Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-29
CHAPTER Xxx.

Gus ana amazed, ana the 1luSudl 1ook
in his green eyes, caused Lis master
to glance at himself in the glass.
.eHayenr' he thought, turning away,
I'm a nice object to go counting!
One would think | had just emerged
from D. T., or Bedlam! folly, turn on
the hot water, empty a bottle Of
vinegar into it, and put out clean
clothes for me. | feel like jelly. Good
Lord! has love this limping effect
often:''
He turned into his bedroom. AS he
was wrestling with one of his shirt
buttons he muttered:
However this goes, it's a toss-up
what the gain will be, heaven or hell.
Well, man might do worse than face
hell for her."
He had hardly made this heroic re-
mark when the absurdity of it struck
him; he laughed aloud. Il had better
face my BATH" he said.
When he was washed and dressed,
he rather thought of the Club and a
good lunch, but the game didn't seem
worth the candle. He felt that his
hands were quite sufficiently full with
one woman, he had no desire for men,
more especially at feeding-time
II shall have my lunch here" he
said, looking up from his paper, "get
out some bread and cheese and beer
and anything else you can lay your
hands on
In five minutes Tolly had covered a
little round table with a cloth, and had
set out on it a mixed assortment Of
cheese, beer, jam, and freshly opened
tin of foie gras, and he stood proudly
in attendance with napkin on arm,
keeping down with difficulty a grin of
dissatisfaction.
However full he was of himself,
Strange never let a new accomplish
ment of Tolly's escape him, if he did,
the effect on the boy would have been
disastrous No sinner ever strove
after God as this sinner after his
owner.
"Well done, Tolly, you'll shine in life
yet, the way you flourish that damask
is sublimer'
"Beggin' your pardon, your wussup,"
said folly, "Bill, the groom, e were
round after zee, a ,stormin' at me be-
cause the horse was out. Bill always
lets out at me like when he feels his
self put about in his mind, and he
thought you and the beast were lost -
staggered folly. Il told him you was
big enough to take care of yourself,
and that gents often finds the nights
more convenienter than the days." he
remarked confidentially, pushing the
salt under his masters nose. "Bill is
that ignorant. sir, of loife and sich, he
erstonishes me-"
Strange drank his beer with a look
at the half-made creature who had
plumbed 'loife'' from the vantage
ground of her sewers.
every like his betterS," he thought.
1--WE get lots of our views from van.
tage ground not one whit sweeter or
cleaner than Tolly's.
between the sexes is no good, the
women who affect it are never clever
enough nor good nough to make a
success of the thing, it's pose mostly,
as their smoking is, just done for
effect.-Toily, pass that jam"
When he had rounded Off his meal
with a bunch of bread and straw
berry jam, he stretched himself, went
to the window and looked out, drum
ming gently on the pane.
Il wonder" he thought, 81 wonder
If | am quite a fool or not, but-but,
God! how ! love her!'
Then he stopped drumming, and be-
gan to wonder vaguely how in the
name of Heaven he was able to eat
great lunches of bread and jam not
five minutes before
He turned and watched folly
through the door, devouring at his
ease, with a sudden shock of dis
gust, more at himself than at the fel
low, with his hideous mouth all moist
and jammy. He turned again to the
window and tried to steady mis- brain
but it reeled and everything in the
room swan before him, he dropped
his head in his hands and trembled
from head to foot. when he raised II
he felt steadier and not so raging hot
81 shall chance it." he said, 81 shall
chance it"
When he reached Lady Mary's he
was in much more wholesome
frame of mind. He had gone there
by roundabout ways, where he saw
good deal of stark, staring. naked
humanity; this helped to crystalline his
emotions, to sift the drosS out and
leave the clean stuff
He never in his life felt clearer
headed than when he went up the
stairs unannounced, and paused to
look through the half opened door at
Gwen, sitting near a window in a
cloudy dress OF soft yellow creepy stun
and with her strong. long-fingered
composed hands lying idle in her lap
and the guard dropped from her eyes
showing a good deal more of herself
than he had ever seen before.
He only paused for one minute. he
had no right yet to the girls secrets
then he threw open the door with a
little bang and brought her back to
the present
''Oh, is it you?" she said with the
ghost of a start, looking up at him
She felt in & vague way that he
knew more of her in that one minute
than he had any business to do. and
she was not quite sure if she liked
it or not. He did not offer to shake
hands with her but glanced round the