Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-21


so kind to her little boy.
81 am fond of children" said. ''He
is such dear little fellow, you must be
very proud of him, Mrs. Darlington"
A gloomy expression came over her
face.
81 used to be-" she said, half to herself;
and then, with passionate gesture, she
added, ''and now [ often wish he was
| dead"
She left me abruptly, and was more
than ever confirmed in my opinion that
she had no husband. Ifelt half ashamed
of myself the next time [ met her, for,
looking at her slender left hand, l saw
shining upon her finger the emblem of
wifehood; so the mystery remained IN
solved.
AS the winter advanced, I noticed that
Mrs. Matthews, though still tall and erect,
walked with less firmness, leaning heavi-
| ly on the shoulder Of her daughter: vet
every afternoon, as the shadows came
over the sea, they both went down the
garden-path and out along the beach
/ always together, never with the child.
He often came in to have tea with me
and to play with pussy by the fire; and
grew quite accustomed to seeing his
pretty face and his golden curly hair in
| the frelight-grew to love the baby
chattering voice. Then Jane would carry
him home well wrapped up in shawls,
rosy and drowsy, murmuring, "Coming
again tomorrow"
The long winter was pretty well on itg
way. Christmas, that dreary time for
| the lonely and troubled, was over, the
| new year was advancing to spring SUM-
/ shine, and still the mystery of No. 2 re-
manned unsolved, and I was no nearer
getting friendly with Mrs. Darlington
! than I had been on the day of her arrival.
Mrs. Matthews walked with a stick now,
and seemed bent double with some in
| trinity. We had a week of terrible
weather-suCh storms as | had never
witnessed beforehand the fragile Sea-
View Villas were shaken to their very
| foundation. The waves came roaring
and bowling on to the beach, driven In
| by the bitter wind that whistled through
every crack and cranny-under the doc,
and through the joints of the window
| sashes; and all the fires we could make
up did not keep the rooms warm.
All that week l GId not see my little
friend Reggie, and | missed him sorely;
| but of course he could not venture out in
such weather; and, besides, Jane heard
| that he had a cold, so [ sent him in some
| nice lOzenges and some black-currant
/ Jelly, and a picture-book / had written
| to London for.
One evening the storm seemed worse
than ever. | was sitting at my solitary
tea-table, listening to the driving rain
beating on the window-panes, when
heard the hall door-bel peal twice in
rapid succession. l wondered who it
| could be at that hour. I was not left
long in doubt. A gust of wind howled
and shrieked through the house as the
! hall door was opened, and the storm
seem to rush up the staircase; the can
dies flickered, windows and doors ratified
with the violence of the hurricane, and
then Jane appeared, and behind her a
! woman, wet and disheyelled, with only
shawl round her.
Mrs. Darlington, what is it?' I cried,
thinking at once of my little friend Reg
gle: and, as if she OWNED my thought,
she said YEARLY
Eyes, the child is very i'll, and keeps
calling for you"
81 will come to him of course" I an
swered, glad that it was nothing worse.
| ''Dear little fellow have missed him
so much! Sit down by the fire and drink
this hot cup of tea, while [ run and get
my things on. What is the matter with
him-do YOU knowp
Group" replied Mrs. Darlington, look
! ing utterly miserable and heart-broken.
"And he seems very bad, and | know
nothing of children, and don't know what
to do for him.
| 'Have you sent for the doctor?"
| "No," she said, in a confused manner,
81 have not. You see we are such COM
| plete strangers, and do not know whom
to send to; and, besides, my mother must
| not be worried"
Mrs. Matthews must be lunatic, ] de-
cided.
'But your child's ifer' said severely,
as | hastily took down a medical book
from the bookcase. ''Surely you would
consider your child before any one else!"
Il do not know" she cried hopelessly.
81 am utterly miserable, and don't know
what to do"
"WeI. | will just get my bonnet and
| cloak, and go and see the child. I had
| little nephews and nieceS once, and used
to know good deal of their little all
mentS."
In few minutes, leaving pussy to the
sole enjoyment of the blazing fire and my
easy chair, we went down the stairs and
! out at the door, battling with the wind
| and rain along my narrow garden-path.
| The wind nearly took us off our feet, and
| the roar of the waves drowned our voices
as we struggled along the pathway of
| No. 2, where, after knocking and ringing
for what appeared to be avery long time,
the door was opened by Mrs. Matthews,
| who had a shawn over ner head anu h6I
blue glasses on.
Mrs. Darlington uttered cry of alarm
and pushed her back.
"Oh, do go up-stamsr she said, hasti-
ly. "Why didn' Mary answer the doorv'
"She is with Reggie" replied Mrs
Matthews, i'll high-pitched squeaky
voice, as we were hurled by a gust of
| wind into the hall; and it took our united
efforts to close the door again.
"Come to Reggie" whispered Mrs.
Darlington, after again urging her moth
er to 80 upstairs.
Poor little fellow-he was sitting in
the maids lap, beside very low fire, his
| head upon her shoulder: and, when
heard his poor little hoarse voice, [ knew
it was Group, and of a very severe kind.
The child held out his arms to me at
once, and raised his flushed face to be
| kissed.
Give him to me, Mary" I said, sand
| wrap him in one of his cot-blankets; and
then run down and get all the hot water
you can. Quick now, for the child is in
great danger!'
1.-The kitchen fire is out, and there is
no hot water" answered the maid, with
a bewildered air.
''Wel, light it at once; and put coal on
this fire, too" | said.
l then wrapped UP little Reggie warm
ly, and handed him to his mother to hold.
She seemed utterly helpless, and could
o,,Iv- 81 ho how bar. lon aTod tho