Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-01-20

| she paused timidy.
ooh, Britta, dear!" said Thelma
| affectionately taking her hand. you
| know they are not so much my friends
IS the frierds of Sir Philip,--and for
| MS resEon | must never listen to any
thing against them. DO you not see?
| or course their ways seem strange to
us--hut. then life in London is so diff
ferent to life in Norway, and we can
| not all at once understand" she
| broke off, signing a little Then she
resumed you will give Morris
| my message Britta-and then come to
me in my bedroom am tired, and
Philip said | was not to wait up for
| him"
Britta departed, and Thelma went
slowly upstairs. 1t was now nearly
midnight, and she was weary.
Her reflections began to take a new
turn. Suppose she told her husband all
that had occurred, he would most GER
tainly go to Sir Francis and punish
him in some way--there might then
be quarrel In which Philip himself
might suffer-and all sorts of evil con-
sequences would perhaps result from
her want of reticence. IF on the other
hand, she said nothing, and simply re-
fused to receive Lennox, would not her
husband think such conduct on her
part strange? She puzzled over these
questions till her head ached-and
finally resolved to keep her own coun-
sci for the present after what had
happened, Sir Francis would most
probably not intrude himself again in
to her presence. II will ask Mrs
Lorimer what Is best to do" she
thought. "She is old and wise, and
she will know"
That night, rs she laid her head on
her pillow, and Britto threw tho warm
eiderdown over her, she shivered a
little and asked
rs 1t not very cold, Britta?"
I Very" responded her little maid.
and 1t Is beginning to snow"
Thelma looked wistful. ut is all
snow and darkness now at the Alien
ford" she said ....
Britta smiled. Eyes, indeed, Fro
kken! We are better off here than
there
"Perhaps!" replied Thclma little
musingly. and then she settled herself
as though to sleep.
Drittn kissed her hand, and retired
noisclessly. When she had gone,
Thelma opened her eyes and lay broad
awake looking at the flicker Of rosy
light flung on the ceiling from the
lttle suspended lamp in her oratory.
All snow and darkness at the Alien
ford How strange the picture seemed!
She thought of her mothers sepulchre,
how cold and dreary it must be-
she could see in fancy the long pendent
icicles fringing the entrance to the
sea-king's tomb,-the spot where she
and Philip had first met she could
almost hear tho slow, sullen plash OF
the black Fjord against the shore. Her
maiden life in Norway--her school
days at Arles,--these were now like
dreams, dreams that had passed
away long, long ago. The whole tenor
of her existence had changed, she WAS
n wife,shc was soon to be mother,
and with this near future of new and
sacred JOY before her, why did she to-
night so pcrsistently look backward
TO the past?
AS she lay quiet, watching the glm-
mering light upon the wall, it seemed
as though her room were suddenly
filled with shadowy forms,--she saw
her mothers sweet, sad, suffering face.
then her fathers sturdy figure and
fine, frank features, then came the
Hitting shape of the haplcss Sigurd,
whose plaintiye voice she almost
imagined she could hear, and feeling
that she was growing foolishly ncrV-
GUS, she closed her eyes, and tried to
sleep. In vgin, her mind began to
work on n far more unplelsing train of
thought, Why did not Philip return?
Where was he? AS though some
mccklng devil had answered her, the
words, In the arms of Violet Nere!"
as uttered by Sir Francis LcnnoN, re-
CURED To her. Overcome by her rest
lcssncSs, she started up,~-she detern-
ined to get out OF bed, and put on her
dressing gown and read when her
quick ears caught the sound OF steps
coming up the staircase She recognized
her husbands firm tread, aud undcr-
stood that he was followed by Neville
whose sleeping-apartment was ON the
floor above, She listened attentiyely
they were talking together in low
tones on the landing outside her door.
IL think 1t would be much better to
mako clean breast OF it," said Sir
Phillip. she will have to know s0al
day. ("
Your wife? For Gods sake, don't
tell herl" Neville's voice replied
such u disgraceful Here his
words sank TO II whisper, and Thelma
could not distinguish them. Another
minute, and her husband entered with
soft precautlon, fearing to awake her
she stretched out her arms to welcome
him, and he FASTENED 70 her with an
exclamation of tenderness and pleas
ura