagement Of the evening
and return home early. The impress
sion was so singular that he was con-
strained to obey it.
There seemed to be some reason for
it hen nearing home he saw man
lowering under the front parlor Win
dOws. He turned into a narrow pass
age between two dwellings, nearly
opposite and waited.
In few moments he heard low
peculiar whistle that seemed to be
signal. His heart beat faster tram
usual when he saw the front-door
opened by Evelyn herself. the man
walk up the steps, enter and close the
door after him. and saw, also, that it
was the same indifferently-dresse
dark-faced, suspicious-looking indiyi-
dual with whom he had known her
to be in secret communication.
He waited a short time, then crossed
the street and let himself into the hall
with his latch-key. The gas was
burning brightly. He orened the
door of the parlor. 1t was vacant.
7 ere was no sound below stairs. TIE
servants had gone ont.
He walked upstairs with firm step.
There was no anger, no desperation
in his thought, only concentrated
energy of purpose. The elements of
the disturbance were beneath his roof
He would deal with them summarly.
His clear professional instinct was at
once active and under control.
He looked into their private sitting
room; that, too, was empty. He en-
tered their chamber. 1t was in dark
ness, but beyond the heavy plush
drapery that separated it from Eyelyn's
little dresSing-rOOm he saw CLEAN
of light and heard voices. His wife
had received this man in private
room where only few intimate lady
friends were admitted. 1t was rather
peculiar situation for a husband to
contemplate, but he was equal to it.
81 tell you, Evelyn" the man was
saying familiarity, you'll have to do
better than this. You must shell out
two hundred pounds now, within
few days, if you want to live in peace.
No need for me to tell you what Seth
Arnold is. You see what he says in
his letter. God help you if you let
him come over here. Pm sorry enough
he wasn't popped off in that railroad
accident. 1t seemed as if the devil
helped his own. The officers were
after him for that forgery, and would
have had him within a few hours
if it hadn't seemed SO certain he was
killed. He's been skulking around
two years eluding the law. You
might have knocked me down with
feather when he made himself known
to me in London that night and asked
about you. It's too bad; but if your
husband is as generous as you say,
surely YOU can wueedle HIM out of
good round sum without his feeling
the wiser where it goes"
Warren Hamilton heard every word
distinctly.
''Wheedle him out of it," Evelyn re-
peated. ASK him to pay this price
for his peacei 1t is a wretched mat
ter to patch up-to compromise! What
ought to do? That is the question.
How can meet my husband with this
lie in my heart, when he is so noble
and ge erous, and trusts so COM
pletely? Husband" she repeated.
Have husband?"
There, Eve, don't 90 into heroics, :"
said the other impatiently. sit isn't
your fault that you are in this posi-
ton. Make the best of it now. It's
worth while making some sacrifice to
keep your husband in the dark. What
he don't know he can't be sorry for"
Il shall have to tell him soon," she
returned. Il know 1 cannot live this
double life with him much longer"
Your husband is not so young as
he was once" pursued the other sit
would not pc safe to tell him. The
shock miget kill him. You ought to
be glad that your black sheep of
brother is standing in the gap, instead
of Seth making himself known round
here. and kicking up q devil of q