Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-04-01
CHAPTER Xxx.
A FRIEND IN NEED.

world
Mrs Cumberland leaned forward with
an amount of eagerness for which she
,,esnised herself heartily, Why shout /
sba now restrain the expression of
Measure which she felt at the mere
sigbt of him again? She could not re-
strlin II. so she tried to diffuse it in a
way that was not rcprehensible,
II have come TO see your wife in her
+rouble. too" she SAID, gently 1t hurt
her to be obliged for conyentionality's
sake to let this man know how selfish
she thought him.
"NIv-Mrs. Sholto Graham has gone
and | can't ask you in. The house is
no longer mine, as you know Let me
send my gear off, and then we will go
somewhere and have a quiet chat. My
misfortunes are robbed of half their
bitterness by the sight of you again,
Lena"
He looked as if he really felt her to
be his guardian angel, and though she
had come in a spirit Of stern, unbending
friendship only, she was touched by
his reliance on her into momentary
weakness.
"Sholto, why did you throw me over
for woman you never loved and filthy
lucre?"
You've said 1t, You've given my rea-
son. It was for that-the filthy ucre
tempted me, not the poor woman who
owned it. Lena, / should have mar
red-"
"Hushr Lena interrupted, impera-
lively Yes, you would have married
sooner or later even if | had been able
TO bring filthy lucre to bear upon you.
know you so well Sholto; know you
as well as | like you. l can't help lik-
ing you, fool that ] am but for the
future | wish only to show it by trying
to be Of use to your wife.
Don't speak of her he groaned,
why not?'
Because she stands between you and
me-"
Its not quite good taste to give "a
woman who has come in friendship
such a facer as that" she said, calmly,
but pardon the error, Let us go and
join your wife"
He turned away and gave final direc-
tons to the cabman who was taking his
luggage, and was about to step into the
cab with Lena Cumberland, when she
said quietly:
mo Sholto, first impressions are
everything. Give me your wifes ad-
dress. | will go to her alone"
II told her to wait at Harrods stores
till l fetched her. A pretty penny the
blackguard who drove her will charge
ne if she hasn't the common sense to
dismiss him. l can't tell you what an
impractical fool she is. A pretty woman
may be forgiven for making mess OF
mundane matters, but when woman
like my wife does it it's nauseating."
II will go and see if | can help her
and YOU can follow at your leisure,
Mrs Cumberland said quickly. She
wanted to arrest the stream of selfish
wanted to arrest the stream Of selfish,
ngenerous dispalagenent of his wife
before it overwhelmed her Judgment
and made the latter softly receptive OF
the PRESTON he desired TO make upon
It, She was trying tc see him as he
was, and the effort was a painful one.
Ii was not difficult matter to find
Mrs. Sholto Graham, even in the midst
Of he turmoil and hustle which agitates
the Brompton road outside Harrods
stores. Lena Cumberland found her at
once without any strain on her powers
- Il N
sitting in a cab that was overburdened
with luggage. Traces Of tears on her
hard, disconnected face, and her bon
net lamentably awry.
Poor fellow" was Mrs. Cumberland's
first mental ejaculation as she caught
sight of this figure, and then she tried
TO think Poor woman"
She explained herself rapidly. and
had won something like touch of
confidence from Mrs. Graham before
Shoto came up. Lena Cumberland was
one of the numerous portions of his
past which remained unrevealed to his
wife-the latter perhaps would have
been les confidential had she been bet
Mrs. Cumberland's genuinely kind
overtures in an unsuspiclously kirNly
spirit
She was terribly trying object,
poor woman. to the eyes of the other
women, who was still far too fond OF
Shoto Graham not to be keenly sensi-
tive as to the appearance of his belong
ings. But before long Mrs. Cumberland
brought the best part of her nature re-
5olutely to the front and banished her
smaller and less worthy emotions to
no limbo Of failed and forgotten feel
ing
We must get on quickly into the
incest lodgings we can find In this
neighborhood. Don't you see your VIE
Is really very i'll" she added, in
whisper to SholtO
He glanced carelessly at the poor, d.
'a7idated and now weeping figure in
'la cab.
7 don't know about being ill., she