Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-29
A feeling Of pride which forbade any

SOuuu
of footsteps outside told her when the
suffering man was taken to his bedcham-
Der on the same floor. She was after
wards informed by Fanny that the doctor
Turned down the lamp in the corridor. he
fore the patient was helped to ascend the
tress of the house from plainly seeing the
strangers face and recognizing the living
likeness of her husband.
Lord Harry had remained in Paris to
attend theatre party and missed his last
train home.
The hours advanced-the hustle of do
meStic life sank into Silence-eyerybody
but Iris rested quietly in bed.
Through the wakeful night the sense of
her situation oppressed her sinking spirits.
Mysteries that vaguely threatened danger
made their presence felt, and took their
dark way through her thoughts. The
cottage, in which the first happy DAYS
ere long be the scene of some evil deed.
provoking the lifelong separation of her
husband and herself Were these the ex-
aggerated fears of woman in state of
historical suspicion? 1t was enough for
Iris to remember that Lord Harry and
Mr.. Vimpany had been alike incapable of
telling her the truth. The first had tried
to deceive her; the second had done his
best to brighten her. Why? If there was
really nothing to be afraid of-why' The
hours of the early morning came, and still
she listened in vain for the sound of my
lords footstep on the stairs: still she failed
to hear the cautious opening OF his dress
ing-room door. Leaving her chair. Iris
rested on the bed. As time advanced ex-
haustion mastered her: she slept.
Awakening at late hour, she rang for
Fanny Mere. The master had Just re-
turned. He had missed the latest night
train to Passy; and, rather than waste
money on hiring carriage at that hour,
he had accepted the offer of d bed at the
house of his friends. He was then below
stairs, hoping to see Lady Harry at break
fast.
His wife Joined him.
Not even at the time of the honeymoon
had the Irish lord been more irresstibly
agreeable man than he was on that mem
orable morning. His apologies for having
failed to return at the right time were lit
tie masterpieces of grace and gaiety. The
next best thing to having been present,
at the theatrical performance of the pre-
viOus night, was to hear his satirical sum
mary of the story of the play, contrasting
delightfully."- with his critical approval of
the fine art of the actors. The time had
been when Iris would have resented such
merclleSs trlf1lng with serious interests as
this. In those earlier and better days she
would have reminded him affectionately
Of her claim to be received into his conf.
dence-she would have tried all that tact
and gentleness and patience could do to
win his confession of the ascendency ex.
ercised over him by his vile friend-and
she would have used the utmost influence
of her love and her resolution to disunite
the fatal fellowship which was leading
him to his ruin.
But Iris Henley was Lady Harry now.
"Have you had a look at the poor fellow
whom the doctor is going to cure?" he
asked abruptly, eager to discover whether
she had noticed the likeness between Ok
bye and himself.
At that critical moment Fanny Mere
entered the room with telegram in heI
hand.
For you, my lady?"
Iris opened the telegram. The message
was signed by Mrs. Vimpany, and was ex
pressed in these words: You may feel il
your duty to go to your father. He is
dangerously ILL.,"
Lord Harry saw sudden change in
his wife's face that reused his guilty sus
picions. "Is it anything about me?" he
asked.
Iris handed the telegram to him in sill
ence. Having looked at it, he desired tC
hear what her wishes were"
1.-The telegram expresses my wishes,
she said. 'Have you any objection to my
leaving yOu?
None whatever" he answered eagerly.
"Go, by all means"
Carefully on the lookout for any dis
coveries which might enlighten her, Fanny
noticed with ever-increasing interest the
effect which the harmless Dane seemed tC
produce on my lord and the DOCTOR
Every morning, after breakfast, LORD
Harry presented himself in the bedroom
Every morning his courteous interest in
his guest expressed itself mechanically in
the same form of words:
Mr.. OXbye, how do you find yourself
to-day?"
Sometimes the answer would be: ezra
ciOuS lord, L am suffering pain" Some
times it was: Dear and admirable patron
l feel as II l might get well again" On
either occasion, Lord Harry listened with
out looking at Mr.. OXbye-said he was
sorry to hear q bad account or glad to
hear good account, without looking at
Mr.. OXbye-made remark on the wealth
er, and took his leave, without looking al
Mr.. OXble. Nothing could be more plain
than That his polite inquiries (once day
were unwillingly made, and that it was
always a relief to him to get out of the
room. So strongly was Fanny's curios
ity excited by this strange behavior, that
she ventured one day to speak to her mas
ter.
II am afraid, my lord, you are not hope
full of Mr.. OXbye's recovering.
mind your own business" was the say
age answer that she received.
AS for the doctors behavior to his pa
tient. it was, in Fanny's estimation, wor
thy Of a savage.
He appeared to feel no sort of interest
in the man who had been sent to him from
the hospital at his own request, and whose
malady it was supposed to be the height
of his ambition to cure. When Mr.. OXbye
described his symptoms Mr.. Vimpany
hardly even made pretense at listening
f.< lDDpn -tpft,
oscOpe, felt the pulse, looked at the tongue
and drew his own conclusions in sullen
silence.
If the nurse had a favorable report to
make he brutally turned his back on her
If discouraging results of the medical
treatment made their appearance at night
and she felt it duty to mention them,
he sneered as if he doubted whether she
was speaking the truth. Mr.. Oxbye's in
eXhauStible patience and amiability made
endless allowances for his medical adj
wiser. at is my misfortune to keep my
devoted doctor in state of perpetual
anxiety" he used to say, land we all know
what trial to the temper is the conse,
quence of unrelieved suspense. l believe
in Mr.. Vimpany." Fanny was careful
not to betray her own opinion by making
any reply: her doubts of the doctor had
by this time become terrifying doubts
even to herself. Whenever an opportuni
ty favored her, she vlgllantly watched
him. One of his ways of finding amuse
ment, in his leisure hours, was in the use
of Photographic apparatus. He took
little pictures of the rooms in the cottage
which were followed by views in the gar
den. These having come to an end, he
completed the justification Of the nurse
by producing portrait of the Dane, while
he lay asleep one day after he had been
improving in health for some little time
past. Fanny asked leave to look at the
the negative, in the garden. He first ex
amined it himself-and then deliberately
tore it up, and let the fragments fly away
in the wind. Il am not satisfied with it. ,
was all the exclamation he offered One