Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-31


she would sit with her idle hands ly.
ing in her lap in a quiet agony OF
| her loneliness.
1t was point of honor with her &c
] keep herself calm; she ate and dranB
too, and she rested obediently when
, ever Mary, who had taken the physical
/ part OF her under her charge. said
she needed rest; she drove when the
old woman prescribed air. and walked
! when movement was supposed to be
necessary. She was a mere automa tor
in her absolute yielding to orders con
corning her health
During this time Mr. WarinC made
wild attempt to expand into a father
He would issue from time to time from
his library with bundle of random
papers in his hand, and entertain
Gwen with discourse grave. and CAV
mostly concerning Africa, of which
, continent he had rather a poor opinion
and which he painted with lurid colors
As he reeled out anecdotes of the
grueSomeneSs of the climate. the i'm
practlcablhty of travelling, the hideOus
forms of disease assumed. the cOngen-
Ital villalny of the natives, more es-
pecially of that portion of the land
into which Strange meant to penetrate.
and OF which he certainly possessed a
most intimate knowledge, Gwen used
to watch him with a curious cold sort
of pain, and wonder if he were human.
till one day Mrs Fellowes found out
the existence of these CHASTITY enter
talnments and stopped them.
One morning when Mr. Waring, was
thus engaged, his wife sped away in
a half furtiye fashion and shut her
Self into the childrens nursery. Kneel-
ing down by the drawers she began
to pull out great heaps of soft white
lawn and lace and creamy flannel
then with much puzzled doubt she set
to sorting the things into little heaps
each after it's kind; when that was
done she went softly out, and in
few minutes returned with old Mary.
Has my daughter provided herself
with those little things?'' she asked
nervously.
Il don't know, ma'am; was think
ing of speaking to her ON the subject"
These are good, are they not. The
lace seems to me to be real and /
do not see any holes"
Lord, ma'am, they are like new. it
isn't likely that I'd have my clothes
torn after two babies, I've brought
set through six, ma ann
Al,
change, Mary?"
BLESS you, no, ma 'am! Set up long
clothes babies with fashionsr'
Mary, would you be good enough
to get me pretty basket?"
you couldn't have a prettier one
than this one, ma'am," said Mary.
pulling out the old lace and muslin
one that had held the belongings of
her own baby children.
Mrs. Warning took up the thing and
examined it curiously, and thought of
the awe with which she used to regard
it.
"Do babies nowadays use these
things?" she asked.
Lord, ma'am, yes, and will till the
millennium"
Mrs. Waring put the little things in
delicately, one by one.
''NOw, Mary, l Will take them to
my daughter" she said with a little
culver of her lips.
She knocked gently at her daughters
door.
AS it happened she could hardly have
come at worse time. Gwen had just
escaped from her father; besides, for
three weeks now, there had come no
news from Strange, and in spite of
herself she was all on edge with
unnamed terrors.
When Mrs. Warnings knock came,
she was sitting listlessly looking out
of the window.
ooh, 1 am SO sickening tired" she
ways knock in that .tremulous way"
SO she hardened her face and threw
the door open.
Her mother gave d quick little swal
low and came forward falteringly,
while Gwen still held the door open
and watched her.
''Will you please close the door, dear
GwenT she asked.
Gwen complied, and then came to-
ward the basket and lifted one of the
white friily things carelessly.
Suddenly the truth flashed on her
and she trembled with indignation
while her mother stood pathetically
before her, like a criminal at the bar.
Gwen was the first to speak; mel
mothers face touched her in a vague
way
Wont you sit down, mother?" she
said, in her cold gentle voice. do
you wish me to have these things?
l am very much obliged to you. l
ordered some before / left London,
but i believe it is always better to
have a reserve stock of everything"
Il thought l would like to see a
child of yours in the little things"
faltered her mother.
that her mother was about to cry
She took out one or two of the things
THAT is lovely lace" she said hur-
riedly, ''better than any the woman
showed me. 1 had no idea you had
any interest in such matters
Then one fervent wish took posses
sion of Ler, that her mother would
complete her gift and go, but she was
not TO he delivered inst vpt