Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-13

Calamity. daSCy words cannot De re-
called and they lead to anger and to ac-
tions which we afterwards deplore."
~ will reflect well, my dear Tell me
plainly what you fear from Mr.. Wilmot. I"
Il fear he will advocate tie cause Of Mr.
MortIock"
LAS regards Eunice?" 1 exclaimed, in
amazement.
eyes, Richard" replied my wife, sadly,
''as regards our dear child"
But before he arrives said, che will
have read my letter announcing her en-
gagement with Harry. Surely, in the
face of that"-I paused, seeing, from the
expression on my wife's face, that 1 was
making no impression upon her.
81 am so much impressed" sac said, 'by
g certain phase in your uncle's character,
which has been dwelt upon by Mr.. Mort
| lock-I mean in regard to his being self
willed and obstinate when once he has
made up his mind-that I cannot Danish
my fears. It is painful subject, Richard;
do not let US dwell upon it any longer.
| Hope is left to US, and we VIII cling to it"
| This conversation made me moody and
| unhappy; there were so many contingent
| cies depending upon my uncle's Whim.
Not alone Eunice's happiness and her flu
| ture but the whole course of the life be-
| fore me and mine hung upon his word.
Had foreseen that the time might come
when l should be thrown upon my own
| resources, / might, out OF the handsome
| income l had received from Mr.. WilmOt,
| have put little by every year, and so, to
some extent, have provided for adversely.
But such thought never crossed my
| mind; and now that it was introduced, its
effect upon me was terrible. [ recognized
how absolutely helpless 1 was to provide
for those who had a claim upon me for
! support. l knew no trade or profession,
and could think of no means by which |
| could earn our daily bread. Thoughtless-
ly, had spent ragularly every shilling of
my income and was even in debt-not to
any great extent, it is true, for three or
| four hundred pounds would have paid all
| l Owed-but the position was sufficiently
serious to cause me alarm. Mr.. Mortlock
presented himself to my imagination as an
evil genius who had intruded himself upon
US to work our ruin; and when, in the
| course of the day. he came towards me,
| smiling and easy-mannered, with pleasant
words dropping from his tongue, thought
of Lucifer with his fair outside and his
malignant heart.
-
this day passed lightly off, although on
| other occasions I should have deemed
| them of Importance, and have estimated
| them Alright ! had lately perceived signs
of falling health in Samuel Fleetwood,
and had advised him to consult doctor.
| He simply smiled, and said that it would
be useless; as no doctors could do him
! good; but as his bad symptoms continued,
desired our own physician to see and ex-
| anime Fleetwood. The physicians report
was melancholy enough. He represented
our faithful servants case to be hopeless,
saying he had heart-disease, and could not
live through the year
did you inform him of it?'' I inquired
1T was scarcely necessary" replied
the physician He has been for some
time aware of his state, and he looks for
ward to the end almost with cheerful
ness"
1t will be understood how deep would
have been the impression produced upon
me by this sad news had not been so ter
ribly harassed by my own special ankle
| ties. | entertained the sincereSt regard
for Fleetwood; knew him to be loyal and
| true, staunch and devoted; I knew that he
was ready to make any sacrifice for me
and mine; but / will put no false gloss up
on my feelings. So thoroughly engrossed
was by my own selfish fears, that I felt
mere commonplace pity for the honest,
devoted fellow, instead of the fuil-heart-
ed sympathy which should, under hap
pier circumstances, have extended to-
wards him.
Before shutdown Mdlle Rosalie also
played her yart.
In anticipation of my uncles visit, and
desiring that he should see Boscombe
Lodge at its best, [ had given instructions
to my gardener, which he said he could
not carry out alone. 1 empowered him to
hire a man to assist him, and he told me
he had done SO. was satisfied to leave
the matter to him; he had been in my ser
vice several years, and had served me
well. All that l knew of the man he had
engaged was his name-Redwing. When
the gardener came to me on Saturday fer
wages asked how Redwing suited him.
20, pretty well, sir" was the reply: ''he
isn't all he made himself out to be, but /
shall manage"
And my gardener being content, SC
was l.
At the beginning of the week, l myself
saw Redwing for the first time. He did
not appear to be over-eXerting himself;
and this. and the fact that he was a good
loo&ing fellow, comprised my observation
of him.
I return now to the incident in which
Mdlle. Rosalie played part on the even
ing of the day on which l received my IN
cle's second letter.
With my thoughts fixed upon the ap-
preaching crisis in my fate, [ wandered
from my house, scarcely needing the di-
rection in which was walking. wished
to be alone to indulge in my sad musings,
which so occupied my mind that l must
have walked for an hour before [ knew
where | was. The gathering gloom re-
called me to myself, and, looking around,
l saw that I was in Ivybush Lane. 1t did
not and would not, have struck me that
this was the place in which Samuel Fleet
wood had informed me that Mdlle. ROsalie
was in the habit of meeting some unknown
man, had it not been that my eyes fell
suddenly upon her, as l gaZed around.
She was standing at some little distance
from me, and | must have come upon her
and her companion unawares. For she
was not alone; a man was with her, whom
| Immediately recognized to be Redwing.
Moreover, she was in that mans embrace.
His arm was round her, and he was kiss
inc her lips at the moment of my approach.
They saw me as / saw them, and they fell
apart from each other. Without a word,
turned, and proceeded in the direction OF
nv home.
Now at any other time L should have re-
garded this discovery as serious, and
should not have allowed it to pass without
| asking Mdlle. RoSalie for an explanation;
but / am constrained to confess that in
L