Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-03
CHAPTER xxx.


lamed himself and they were both
making the best of their way to the
house. 1t was bad going, the fiutter-
ing snow kept constantly balling in
Lorraine's ho0fs. Any attempt at hur-
ry was out Of the question, so
Strange's thoughts turned, as they al
ways did in any unhurried moment, on
his wife, and the puzzle they were
both dissecting.
There is one thing" he said with
laugh, eve are not likely to pail on
one another in hurry, there is moth
ing the least mawkish in our relations,
and we are both of us good-humOred.
That half-amuSed malice in her radi-
ant face whenever she catches me
watching her!-Was there ever before
such radiance in any woman's face?
This wife of mine is superb, and yet
I haven't an atom of claim to her,
except from the laws brutal point Of
view But the mistake was mine,
thought it was all in women to be
taught to love, given decent educa-
ton, but it seems there are some who
want a special dispensation to get it
driven into them. What mystery the
whole thing is! And you try to do
your duty, my poor little girl, CROP
ing blindly in the cold outer air of
ignorance, and you think | know 10th
ing of your unrest and your wild en-
deavors! How little you know after
all, with all your big brain! Halo,
there you are-yourself, on the top of
the fence with your hair flying! What
hair it is! If you were anyone else,'
he shouted 81 should see visions of
colds and swollen noses; you can laugh
and dare anything. Have you been
long out?''
"Since two o'clock. l had no idea
/ could be moved to enthusiasm for
this part of the world. But this storm
has rummaged out every latent spark
In me. Look at hose pines fighting
the wind. Oh, oh, my hatr'
Hold Lorraine, III catch it,
Gwen laughed gayly as she watched
the chase. At first it was even betting
between the two, but in the end
Strange brought it back in triumph.
You can't catch cold, but don't you
think the dignity of your position in
the county demands a hat?"
IF it wants hat as disreputable as
this to prop itself up with, it can't
be up to much! By the way, what a
united couple the servants will think
us, what striking picture of easy
atfectionT'
Strange laughed, but his wife could
have bitten out her tongue. After
getting nearly frozen. to the fence in
her zeal to map out her duty, this to
be the outcome of 1t all!
She began to speak quickly, and her
voice had a curious new little note in
it that interested her husband, and
made him turn his eyes on her more
than once. But she was talking too
fast to notice him, then she had the
wind to fight. Besides all this, wild
Ideas oF touches and such ike began
TO float about her brain in rather a
frantic way.
She brought herself to reason with
n shake, fortunately perhaps, the time
being hardly fitting to launch out on
any new line.
When Gwen was coming down to
tea in a wonderful gown of white vel
vet with slashes of crocus yellow, she
met Tolly, now the Wallets young man.
carrying off an armful of Strahge's
wet clothes. By some sudden impulse
she stopped and accosted him. 81
hope you will be happy here" she said,
If ne truth must be told, in rather a
shy way, the experience was so new
and shocking,
"You must try to keey away from
gin" she added sagely, land then you
will be sure to get on we'll. l know
your raster wants you to-
folly gave a wild dab at his red
mat of stubble, muttered inarticulately
and fled.
ooh, what made me do it, what?
That horror will haunt me for a week.
What is Humphrey made of that he
can endure the constant sight of him?
And row | remember, Mrs. FelloweS
told me one day, he nursed that awful
thing for three weeks oEce. because
it whimpered at the thought of a hos
pital. Imagine that mouth. that nose
that CHASTITY whole. in delirium. OH
imagine the mere touch of those f1abby
paws with their great red knobs-those
knobs fascinated me Srd, ugh! the
knobs fascinated me and. ugh! they
have got into my eyes! Without doubt
l have 4 remarkable man for a huS-
band, | wish. oh, I wish / had my
tea, | am dying for 1T, l think I must
be tired"
She sank down into a big chair and
put her feet out to catch the heat then
she put her hands up and set to to
rub her eyes, in a foolish futile effort
to clear her whirling brain. and then
Strange and the tea came in.
81 have seen Tolly," she said. Civ
ing him some tea.
I'm that gown
Eyes"
"Ah, that's good, it may awaken
some sense of religion in the beggar
I have experimental on him with
every variety of church. and without
the slightest effect. but there is a GER
sain divinity about you in that gown
that may appeal to the feliow-he the
thin edge of the wedge and lead to
higher things. 1t would be new role
for you to pose in. Gwen, as an in
strumcnt of grace"
CT think 7 should do haftar aS on