Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-08-18


| very happy" She looked up wistfully
| at Frank, but his eyes were bent on the
ground as he stood before her
Il always said that [ should die
young" she went on. in a voice as like
her own as a white-thrOat's song is to q
blackbird's land | was sOrry-but that
was nothing. And so he stave1 away
so long, DecauSe-becauSa- and that
IS why he dill not ask me before lie
went; and Lady Betty was right-and
and no doubt he loved her once" she
added. below her breath, shaken ont of
her tOrpOr by a sharp headiOug SDaSm
OF that jealousy whose fierce pain MAKES
| a woman humble, and shows her TO her
| own heart helpless at the feet OF her
master.
You love MIN, Madcap?" cried
Frank, as one who speaks against his
will.
She dropped her head on her hands.
Love him?" Ay, she loved yet-love
as we must love, as we do love for evil
as for good, and the deeper the sin, so
it be not against ourselves, the more
closely we cling to the sinner: we loved
him in his hOnOr-shall we thrust him
from US in his shame? But to the wo-
man who has always looked up, that
moment is terrible one when she sees
her other self laid in the dust; and real
ICES that hencefOrth she must love him,
not for that better part that might live
forever, but as human living cIOd that,
even while she clings to it, may be re-
solved into nothing, and so escape her
But [ will give him back to her" she
said, scarcely above a whisper; Il will
learn to live without him. Only [ must
get away before he comes back; and
you will help me, Frank? She will for
give me, perhaps, when she knows that
| suffer too"
How strong in the thought, how
pOwerless in the action, is this same
.iUiU that does not take into account hu-
man flesh and blood, habit, duty, moth
ing that we know and hold on by! Even
in that moment Of remuneration. human
feeling gripped Madcap fast, and asked
what life would be without him? Love
cried out that it starved, and would be
fed; the shadow of sin cleared from that
beloved face, and left only Bin1-that in
deStructible something thai she loved.
She said to herself that she would be
dumb, deaf, blind, imbecile; but to his
side she must creep and cling. The
mans wrong dOings seemed far away,
the man most near in that moment Of
strong impulse toward him.
why do you not speak for him?" she
said, looking up with some Of the Old
Madcap fire kimdling in her eye. You
loved him once, and he loved you, TOO,
though he was dishonest to you-but I
made him that; he would have spoken
for you-he would have told me not to
believe it,"
Frank turned suddenly, and across
his brain there flashed one Of those Wild
ideas that have stamped a man ere now
as hero or madman-a moment, and he
had adopted it as one Of those fOrlOrn
hopes that, by splendid courage Or au-
dacity, have now and again been push
ed to a victory that has reversed every
law of likelihood. He drew his breath
hard, and said
You have been very happy, Madcap,
and, please, God, you shall be happy
still. My dishOnOr will not break your
heart; and it was not very long misery
for you, after all" For a moment he
took her little cold hand in his, then
loosed it, and stood apart.
Poor Frank" she said, with the
ghost Of wan smile, you would make
me happy if yOu could. [ think you
would even give your life for me; but
cannot give me this, dear; no one, not
even he, can make me happy now"
Can | nOt?" he said; and moved yet
little further away. "Bnt at least.
Madcap, can tell y0u'-he paused, and
went paler than she-''the TRUTH"
No" she cried, her face flaming up;
that is his affair, not yours"
NO" he said, and in the ring Of his
voice there was less Of entreaty than
command: cit is mine"
Madcap looked up; this was a new
| Frank who stood before her,-nO boy
| ish sweetheart, dependent on her will,
| but a man as strong to love, ay, and to
sin, may be, as Mr.. Eyre himself.
''Madcap," he said, and his voice was
as one Who spoke by rote, There are
| other men in the world besides MI.
Eyre. Can't you think that it might be
some one you know, some one you call
ed your friend?"
| Madcap's arms fell to her sides, she
hardly seemed to breathe as she gazed
at him; then, like a shipwrecked mari
ner, who at the eleventh hour sights
| land, she flung them high above her
| head, and 1T was harrington Eyre!"
| she said.
For a moment there was a dead 81
| Hence, broken only by the shrill whisper
of the grasshopper-lark III the meadow
hard by; then
ut was not Darlington"
| Something in his face struck her; she
seized his arm, and looked up in his
face, feeling herself violently snatched
back from the verge Of SO awful JOY
as brain and heart might not well en-
| dure.
30! Frank, Frank, it was yoU?"
| He looked down on her without a
word. His sweet little Madcap, who
had vexed his heart full sore, but who
had never worn any but kinds looks for
him YET, to whom he had never lied; if
ever he had any poor hope Of shining
in her eyes by his cOnstancy, by his
long faithfulness, this was the end of it
this was the end"
at was boyish infatuation, "he said,
pushing reSOlutely on, since in move
ment only was there safety, and mo-
ment's pause might bring defeat. ''She
was years older IMAM L: IL was mans
folly that you cannot be expected to IN
| derStand," he went on, almost harShly
land for Gods sake, Madcap, spare ms
the recital of it,
"a folly" said Madcap, into whose
heart every word Of HeSter's had cut
deep; you call it that. Frank, you
promised me that | should be happy; art
you telling me lie?'
ASK the village" he said, the whole
county even-they will tell you if l haY,
lied or no"
But the resemblance" she cried
with no blush of shame-in the Su,
preme issues of life the bastard emotion
finds no place, 1.-The resemblance to hel
own child that she saw in mine"
she is almost insane on the point,
he said. "and beholds fancied image
in all she looks on"
But she spoke of my wedding day, ;
| coiI Mod =, cy.-5ftlv