Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-08-26
CHAPTER Nj.


head on the cushion which supported it
as the Young doctor entered.
"Oh, DIR. Armathwaite, how do you do?
I'm SO glad you have come. What a
lucky thing you hadn't left Branksome
before my messenger reached you."
And, apparently exhausted by the effort
Of shaking hands and inviting him to a
chair beside her. she drew Il long sigh,
and let her arms fall at her sides with the
abandonment of utter lassitude.
II feel just like that" said she. raising
her blue eyes and dropping the white lids
over them again Immediately. to Indicate
the completeness Of the physical prostra-
ton from which she was suffering.
He felt her pulse as a matter of form,
and could almost have laughed at the
barefaced nature of the fraud she was
carrying on SO beautifully. Luckily. he
| was sitting with his back to the light,
which fell full on the lady. so that any
indiscreet incredulity which might peep
out in his face could not be noticed by his
interesting patient.
II see,' he said. with becoming gravity,
| ''Your case is very serious"
Neat little hypocrite as she was, this
| decision was too much for her equanimity.
| She opened her eyes to their full extent,
and gazed at him with that child-like
expression which only blue eyes have. and
asked him in a soft tone Of astonishment
what he thought was the matter with her.
''That is what want to KNOW he an
swered. ut must be mental trouble, and
of some very acute kind. since it can pros
| trate you so entirely while your physical
| health is perfectly good
She lowered her eyes and sighed. Il
| have a great many worries, and troubles,
too" she said but of course. l couldn't
| think of troubling Il doctor with Them
AT any rate. your gaiety became you
| 80 well that it is difficult to believe it
| was not natural to YOU"
II suppose she said, with a pretty
| mournfulness, ''that some people think /
have everything can wish for; no doubt
have everything that some people could
wish for. I have great hideous house
| that some people might like, and hus-
| band whom l made no objection to when
they married me to him, and whom I've
| only one objection to now, but that one
| objection is fatal" A pause, during which
Armathwaite still. while maintaining an
attitude of respectful attention, asked no
questions. She continued with a weary
sigh. "He treats me like child! l never
have his confidence; l never have his
| trust"
Armathwaite was astonished. Remem-
bering the way in which Lord Kildonan
had spoken of her, had treated her; the
| friendly welcome he had extended to him
self, stray acquaintance whom Lady
Kildonan had picked up in particularly
i A. L.: I
to the playfellow of her childhood; this
charge seemed not only without founda-
ton, but preposterous.
| Il think" he said gently, but with some
decision, that here is an ailment l can
| remove. If one of your troubles is the
| belief that your husband does not trust
you in the fullest manner, l can relieve
| your mind by assuring you of my own
| knowledge that for this particular fear
| there is not the slightest foundation
| "You don't understand" she said, turn
| ing in her chair so that her great blue
| eyes, which shone with radiance that
! seemed to throw liquid brightness round
them. like stars on a summer night, look
| ed full into his. when explain the pc
| culiar circumstance of our marriage, you
| will see what l mean. was an only
child, and inherited all my fathers prop
erty, which was considerable. Papa was
naturally anxious to marry me to some
| one who could look after my interests,
| and see that the estates were managed
properly; that was comprehensive enough
! BUT when he decided on Lord Kildonan,
who had no money, or scarcely any, Of his
own, for my husband, papa was SO delight
ed to have found such pearl among men
| a. he considered him to be, that he left the
estates TO him for life in trust for me and
my children. if / should have any. So
that, yeu see, was made dependent on
my husband for every penny of my own
money"
"But surely Lord Kildonan lets you
have everything you want:"
| Eyes, like child for whom you buy
. halfcrown doll, though you won't lei
her have half a crown to buy doll with
He has too much conscience to refuse ia
get me anything I want, but his Scotch
! instincts of carefulness over the funds
| will never allow him to put the money
into my own hands and say, There, dear
buy what you have fancy for Well
dare iay this sounds only like trifine
srievanse after all, but it's CALLING, in
sxpressibly CALLING, when it goes on day
after day, and month after month, over
the smallest expense, and when you know
that after all it's your own money"
| Armathwaite was obliged to admit that
It was an irritating thing, and he saw by
the Fuckers of annoyance and almost oil
shame in the lady's beautiful face tina,
In her pampered life this restriction at
tanned the importance of grievous ahlic
ton.
"But there is one lucky thing" he said
consolingly, 'and that il. that living NJ
here as you do. the hardship Of not being
able to buy anything yourself cannot press
very hardly upon you, as there is nothing
to buy"
AT last he had touched the ,aainsprinl
Of all this woe. She sprang up in hel
chair, the lace falling of on to her shout
ders and the golden hair loosened abou,
her face, which had instantly become con
vulsed with excitement and indignation.
mo-" she cried passionately, her bososl
heaving and her eyes flashing. ''Nothini
to buy, nothing to see. nDthing to do
And that is the life l am condemned 70
chained to man who doesn't understand