Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-02-11
aLOyER Of THE Day.
Continued.


vanity that Lena Cumberland should
council him of this course.
All this advantage Of Miss Laugh
erne' cause would come better from my
sister than from Sir Andrew" he said,
GROSSLY. When | have got it down
in black and white that I'm to have
this billet, and none OF Sir Andrew
Gwenap's interference can upset the
arrangement, I'll let him know who
and when I am going to marry. If
I had rushed into matrimoney on my
present income and prospects he would
have been the first to call me a head
strong fool. You should hear what
| have had TO listen to on the other
side from Maggie, and I suppose you
will admit that she is a woman of the
world and knows what she is talking
about?"
You fear poverty very much?" she
asked, abruptly.
Hate and loath it," he replied, and
there was the ring of sincerity in his
tones
Then secure The thousand year
by marrying Miss Laugherne as soon
as you can conveniently" she said,
scornfully. Once more | tell you it
depends on yourself Sir Andrew viii
see that you are rich man soon if you
keep your troth and marry Miss Laugh
erne"
He looked at her uneasily and NUT
tered that there were more ways than
che OF fellow getting money and on
in the world" But Mrs. Cumberland
gave him no encouragement to weakly
commit himself any further She
pleaded fatigue and dismissed him
early, with the parting words:
What | have said tonight | have
said solely for your good, without re
gard to myself in any way. | want
you to be happy-and rich | believe
passengers being required to cover the
you will be both with Miss Laugh
erne"
He always declared himself to be
an extremely sensitive man. There
was no doubt that he was an extremely
touchy one. For though he had the
truth-namely, that it was real inter
est in him and regard for his welfare
which had made her speak as she did
he went away offended with her. He
would have preferred her trying TO
fascinate and firt him out of his al
legiance to Patrice
Why do [ care for this MANI" Mrs
Cumberland asked herself many times.
as she sat thinking in the softly light
ed little cottage drawing-room late
into the hours of the night, and like
many another woman similarly stu
ated, who has asked herself the same
question, she could only answer: Il
don't know why, but | do care"
She knew men who talked better and
wrote better than Sholto Graham.
therefore it was not his cleverness
that attracted her She knew men
who were better featured. grown and
set UP than Sholto; therefore it was
not his looks that had enslaVed her.
He was brusque ct times, almost to
rudeneSs, so 1t was not his manner
which fascinated her From the way
in which he spoke of horses and
hounds she had discovered that he
was practically profoundly ignorant
of the qualities and capabilities OF
both, so it was no kindred love of
sport to which she kindled. She could
not, by any stretch of her Imagination,
endow him with exalted moral quail
ties for he had been betrayed into dis
playing before her more than once a
selfishness and self-conceit of the
poorest quality. She felt instinctively
that ne was no hero in q physical
sense. Nevertheless, in spite of this
clear sightedness concerning him, she
have sacrificed much to have got and
kept him entirely to herself
Still, as has been seen, there was
good in her, and it came to the fore
when, for the sake Of his honor and
future financial success, she counselad
him to give Sir Andrew the assurance
for which that worthy gentleman
was waiting, before he moved a finger
in Sholto's behalf
1t was a subject which she could not
analyZe steadily. Gushes of warm
feeling kept intervening and upsetting
cool judgment She could not, after
several hours consideration of it.
answer satisfactorily the question:
why do l care for him."
Mr.. Graham's meditations on his
way home that night were not much
more agreeable than were Lena Cum
berland's. He told himself that he
had never meant to overstep the
bounds of friendship with her and
that her giving him the check she had
given him that night had been an I'M
warrantable assumption ON her part Of
his taking a warmer interest in her
than he did. How the deuce could
she know that I was ready to throw
Patrice over for her?'' he asked him
self testify, and he, too. found him
self unable to answer his own ques-
ton
The next morning, on his way up to
the office on the top of bus. he read
paragraph about the absconding of
Mr. T. B. Jones, c. E. of New Vic
toria street, and mentioning the al
arming attack Of one of that gentle
mans clients. Capt. Kelly. r. N. on
mans clients, a Capt Kelly, R. N. on
tial offices
poor Patrica! Poor little girlr'
thought he. commiseratingly. lawfully
cut she'll be. she is SO fond Of the poor
old boy. Devil of a business it will
be, though if he has lost all his invest
ments; 1 am an unlucky beggar. Just
&C nna0+ oo;po ct-o;,b4 o-a ~