Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-02-18

me all about it." he whispered. This
| sight Of Capt. Kelly's unnaturally
blanched and shrurIzen fac was pan
| full to nim. He never looked at pain
full sights # he could possibly avoid
! them
She shook her head
If l take my hand away it vii,
waken him. Sleep is life to him dear
I will send Miss Thorburn UP to
take your place. See these lovely
grapes that my sister has sent you
The ought to do him good.
How kind of herr Patrice wills
pered, heartily. She has been here.
but you know that, of course, and
she was SO sympathetic about my dear
father"
'TIl go for Miss Thorburn,' said
Sholto. He hated the air of suppress
sion, of checked action, of silence, sick
ness and suspense which hung about
the room He thought it unreasonable
on Patrice's part that she should stay
there holding the hand of a sleeping
man when he (Sholto) wanted ner. So
he got himself hurriedly down stairs
again and asked May to go and relieve
her friend.
May had no particular liking for him
and no very earnest desire to oblige
him, but for Patrice's sake she went
up and in the quiet, capable way which
she had acquired during her long
course of devoted attendance on her
mother, she effected the transfer Of
Capt. Kelly's hand from Patrice's to
her own. She knew what comfort
there is to those who are drifting away
in the strong tender human clasp
The poor old man should have that
comfort when he woke.
why did l find Thorburn here?
What brought him?" Sholto asked, as
Patrice joined him.
He brought dear dad home yester-
day, didn't you know that? He found
him almost insersible outside that
horrible office and brought him home
in cab. And Oh, Sholto, he has been
so kind. He has looked through
fathers papers"
That ought to have been left for me
to do" Sholto interrupted, jealousy.
But, darling Sbolto, you were not
mere and | was impatient to know what
had caused the attack, and if what he
said when Ned Thorburn found him
that he had no home; everything was
gone'-Was correct I wanted to know
the worst at once"
L wish you wouldn't call him Ned
Thorburn; and | think he had no right
to go prying into affairs before [ came.
He's all very well, but he's only
Journalist, glad to get hold of all sorts
Of gossip and scandal, in order to make
a paragraph Well, what is the worst.
my darling?"
Papa has lost every penny that he
had"
The devil he has, Sholto cried, and
through his mind there flashed a sen
sation Of satisfaction that he was not
married yet and SO irretrievable in
volyed in Capt Kelly's ruin.
And what do you mean to do?" he
asked, presently, when Patrice's lucid
recital Of all Mr.. Thorburn had i'm
parted TO her had left no doubt on his
(SholtO's) mind that there was any
question as 20 the statement of Capt.
Kelly being left utterly destitute being
a perfectly accurate one
4 have hardly thought of that yet.
| waited to consult you"
My dear girl | shall be but a very
poor adviser in the matter, I fear. /
believe there is a sort of college or
asylum for decayed gentlemen some
where out Blackheath or Lewisham
way. But l I'm not quite sure what
the qualifications for admission are
III find out for you, though"
"SholtO!"
well. What?"
DO you think for one moment that
| would let my father go to such a
placer"
What else is to be done with him.
The best l can do" she said, pas
sionately; you know | have two
hundred a year and I have never spent
more than hundred of it have
DduASt IuS rest re anu L can i've Oh
it and he will never miss any Of the
little comforts he has allowed HIMSELF
But you will miss many-inGeed most
of your little comforts if you sacri-
flee yourself and your little income iii
this way. After all he is not your
father"
'HushT' she cried starting up and
away with anger blazing in her eyes.
Hush, Sholto, Or"
"What?''
Il shall hate your she sobbed, as il
her heart would break, but it was not
altogether for the slight he had offered
to her father and her love for him. It
was because the process of having
scales torn from her eyes was an agon-
iZing one.
CHAPTER xxi.
II ~