Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-30

oessive fine days, Sundays excepted,
Harry rode with Mrs. Lawton, and
every day dinner waited for half an
/ hour or more.
When Mrs. Lawton had been two
weeks q visitor, I could see that my
sister was wasting away, while her
pseudo friend was growing more plump
and radiant.
| a month WAS gone, and l had not
stirred out of Harry Belmont's doors
| but with Laura and Mrs. Lawt0n.
was tired and felt rs though there
must be i change. if / made it. But
this did not prove to be needfuI. The
lady was quite sure of her victim. and
she began to make requirements that
| alarmed Harry. At least, l think he
began to suspect that all Was not right,
for one evening l overheard her say
TO him that a man of amy spirit ought
not to consent to be coOped up in the
house all winter because his wife was
Il bundle of nerves
l did not hear Harry's answer, but
presently l heard her say:
'Of course / think she is really ILL.,
but l am afraid that you will injure
and make her very much worse by
your mistaken kindness. She ought
| to be reused.
we will try to influence her" said
Harry. and l noticed that he went up
to Laura'S room, and Stlid all that
evening, and he seemed alarmed about
her health, Us he had not been before.
The next day he excused himself from
riding, came home early and went up
to Laura. That evening I proposed to
| Harry to make some hot claret punch
as Mrs. Lawton and Laura had both
said during the day that they would
| like to have some.
| The drink was compounded, and
Harry poured it into the glasses, put
ting one on a small tray for Laura. At
! this moment it occurred to him to have
some nutmeg to CRATE over the liquor;
| turning to ring the bell he saw in the
mirror Mrs. Iawton drop Il powder
| into Laura's glass. He grated the
| spice and adroitly changed the glasses
giving Mrs. Lawton the glass poured
out for Laura without her being aware
of it. He then tasted of Laura's glass
saying, This don't taste right
Mrs. Lawton eagerly drank nearly
half of hers, saying, 1T is delicious
Harry jOStled against her rs he took
Up the tray with L.aura's glass and
spilled the whole of the contents of her
glass, and said i'll a hurried way
! Excuse my aWkWardneSS.'
| He went upstairs. but only to be
called back for Mrs Lawton had fallen
! into a tit.
Il jostled her so that she need not
quite kill herself" said he.
Kill herself said I. in astonish-
ment.
''She put poison in poor Laura
glass, and 1 changed the glasses"
| We called the servants, and Mrs.
LawtOn was carried to her room.
AS fate would have it, the next morn
ing Harry received letter from Col.
| IIaWton, who was alive and well in the
cit, Of Mexico, and he remarked that
| he WAS sorry his friend Harry had
turned Benedict, when he (Col. Lawton)
still remained an honorable member
of the Bachelors club. He added that
he should scold him in person III a day
or two after his letter should be re
celved.
Harry took the letter to Laura, who
was in real grief ut the sudden and
terrible illness of Mrs. Lawton.
My dear one said he, I'VE have
been deceived, but we will make the
best of it, a. Try to forget it as soon
as possible
That day Mrs. Ada --- was taken to
! the hospital, and Harry decided for lis
all that we should ne} ex make an in
,quiry respecting her. We never did.
! Col. I4aWt0n nad not the slightest idea
who the woman could be who had
| appropriated him as Il deceased hus-
band, though it was true that there
Tad been Il report of his death the
year previous.
| Harry Belmont became most
thoughtful and attentive husband from
that fatal night. Laura's health began
! Immediately to improve, and in a few
weeks she and her baby were radiant
with health and happiness.
| | always blamed myself for not Civ
ing Harry a great scolding in the be
ginning of the affair, and I always blamed
Laura for her self-sacriticing resigna-
ton.