Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-30
some objection to my staying in this

some objection to my staying in this
house?"
The drawing-room door was softly open.
ed, at the moment when Iris put that
question, A lady appeared on the thresh-
old. Seeing the stranger, she turned to
Iris.
81 didn't know, dear Miss Henley, that
you had visitor. Pray pardon my in
truSion."
The voice was deep: the articulation was
clear: the smile presented a certain modest
dignity which gave it value of its own.
This was a woman who could make such
a commonplace thing as an apology worth
listening to. Iris stopped her as she was
about to leave the room. 81 was just wish.
ing for you," she said. LET me intro
duce my old friend, Mr.. Mountjoy. Hugh,
this is the lady who has been so kind to
me, Mrs Vimpany."
Hugh's impulse, under the circum-
stances. was to dispense with the formali-
tv of bow, and to shake hands. MIS-.
Vimpanv met this friendly advance with a
suavity of action not often seen in these
days of movement without ceremony. She
was a tall slim woman, of q certain age.
Art had so cleverly improved her COM
plexion that it almost looked like nature.
Her cheeks had lost the plumpness OF
youth, but her hair thanks again, perhaps,
to art) showed no sign of turning gray.
The expression of her large dark eyes
placed perhaps little too near TO her high
aquiline nose-claimed admiration from
any person who was so fortunate as to
come within their range of view. Her
hands, long, yellow and pitiably thin.
were used with grace which checked to
some extent their cruel betrayal OF her
age. Her dress had seen better days, but
lG was worn with an air Wnlcn IOrUauU IL
to look actually shabby. The faded lace
that encircled her neck fellin scanty folds
over her bosom. She sunk into chair by
, Hugh's side. "It was great pleasure to
me, Mr. Mountjoy, to offer my poor SER
vices to Miss Henley; | can't tell you how
happy her presence makes me in our little
| house" The compliment was addressed
to Iris, with every advantage that smiles
| and tones could offer. Oddly artificial as
it undoubtedly was. Mrs. Vimpany's man.
ner produced, nevertheless, an agreeable
| impression. Disposed to doubt her at
! ming her way to a favorable change in his
opinion She so far interested him, that
| he began to wonder what her early life
might have been. when she was young
and handsomes He looked again at the
| DortraitS of actresses on the walls, and the
| PLAYS on the bookshelf-and then (when
she was speaking to lris) he stole a sly
| glance at the doctors wife. Was it DOS
| sible that this remarkable woman had
| once been an actress? He attempted to
| put the value of that guess to the test by
means of complimentary allusion to the
prints.
MY memory as play-goer doesn't ex-
| tend over many years" he began: "but
can appreciate the historical interest of
your beautiful prints" Mrs. Vimpany
| bowed gracefully, and dumbly. Mount
! Joy tried again lone doesn't often see
| the famous actresses of past days." he pro-
ceeded 80 well represented on the walls
| of an English house."
! This time he had spoken to better pur-
pose. Mrs. Vimpany answered him in
! words.
I 81 have many pleasant associations with
the theatre" she said, first formed in the
time of my girlhood."
| Mountjoy waited to hear something
more Nothing more was said. Perhaps
| this reticent lady disliked looking back
through long interval of years. or per-
! haps she had her reasons for leaving
Mountjoy's guess at the truth still lost in
| doubt In either case, she deliberately
| dropped the subject. Iris took it up. Sit
| ting by the only table in the room, she
was in position which placed her exactly
opposite to one of the prints-the magnifi-
| cent portrait of Mrs. Siddons as The Trag-
| ic Muse.
II wonder if Mrs. Siddons was really as
beautiful as that?' she said, pointing
to the print ''Sir Joshua Reynolds is re-
! ported to have sometimes hattered his sit
terS''