Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-29

ter received from Lady Harry, announcing
her arrival in England, and a strange dis.
covery that had attended it.
Before leaving Paris, Iris had telegraph
ed instructions to Mrs. Nimpany to meet
her at the terminus III London Her first
inquiries were for her father. The an
swer given, with an appearance of con-
fusion and even shame, was that there
was no need to feel anxiety on the subject
of Mr.. Henley's illness. Relieved on hear
ing the good news, Iris naturally express
ed some surprise at her fathers rapid re-
covery. She asked if the doctors had mis-
understood his malady when they believed
him to be in danger. To this question
Mrs. NImpany had replied by making an
unexpected confession.
She owned that Mr.. Henlev's illness
had oeen at no time OF any serious import
ance. A paragraph in newspaper had
informed her that he was suffering from
nothing worse than an attack OF govt 1t
was wicked act to have exaggerated this
report, and to have alarmed Lady Harry
| on the subject of her fathers health.
Mrs. Vimpany had but one excuse to offer
Fanny's letter had filled her with such
| uncomfortable doubts and forebodings that
she had taken the one way of inducing
Lady Harry to secure her own safety by
! at once leaving Passy-the way by a false
alarm. Deceit, so sincerely repented, so
resolutely resisted, had tried its power of
lpUdJlOn again. anu naQ prevailed.
''When | thought of you at the mercy
of my vile husband Mrs. Vimpany said.
with your husband but too surely gained
| as an accomplish, my good resolutions
{ failed me. Is it only in books that true
repentance never stumbles again? Or am
l the one fallible mortal creature in the
world? ! am ashamed of myself. But.
oh, Lady Harry. l was so frightened for
you! Try to forgive me: am so fond of
you. and so glad to see you here in safety
Don't go back! For Gods sake, don't go
backl''
Iris had no intention of returning, while
the doctor and his patient. We're still at
PasSy: ana size found in Mrs. Nimpany's
! compassion good reason to forgive an of
Tense committed through devotion to her.
self and atoned for by sincere regret.
"You have repented and changed your
mind Vimpany?" said Lord Harry
81 repented?" the doctor repeated, with
laugh. "You think me capable of that,
do you?"
THE man is growing stronger and bet
ter every day. You are going to make
him recover, after all. l was afraid"-he
was the truer-''that you were going to
poison him."
"You thought I was going-we were
going, my lord-to commit stupid and a
useless crime. And, with our clever nurse
present, all the time watching with the
change in the symptoms? No-I confess
his case has puzzled me because did not
anticipate this favorable change Well
it is all for the best. Fanny sees him
grow stronger every day-whatever hap
pens she can testify to the care with which
the man has been treated. So far she
thought she would have US in her power,
anC we have her."
You are mighty clever Vimpany; but
sometimes you are too clever for me, and,
perhaps, too clever for yourself"
Let me make myself clearer''-con-
scious of the nurses suspicious, he leaned
forward and whispered Fanny must 60.
Now is the time. The man is recovering.
The man must go; the next patient will be
your lordship yourself. Now do you IN
derstand?"
Enough. II am to act it is sufficient
for you to understand step by step. Our
suspicious nurse is to go. That is the next
step. Leave me to act"
Lord Harry walked away. He left the
thing to the doctor. 1t hardly seemed to
concern him. A dying man: q conspiracy.
a fraud; yet the guilty knowledge of ali
this gave him small uneasiness. He car
ried with him his Wife's last note, NAV T
hope to find on my return the man whom
| have trusted and honored?" His con-
science, calloused as regards the doctors
scheme, filled him with remorse whenever
which was fifty times a day-he took
this little rag of note from his pocket
book and read it again. Yes; she would
always find the man, on her return-the
man whom she had trusted and honored
the latter clause he passed over--it would
be. of course, the same man; whether she
| would be able to trust and honor him
thai question he did not put to himself.
After all, the doctor was acting-not he
himself.
And he remembered Hugh Mountjoy.
Iris would be with him-the man whose
affection was only brought out in the
stronger light by his respect, his devotion
and his delicacy. She would be in his So
ciety; she would understand the true
meaning of this respect and delicacy; she
would appreciate the depth of his devo-
ton; she would contrast Hugh, the man
she might have married. with himself, the
man she did marry.
And the house was wretched without
her, and he hated the sight of the doctor
-despera e and reckless!
He resolved to write to Iris: he sat down
and poured out his heart, but not his con-
science, to her.
AS for our separation" he said, "I,
and only |, am to blame. 1t is nv own
aOOmlnaDle conduct that has caused it.