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

L think l had better be getting UP
now,' he said, heartily, with a pang
Patrice noticed how it was with an
effort his head turned on the pillow.
| After breakfast l must see about
! those-those papers. What are they
about?" he asked, appealingly, and
Patrice answered, seeing that he knew
nothing about them:
1.-The papers? What papers? Oh.
yes, the Times and Telegraph and
Standard. We viii have them all up
presently and May Thorburn and I
will read them to you"
did 1 mean those papers," he asked
mistily, and Patrice with a choke in
her throat was telling him, yes those
were the papers he meant" when May
came in and told her that Lady
Gwenap was below, waiting to see
| her"
May will stay and read to you,
papa, while l go down and see Sholtos
sister, Patrice said.
mo, no; I'll read the news myself;
where did l put my specs? l must
have left them on the breakfast table
| just now"
He looked wistfully about him as
| he spoke, and then added, plaintively,
as Patrice gave him the spectacles and
newspaper:
MY eyes are not quite so we'll to-
| day, I must get up; it's bad for the
sight reading in bed" Then with
| trembling hands he put his spectacles
on and took up the paper, which he
| dropped almost directly, signing:
May must read; May must read;
| the words are running about; the pa
! per is badly printed. l shall get up
presently and write a complaint about
| it. Are you going away, Patrice?"
Only down to see Sholto's sister;
l will be back, dear father"
And who is Sholto?"
A pain like the stab of a knife went
! through Patrices heart The heart
| less swindler who had ruined her
fathers fortunes had done even worse
than this-he had wrecked his mind
Still she wrestled with her convic-
/ ton that this was the case, as she gave
him parting kiss, saying:
'Sholto Graham, you know, dear;
the man I'm going to marry"
ITO marry-.my little Patrice go
ing to be married." he said, turning
pitifully appealing eyes to May, as
Patrice went out of the room. The
child's joking. She shouldn't joke
about such things at her age. Time
enough for her to talk and think Of
marriage ten years hence. She's only
Is; | give you my word she is only
| Is"
Time passes so quickly that | don't
wonder at your forgetting that Patrice
! is good deal more than 49," May
said, in a matter-of-fact way, feeling
that it was hopeless to try and make
/ him understand anything that mad
/ been between the long, long past and
! the very present moment" There was
! such an amusing scene in parliament
| last night" she went on; shall | read
| it to you?' Then without waiting for
/ his answer she began to read, and he
soon fell asleep and May ceased read
/ ing, and fell to wondering what the
next move would be of this terribly
she was watching
| When Patrice came into the room
Lady Gwenap had felt a moments en-
barrassment.: She anticipated that
Patrfce would be either gushing in her
gratitude to Lady GWenap for the lat
ter having come at this painful juno
ture, or stiff and repellantly cold be-
! ho5
! fore
Patrice was neithert
She came into the room with the
/ light, quick step of one who has full
occupation and no time to waste. but
there was neither gushing haste nor
chilling composure in her manner.
She had taken Lady Gwenap's ex-
tended hand as she spoke. and LADY
GWenap retained it for a few moments
IN sudden access Of sympathy and
admiration for the girl who was so
perfectly mistress of a piteous situa-
| ton.
1T is more than sad, it is horribly
cruel Lady Gwenap said, with en-
ergy. Sir Andrew and 1 were deeply
distressed when we saw the account
Of it. l started off at once to see
If [ could be Of any use to you, Pat
rice-you'Il let me call you Patrice.
won't your"
'Oh, yes!' Patrice said; her thoughts
were not with Lady Gwenap's words
of fatteringly condescending recog-
milton; cit is cruel" she went on rap
idly; sit was for my sake he risked
and lost all he had. But still'' with
great sigh Of RELIEF at might have
been worse; he has me still, and, thank
God. I have him"
Something surely will be done in
such a case" Lady Gwenap hazarded
lamely. eff he has lost everything,
surely in the case Of such a man"
He has lost every penny he had or
ever would have had in the world
Patrice put in firmly, That much MIR.
Thorburn has discovered from search
ing my fathers papers"
rs Mr.. Thorburn the husband of the
lady l saw here just now?"
mo, her brother"
Indeed! I suppose poor Sholto feels
it dreadfullyr'
Then, Of course, he can't know OF
it," Lady Gwenap said emphatically.
She was beginning to feel annoyed
with Sholto for not having given her
a correct impression of this girl, who
could take and gracefully hold the
| highest position in which fortune