Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-05

came here. She needs it, must have 1T,
the first thing tomorrow to pay the
rent"
81 think persons in our set suppose you
and your aunt To be very well off," said
Mary quietly; "gou dress so fashion
ably"
ooh, am handy and make things go a
long way" explained Miss Millington.
| sEMy aunt supports me-she has q very
small income-and now l have lost her
fifty dollars! Oh! what shall dor"
Mary Devereux was sadly perplexed.
She counted the money in ner own purse
twenty dollars.
| "Dear Miss Millington, she said, s'will
this be of any service to your 1t is all
have by me-"
Miss Wilmington gathered the crisp bits
of green paper to herself, but heaved
another sigh of despair.
Thanks" she murmured family, "but
it is not enough. must have fifty dol
lars. Then my aunt can pay her rent
and 1 will repay the sum by degrees
after am married"
| The case was so urgens that Mary felt
| justified in going to her husbands private
desk, where, TO her great delight she
found twenty-five dollars!
| Mss Millington absorbed the financial
reinforcement with sou4e appearance of
satisfaction, but her voice rang with
added tragedy as she queried where the
| remaining five dollars were to come
| from?
| Never would the proposal have been
| put by Mary Devereux that the servants
should be appealed to! 1t was Miss Mil
lington who suggested the necessity of
laying the case before them as women
and sisters. Their hearts were as soft as
their hands were hard, and between the
the needed five dollars were without diff
Guilty raised.
Scarcely had the arrangements reached
this happy conclusion when Paul Dever-
eux returned.
''Still here, Miss Millington!" he ex-
claimed, in his pleasant hearty voice.
"Glad of it. Stay to dinner and go to
the theater this evening"
And oh! such a pretty present as he had
brought home for his wife. A handker
chief of the finest French cambria with
an entredeux of Valenciennes, and the
letter M embroidered in one corner.
'Just like my darling husbandr' said
Mary Devereux kissing him furtively,
when Miss Millington's back was turned.
At dinner Mary showed her new
|
admired.
How sweetly prettyP' she exclaimed
examining the dainty mouchoir with her
eyeglass "Marked with your initial M
mine too by the way"
"One which you will soon lose," quoth
Paul srchy.
"Oh no, you mistake" she replied, "my
name is Matilda"
The dramatic performance was jntre-
esting. The three young people were in
: high spirits until jut as they were de-
parting, when Mary Devereux made an
annoying discovery. She had lost her
lace handkerchief!
Paul was more than annoyed; he was
downright angry. The little article had
cost money, and he said there was no
sense in losing it right off in this way.
He had seen it in his wife's lap not five
minutes before; where could it have got
to?
The natural inference was that she had
dropped it, AID all three looked about the
floor of the theatre, whence the crowd had
now departed.
eff its found I'll save it for you," said
an employee of the place; "call tomor-
row."
Meantime Paul's quick eye observed a
strange thing. Miss Millington, who was
condoling with his almost fearful wife,
kept her fist tightly closed; but between
the little finger and the palm thereof a
shred of lace was visible.
} Without with your leave or 'by your
leave Paul wrenohed this article out of her
grasp.
whats this? ?" he cried.
y xuos +bo
as this joker" he exclaimed, glano-
ing angrily into the blanched face of
Matilda Millington.
under his accusing glance. took heart OF
grace at the word he kindly used
Eyes, yes; quite So" she gasped, with q
hysteric laugh; "a joke-a mere joke"
at is very bad one" he retorted saw
agely.
The three walked in silence to the
street. There Paul put Miss Millington
into hack, paid the Criver and sent her
home alone.
Mary Devereux was terribly shocked at
the Occurrences. Naturally she told her
husband of the peculiar incident of the
afternoon which had resulted in her Civ
ing Miss Wilmington $50.
. pacing up and down their small drawing
room in his agitation; 'the woman is a
wiudler-indeed, thiefr'
TIE secret of Miss Millington's elabo-
rate dressing seemed to be suddenly re-
vealed to Mary's mind.
awe will drop her acquaintance, OF
course" observed his wife.
"Ah, but that will not absolve us of
responsibility in this matter, cried Paul
excitedly. 81 must not shrink the moral
duty which is obvious here. 1 must tell
George Rockford of all this"
Mary wrung her hands in sympathy
, with the poor, erring creature, who had
been their guest half the day long.
"Oh, don't, don't!' she cried, sit will
ruin her life"
"And it will break his heart, for he
1T must be DONE"
D "Why not let him find out for him
self" urged the gentle Mary, "and infiic
sach punishment as he sees fit."
"That internal French bit of sophistry
again. he exclaimed. "Cut It! I an
not coward, and will do my duty
though more unpleasant one never fel
to my lot"
come to his (Pauls) house at the earliest
possible moment. He was bracing hi:
y nerves for the painful interview, wher
the door-bell rang.
1t was Miss Wilmington pale, wild
, eyed, gasping.
What did she say? What did she no
e say? Everything that weak and sinfu
woman could say under the circumstan-
l L. L.