Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-12-17
CHAPTER VII.
An Evil Counsel.

or three days before Sholto found him
self able to tear himself away f-om his
self-imposed task of comforting his
aunt.
Two or three causes combined to
make the bridegroom and his bride
unanimous on the point of making the
honeymoon as brief as poss bic. III the
first place, the season was well on, tn :
draWing-rooms were over, in fact, and
Lady Gwenap was determined no. to
waste amy more precious hours, but to
grasp every bit of such as remained of
the seasons pleasures. She longed to
set up her throne in the handsome
house in which she would have such
free scope for carrying out her design
OF becoming queen of fashion and
one Of the ''smartest' Of socie.y's en-
tertainers, to see and be seen. she
was impatient to hold out a help
hand to her brother and guide him
safely out of the middle-class ranks
forever. Finally, she was beginning
to find that Sir Andrew bored her con-
siderably now that sac had him all to
AA0A ON1LJ GA11hAACn anu ul4u Cl1CN gu NY IAC
presence of others or by any form OF
social excitement. She did not care
for mountain scenery, or for the old
Italian masters, or for cathedra.s, or
for blue, unclouded skies. She wante1
to be in the whirl wherein she would
be marked and spoken about. she
wanted to see her name in a. dozen
papers and read descriptions Of her
OWN dresses and jeWelry every week
She wanted to learn to drive fouT-In-
hand, and to have the handsomest ana
hlghest-stepping ponies that money
could buy. She wanted to entertain
royalty, and to make her old Edin-
burgh friends sick with envy with her
vaunts of how kind their royal high
nesses were to her. And as Sir An
drew wanted to get back to the
house and to be within easy reach Of
several branches of his colossal busi-
ness, the happy pair we're perfectly
agreed as to the desirability of
speedy return, so home they came.
Sh0lto had told Patrice the number
of the house in Hyde Park Gate in
which Lady Gwenap was to set up her
court, and Patrice often found herself
passing and looking UP at it's Hover
laden balconies and wondering how
long it would be before she would be
standing there with Sholto, being
treated as a sister by the mistress of
the house. There was a stump -u0us
summer air about the house already.
n r+,,iIo I, i+o 1iT1crC
shaded the windows and balcony and
gorgeous dollhouse flowers blazed on
the latter, intermingled with waving
erns and stately palms. The atm9-
sphere was warmly fragrant for some
distance round the house and the blue
velvet breeched footmen who stood and
aired themselves at the door of an
evening looked down on all passing
pedestrians with a supercfli0us air
that made sensitive and sly people
stumble and trip. Patrice was not shy
and her sensitiveness was not of the
order hat shrinks and sqlirms under
the gaze of supercilious fO0tmen. 1t
amused her rather to picture how diff
feTonly they would rega.d her when
SItt 'SIOuEu Walk Ill w ICu OuOlIO.
She came home one evening from a
lorg walk through the gardens past the
palace and out into old Kensington,
with May Thorburn for her compan-
ion She had not heard from Sholto
for nearly a week. but she Wou' d not
allow this fact to depress her. He hal
often hold her that he was mot fond
of letter writing" and she was begin
ming to comprehend that what Shot o
was not fond of doing he rarely did
voluntarily. 1t was with all the
greater Joy, therefore, that she heard
from Mary when the latter opened the
door that "Mr. Graham has been here. .
"Es he gone? Wouldn't he wait?
He's coming back to dinner, Of
course?" she questioned, eagerly.
''May, you must stay and dine with US,
and let me introduce Sholto."
81 can't leave my mother for the
whole evening, but" May had got
thus far when Mary broke in, depre-
catingly it seemed, with the words:
'@Mr. Graham couldn't wait, miss,
and he can't come back this evening.
He told me to say he only got back this
afternoon and he has to dine out to-
night"
Dining out the first night he has
come back! You must be mistaken,
Mary" Patrioe said, trying to steady
her tones and to keep her flushed face
turned away from May Thorburn's
perceptiVe eyes.
mo, Miss Patrice, l am not mis-
taken; he told me to tell you he would
look in tomorrow"
Il must go to mamma now; she has
been alone all the afternoon" May
said, hurriedly, mercffully turning
away from a sight that made her heart
ache-the sight of expression 09 min
gled modification and loving pain on
Patrices face and the eyes that May
had never seen dimmed by tears be-
fore.
Patrice went slowly up to her own
room and conquered her inclination
ito cry and not to dress herself pref
ti1y."
Papa must be kept happy about me
a little longer she said to herself, as
she dressed her hair in her prettiest
style. ooh. thank God, I have dear
old dad still-whatever comes"
ShoIto Graham had called to see Pa
trice as soon as he could conveniently
after his return and it struck him as
heine sin o11larIy thO,I of1tIess and a