Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-16

sponsibility, stool his ground and lookei
at Sir Giles. His face confessed that the
Irish sense of humor was tickIed: but he
showed no intention of leaving the room.
Sir Giles saw that Iris would enter into no
explanation in the mans presence. you
needn't wait any longer" he said.
what am | to do, if you please, with
the ~prisoner?" the Sergeant inquired.
Sir Giles waived that unnecessary cues
ton away with his hand. He was trebly
Responsibilities knight, banker, magis-
trate into the bargain. II will be answer
able" he replied, for producing Miss
Henley, if called upon. Good night.n
The Sergeant's sense OF duty was salts
fed. He made the military salute. His
gallantry added homage to the young lady
under the form of a bow. Then, and then
only, he walked with dignity put of the
room.
"Now," Sir Giles resumed, 81 presume I
may expect to receive an explanation.
What does this improperly mean? What
were you doing at the milestone?'
81 was saving the person who made the
appointment with yOu," Iris said; ''the
you-who had risked everything to save
your nephew's life. Oh. sir, you commit
ted a terrible mistake when you refused
to trust that manl'
Sir Giles had anticipated the appearance
OF fear, and the reality of humble apollo
gies. She had answered him Indignantly,
with a heightened color, and with tears in
her eyes. His sense of his own social i'm
portance was wounded to the quick.
"Who is the man you are speaking of?'
he asked, loftIly. "And what is your eX-
cuse for having gone to the milestone to
save him-hidden under my cloak, dis
guised in my hat?'
Don't waste precious time in asking
questions!' was the desperate reply. I'm
do the harm that you have done already.
Your help-Oh, | mean what | sayi-may
yet preserve Arthur's life. Go to the farm
and saw him"
Sir Giles anger assumed a new form:
it INDUCED in an elaborate mockery of re-
spect. He took his watch from his peck
ct, and consulted it satirically. "Must I
make an eXcuseF' he asked, with a clumsy
assumption of humility.
mo! you must 60"
Permit me to inform you, Miss Henley,
that the last train started more than two
hours since"
"What does that matter2 You are rich
enough to hire a train"
Sir Giles, the actor, could endure it no
longer; he dropped the mask, and revealed
Sir Giles, the a His clerk was sum-
moned by a peremptory ring of the bell.
"Attend Miss Henley to the house." he
said. You may come to your senses after
a nights rest" he continued, turning
sternly to Iris. 81 will receive YOUR eX-
cuses in the morning.
In the morning, the breakfast was ready
as usual at nine o'clock. Sir Giles found
himself alone at the table.
He sent an order to one of the women
servants to knock at Miss Henley's door.
There was a long delay. The housekeeper
presented herself in a state of alarm: she
had zone upstairs to make the necessary
investigation in her own person. Miss
Henley was not in her room: the maid was
not in her room; the beds had been slept
in; the heavy luggage was labelled: ITO
be called for from the hotel" And there
was an end Of the evidence which the alb
sent Iris had left behind her.
Inquiries were made at the hotel. The
young lady had called there, with her
maid, early on that morning. They had
their travelling bags with them: and Miss
Henley had left directions that the lug
gage was to be placed under care of the
landlord until her return. To what des-
t~ination she had betaken herself nobody
knew.
what she had said to him on the previous
night, or he might nave guessed at the
motive which had led to her departure.
Her father has done with her already"
he said; land | have done with her now.'
The servant received orders not to admit
Miss Henley, if her audacity contemplated
a return to her g~odfather's house.
VIII.
On the afternoon of the same day, Iris
arrived at the village situated in the near
neighborhoOd of Arthur Mountjoy's farm.
The infection of political excitement
otherwise, the hatred of England) had
spread even to this remote place. On the
steps of his little chapel, the priest, a peas
ant himself, was haranguing his brethren
of the soil. An IriShman who paid his
landlord was q traitor to his country: an
freshman who asserted his free birthright
in the land that he walked on was IN en-
igbtened patriot. Sucn was the new law
which the reverend gentleman ~expounded
to his attentive audience. If his brethren
there would like her to tell them how they
might apply the law. this exemplary
Christian would point to the faithless
Irishman, Arthur MOuntioy. "Buynotof
him; sell not to him; avoid him if he APP
proaches you; starve him out of the place.
/ might say more, boys-you know what ]
mean.o
To hear the latter part of this effort OF
oratory, without uttering a word of pro-
test, was a trial of endurance under which
Iris trembled. The secondary effectOf the
priests address was to root the conviction
of Arthur's danger with ten-fOld t~enacity
in her mind. After what she had just
heard, even the slightest delay in securing
his safety might be productive of deplor-
able results. She a~StoniShed a b~are-fOOted
boy, on the outskirts of the crowd, by a
gift of siXpence, and asked her way to the
farm. The little lrishman ran on before
hCls CdSCl " oilO" lC SSnClOuS ldlN hOW
useful he could be. In less than half an
hour, Iris and her maid were at the door
of the farm house.. No such civilized in
ventions appeared as a knocker or a bell.
The boy used his knuckles instead-and
ran away when he heard the lock of the
door turned on the inner side. He was
afraid to be seen speaking to any living
creature who Inhabited the "~eyicted
farm"
A decent old woman appeared, and in
| nI1IraH CuCnInIn1S1u sAruh0t tho lo6ino
wanted" The accent in which she spoke
was unmistakably English. When Iris
asked for Mr.. Arthur Mountjoy the reply
was: Mot at home" The housekeeper
inhospitably attempted to close the door.
"Wait one moment" Iris said. Years
ave changed you: but there is something
in your face which is not quite strange to
me. Are you Mrs. Lewson?"
The woman admitted that this was
her name. but how is it that you are
a stranger to me?" she asked, distrustful-
ly.
IT'LL HNN@%Z&&