Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-02-07

head bowed little more every day,
his step fell a little more heavily, his
eye lost a fresh spark of life; he was
following his wife N his patient, we'll
bred manner, with neither cry nor
moan
Sudden fits of half compunctious
duty would now and again seize upon
him. and remind him that he had a
daughter VINO also knew sorrow; then
he would pursue Gwen softly, and
catch her, no matter how announcement
it might be, and ply her with questions
on embarrassing topics. Gwen was
very gentle with him and used to do
him small services with curious shy
anxiety that had a touch of mother
illness in it.
One day late in August Mrs. Eel
lows was sitting down for a brief rest,
| when to her establishment Gwen was
announced; she had never sought her
Of her own accord since her mothers
She sat down now quite naturally
| and looked round the room with a
pleased smile.
"Ah! you have altered that bracket
| it used to be in the other corner. And
| the piano. l hardly know if I ike it
! there-I believe l do. | wonder why
my tea is never an atom like yours;
is it the cream, other cups, or what?'
When she had drunk her tea she
| r11t tho oro, down and lid S165anIy-
Il would like to go to Strange Hall
next week; will you come with me-"
Next week. repeated Mrs Eel
loves
Eyes, I know this sudden move looks
rather insane, but L have been, think
ing it over for some time. The child
is Humphreys, it has a right to be
born in the home of its father, and
and l cannot go without your
81 shouldn't dream of letting you, my
Gwen, only you took me by surprise.
Mary will go too, of course but what
about your father?''
Gwen looked disturbed.
81 don't know. Do you think my
going or staying will make much diff
! terence TO MIN!
81 do, dear, a very great difference,
but he will think as 1 do, now you
have spoken, that you are doing right.
When we are away John will be with
him every moment lie can spare
LAS if 1 didn't know thatr' Gwen
said. Il will tell him tonight"
To the amazement of them all, Mr..
| Warning, as soon as he had graSped the
situation, rose to it in "a quite re-
markable way; the proceeding on
Ovens part struck him as most fit
and proper, and he braced himself up
to support her. He also announced his
intention Of accompanying the cortege.
In the first shock of his resolve
Gwen WINGED; the fact of carrying
him in her train and on such an er-
rand brought a spice of righteousness
into the affair that seemed to her
CHASTITY.
The day before they started she sur
prised him in his study, grasping in
one hand a heap of manuscript in her
mothers pretty handwriting and read
ing with knit brows a copy of Cha
vases "Advice to a Mother
This was too much for Gwen; she
escaped to her room, and cried and
laughed, and cried and laughed again.
in a perfect paroXism of grief and
piteous amusement.
1t was in the end quite q loss-up as
to Ovens ever seeing her baby at all,
she lowered so long on the borders of
death Her silent lonely enduring
anguish had shattered her more than
any of them had guessed, and then,
as ill-luck would have it, the first
sound that struck on her ear when
consciousness was coming back was
the shrill shrek of her lusty boy.
She shuddered down again into the
regions of darkness, and it was only
after two distracting hours that they
got her back among them.
Day after day she held the child
and pondered over it; she was very
gentle and ate and drank in an alb
sent way all that was given her, but
she hardly spoke at all; some leaven
was working in her.
To Be Continued.