Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-24
'sWhat is it," she asked again.

''Ah, she'll do now" said the doctor
to himself, grinning a Saturnine grin
when a woman shows her pet weak
ness she's out Of danger
j He put back the screen. Il am
thankful to say he said to her, you
are the sole sufferer and you'll soon
be all right again"
Humphrey was we'll then. She shut
her dazed eyes and tried to think, but
she could only hover off into droWsi-
| ness.
After a time she opened her eyes
again and said:
i L would like my maid; perhaps you
would tell Sir Humphrey that 1 am
better
Your husband hardly requires the
Information" said the doctor drily.
Il shall leave Lady Strange in your
hands, Sir Humphrey, and I shall re-
main ON the premises IN case you
want me-
; His wife turned her eyes away and
began searching for her handkerchief:
! he stopped and gave it to her
The sweat still chung to his CHASTITY
forehead and hung on his hair.
He said you were not hurt" she
said, you look as if you were.''
Its been rather a disturbing day
be said, with sudden bitterness. ''Nev-
er mind me, I'll be as jolly as a sand
| boy after a BATH
| She turned herself uneasily on the
pillow and shut her eyes. 1t was
! horrible to have him there above her
Poor little child, poor little I'M
finished thingr' he thought pitifully
''Shall I send your maid, dear?"
Eyes, please, and won't-oh, won't
you rest?''
Yes, I'm off, he said, in his CHEEKY
/ voice. and he went outside the door
and watched there till morning She
was very white the next morning, and
kept falling off into drowsy little
! sleeps, but she declared she was all
right and meant to get up; the neces-
sity of staying in bed was a new one
and she loathed it.
She felt more in her husbands power
| lying there i'll; she grew suspicious too,
for the first time in her life. and set
herself to search for meanings in
looks
Il am demoralized," she kept re-
peating. Then she turned her face
from the light, and neither spokeA nor
looked except when she absolutely had
to.
Strange could make nothing at all
of Il l,o e., IL,
mercy's sake.
When he had gone she raised herself
| UP and rang the bell.
Give me what [ am to take and
then leave me for two hours; l will
! sleep # l cam
The girl brought her a bowl of beef
tea, and she plunged heroically into
it.
Il am doing my duty" she said to
herself, with a sneer," but oh, will
this liquid never get less? On the con-
trary, it seems to increase. You won't
let me disturbed, will you, Gill?" she
said.
AS soon as the girl had gone she got
up and locked the door; then she rolled
up ue1 HILL, put OH d uIee>S-uS-SOWu,
| and sat ON the floor.
Il have two hours in which to have
it out with myself-this horror made
manifest" she said. How was it
that this most natural Of all complica-
tions never entered my head? l wasn't
even warned by those new and alto
gether abominable feelings of weak
ness
She leaned her head against the OF
toman and shivered; then she reached
over for a shawl that lay on it, wrap
ped herself up in it, but still she shiv-
cred.
She stood up and was about to go
back to her bed, but she turned sharp
ly round with another shudder; BAH!
l can't" she said and throwing a fur
rug on to a couch she lay down there
and soon grew warm enough to con-
tinue her dreary meditatiOnS.
''And so, 1, Gwen Strange, will soon
be the mother of a child-and Humph-
rey it's father!''
'It is ghaStlyv' she cried st is de-
graduation, feeling toward him as I
do. and as I've always done! I am
! debased to think that any man should
have the least part of a woman so ter
ribly in his power, when she can't,
can't, can't" she almost shrieked, "give
him the best. What do girls know
of the things they make lawful for
themselves? If they did, if they We're
shown the nature of their sacrifice,
then marriage would cease till it car
ried love. absolute love in its train.
Was | mad, my God. was l mad, with
all my boasts Of sanity? Nothing,
nothing she moaned, but perfect
! love makes marriage sacred; moth. nS.
| neither Gods law nor mans, and now
! the climax has come here in the out
! ward and visible sign of my shame
! / have sinned. not only in the present
anG the past but in the future; | have
! hurt an innocent unborn crea ture, [
| have set a barrier between it and its
mother.
i "And Humphrey! Now l must sit
! under those deep all-prevading eyes
of his and feel myself ten thousand
times his chattel. Now we have a
common hope, common interest, al
most a common existence, now every
touch Of his, every look of his, will
| burn me and remind me of nv shame