Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-09-22

when he had babe her maid prepare
everything, even to ShOe-buckles, with
out plaguing her mistress: and then
Madcap had started up out of his arms,
crying passionately-
Frank, Frank, it is always Frank,
Am | not only to be degraded by his
company at home, but | must do some
thing | hate to serve his interests
abroad? You used to be careful enough
to keep harm away from me; and | may
not go and speak to her though she re-
penis and he does not. He can't be sor-
ry with that color" concluded Madcap,
in so aggrieved a tone as to make Mr..
Eyre break into laugh that yet had
but little mirth in it.
The Duke received Mr.. Eyre warmly
on their arrival next day, but this did
not detain his guest. who. after a few
words with the Duchess, followed Mad
cap up stairs; and as he clasped her
necklace and fastened flower at her
neck. showed such brilliant spirits as
succeeded at last in chasing away her
own sadness at leaving home.
"WhaC do you think Of herr" said the
Duchess to her sister-in-law, Lady
Sophia, whom, for some reason best
known to herself, she had hurriedly
asked to meet the Eyres.
''I'!l tell YOU after dinner" said Lady
Sophia; but if you want my opinion of
them as Il pair, it strikes me that les
ideeS dine tete chcreuT blondes ne SOnt
pas &C, les dune tete blonde"
The description hardly applies to
Mr.. Ere" said the Duchess cody. Il
think him now, as always, the hand
soonest man [ ever saw.
Lazy Sophia shrugged her shoulders.
''Ht has aged frightfully during the
last three months, she sad, "and
seems to bear Frank LOyelS SINS Vlcarl-
ously. | saw the two men side by side
in church last Sunday, and wondered
how Mrs. Eyre could ever have h6Sltat-
ed between them
s'Sne never did said the Duchess,
walking to the windo,' and looking out,
''that pretty-faced boy could be no rival
to such a man as Mr.. Eyre"
''Pret5y!" cried Lady Sophia indig
nantly; The has the most noble, geler-
Gus, beautiful face in the world, and
looks like an angel of light beside Mr..
Eyre'S blackness-"
at is to be hoped that Mrs. Eyre
does not share your opinion" said the
Duchess careleSSly, as they parted at
the ton Of the stairs; but all the while
Lady Sophia was dressing, she was puz-
Zling her brains as to what story she
had heard over half dozen years AFRO
about her Standardization Lady
Julia HayeS-and Mr.. Eyre. 1t could
have been nothing scandaiOus; she was
too carefully guarded for that. Nor
could he have dared to use her i'll; her
birth forbade the idea. But here Lady
Sophia erred, for when Mr.. Eyre's adj
miraUiOn was aroused, the accident of
birth counted for nothing. but the
quality and charms he coveted a great
deal.
Perhaps Lady Sophia felt that she
had been hasty in her pity for Madcap
when Mr.. Eyre led her in, the only
Whitene5S about her furnished by her
neck and arms, and no color anywhere
save on her lips and cheeks, and the
little chestnut head in whose soft rings
the rnd-gold lurked.
Perhaps. too, as she sat beside the
Duke at dinner, bringing unaccustomed
smiles to his lips. it occurred to him
that there might be an order of beauty
that in juXtaposition to that Of his wife
inevitably vulgarized the latter; and at
the same moment Mr.. Eyre, glancing
at the women who sat at the head of the
table. asked himself if it were possible
he had ever been attracted by such
charms.
"Over-fed," he thought, as his keen
eyes rested on the vOluptuous beauty Of
throat. neck, and arms; ''she is rapidly
approaching the point where material
sensations obliterate moral impressions,
and is likely to fall prey to her i'm
pulses, whether good or evil"
she is lovely" said the Duchess, in
a low tone later. to Mr.. Eyre.
''Is she?" he said, inditferently; then
thought of the lines
This tress and that touch,
But cannot praise love so much.
His host showed great attention to
Mr. Eyre throughout the early part of
dinner; but OH an accidental mention
of Franks name. closed his lips and re-
manned ominously silent through the
conversation that followed, though he
did not take up the cudgels for Colonel
Busby when Mr.. Eyre vowed that, like
Dryden's Shadwell, the latter never
deviated into sense.
He will win his game, whatever it
may be-" thought Lady Sophia, as they
rose from the table, and Mr.. Eyre held
the door open for them to pass out, a
different man to that of three hours ago
the dark, brilliant face fired with
power and spirit, and lit by one of those
1dl z SlillCS OO w ClI NOI Ill OllC w dhtIIuS.
Perhaps in passing, his wife had called
it forth, but the Duchess thought diff
ferently, and with throbbing heart
turned aside to regain her cOmposure.
Madcap, with broWs pressed against
the WindOW-pane. was thinking Of the
little faithful steps that next morning
would go trottlng TO her door, confident
of finding her Within-a young child
will sob over its mothers absence to-
day, but refuse to realize similar to-
morrOw-and there were tears in her
eyes as she turned to face her hosts
sister.
"Does he mean to break her heart
over my sumptuOuS siSter-in-laW?"
thought Lady Sophia, indignantly, as
she took Madcap's hand, and sat down
beside her.
81 want nv SWeethearts." na said Mad Mad
been away from them before;" and
somehow, from that moment, Lady
Sophia did not pity Madcap, but loved
her as all others did, including Frank.
But a conversation with the Duchess
was another affair, and the men sitting
very late over their wine, Madcap beg
ged to be excused, and went up stairs
before they came in.
She had not the heart to say a word
about home to Mr.. Eyre next morning.
he looked 50 bright and well. had slept
soundly, and knew he had regained that
confidence in himself that lately had
been on the brink of escaping him.
The danger to Frank. and his deter
mination to overcome it, seemed to have
called forth his whole force of charac-
ter: his brain was in full activity, his
wits brighter than ever; he was not to
be recognized as the worn, constrained
man of week ago.
T hraa yfaCt tho DuoboCc rom ar1-a6