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

now. l assure you 1t is all right now ,
only told you this to show that I .,..
not the heartless creature You seemed =,
think me. But now, now can't you undar.
stand how it is | want to get away an,
of this wicked deceit am forced to nroc'
tice, this life of little lies and excusas
which makes me ashamed to look nv Inns.
band in the face? In few minutes ha
will be here. He always comes to me be,
fore eleven to wish me good morning
Can't you persuade him that if he would
only take me away somewhere, to Paris
or the south Of France, he would get cyits
well and strong himself, and should eat
and sleep again as well as ever, and We
could come together again, and end by be-
ing regular Darby and JOAN
IF you can't persuade him to do what
you wish, Lady Kildonan, l am afraid
nobody can. As for your husbands
health, l seriously think you have the care
of that in your own hands. If you were
to take him with you on your long drives,
it would not, as you fear, try him too
much. but would, on the contrary, brace
him up and tire him just sufficiently to
make him too sleepy for that killing and
unnecessary night work he is SO much at
tached to-"
Lady Kildonan could not conceal her
distaste to this proposal. -
Really" she said, with irritation, "onA
would think l was to blame for his fancy
to work at night!''
"Oh, no, am merely showing you how
to cure him Of it, If you care-and l am
sure you do care. Lady Kildonan-to be-
gin the cure by taking your husband for
a long drive every day-three hours at
the least, promise you will do my best
to induce him to finish his cure at some
foreign springs"
She seemed to be balancing the future
gain with the present sacrifice.
'.Springs!' she echoed at last with q
sigh. "You don't mean some place where
there is just pump and an inn? Be
cause one h.:ee.ht as we'll be here"
mo, l don't" said Armathwaite, smil.
ing. Il mean a place with big hotels,
and bands, and balls, and promenade
which shows off pretty dresses and-their
wearers.'
Agreed she said, hastily. and she
gave him her hand to close the bargain
Just rs a slow rat-tat was heard on her
door. She ran to open 1t herself, and Ne
ceiyed her husband with an effusiveness
which, to Judge by the flush it brought to
his plain face, was as unusual as it was
evidently welcome. He took off his spec
tacles as she led him forward, leaning on
his arm with 1.-the, Embarrassing incli-
nation which had the appearance of rem
dering him stiff and constrained, but
which caused his gray eyes to glow with
tender light as he glanced shyly down up
on her. TO Armathwaite, as they advanc-
ed, they made beautiful picture until
Lord kildonan withdrew his right hand
from his wife to shake hands with the
doctor, and lightly patted her shoulder
with his left as he did so. At the affec-
tionate touch, Lady Kildonan gave .
slight but malicious grimace and a shrug
of the insulted shoulder, both directed to-
Armathwaite and unseen by her husband.
In an instant the young mans admiration
turned to disgust and repulsion as surel!
as If he himself had been the victim Of
the heartless trick; all the falsehood that
disloyal women can use to their masters
seemed to be embodied in that hypocrti-
cal caress, and he felt on the instant in
arms FOR his sex, the more that he felt in
clined to doubt whether few minutes
previously he himself had not had mar
row escape. The rugged face of the q.
derby Scotchman, beaming with honesty
and kindness, seemed to him, in this new
frame of mind. to show not only more at
traction, but absolutely more beauty, than
the fair features of wife who could be
Indifferent to so much affection.
Lord Kildonan's one thought, on finding
the doctor 80 early with his wife, was
anxiety lest she should have been i'll with
out letting him know. She told him, sink.
ing again into her chair by the fire, that
it was nothing more serious than her old
enemy, sleeplessness; that she had sent
for DR.. Armathwaite as soon as she waa
up, for fear he should be leaving Drank
some, and that he had given her pre-.
scription which he said would do her good.
ing patient would take advantage Of hs
conditional promise to try to extort from
him a more thoroughgoing adhesion to
her pet plan, now for the second time
prepared to take leave, and succeeded In
getting half way to the corridor, when
Lord Kildonan overlook him. This was
just what the doctor had expected and
feared.
"She has sent me away" said Lord
Kildonan, rather ruefully; II offered to
read to her, when she jumped up and said
she was going for a walk. She says my
accent spoils any literature; and it's too
late to get over that now. Come into my
study, DR.. Armathwaite; should like to
speak to you"
Rather reluctantly the young man fol-
lowed him down a narrow private stair
case at the end of the corridor, and into
his darkened room.
(To be continued)