Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-08-11
CHAPTER X.
One More Unfortunate.

her parlors recently yacatedD n thor
ough cleansing. had affixed a card tt
the window sash. announcing that they
were ITO Let. Furnished and was
gazing hopefully into the street-hay
ing. apparently. no more interesting oc
cupation Oh hand-in search Of posi-
BILE new tenants.
Doubtless she derived much satiSfac
item. derived from IA sense of wne
ship. In thus utilizing her own ground
floor during periods of vacancy. just as
il great landowner may find pleasure
in s|auntering over an unlet farm.
Many persons had passed and re,
passed, but on 10 single one Of their
conferences had watchful Mrs
Dobbs discerned hat harassed. lost.
anyway look Indicative of the lodging.
hunter. And she was just about to
abandon her post and get upon the
track of the maid-of-all-work, when a
hanson drove up to the very door and
revived her waning hopes. the more SO
as upon the roof of the vehicle was a
very ~solid-looking portmanteau.
Life. however, is made up of disan-
pointmcnts. A glance mt the well
dressed gentleman who emerged from
the cab satisfied her that the card in
the window was not yet due for remov
nj.
Bless my soul.' she exclaimed. "If
Ii amt that there mysterious Mr.. Daw-
SOD. Won't 1t be a surprise for that
poor young thing up stairs? I'll let
him in myself"
Mr.. Dawson it was, to the best o.
her knowledge and belief. since it was
in that name that he had, some
months before. engaged the first-fioor
suit fer himself and wife. But 10 the
rest Of the world he was Known as
Stephen Deane, barrister-at-law.
"How IL do. Mrs. Dobbs?" was his
greeting. Mrs. Dawson in?'
Yes. sir. and what's more. she's in
bed replied the landlady, not over
amiably.
What's the matter with her? Shes
not i'll. is she?"
Depends what yen calls III" was
the dry rejoinder. she amt got ty-
phoiG, nor yet influenza. and she won't
have no doctor called In. She's lust
frettin' ard worritin' herself to ocath.
that's what's wrong with her VIII
you have your luggage brought in,
sir:'
Yes. | suppose so.... Yet, stay.
Ill see her first"
Mrs. Dobbs led the way up stairs.
with several pronounced shifts of dis
approval. and. having briefly prepared
the Invalid for her unexpected visitor,
took up q convenient position upon the
landing. just outside the bedroom door.
after h manner of her kind.
AT last. Stephen
There was something intensely pa
thetlc in the tone and look which ac-
companied the simple words; sor,e-
thing to mOye most men. too, in the
Outstretched arms and the pale, beauti-
ful face framed i'm waving masses OF
dark hair. But Stephen Deane was In
no mood for pathos. and he had not
visited BIixton fer sentimental reasons.
What the dickens are you morning
in bed for, Aliceg" he inquired, testify,
and wholly ignoring the outstretched
arms.
The girlish figure in the bed seemed
TO shrink as though struck by heavy
blows, and the pale face was buried in
the delicate white hands. There was a
half-stifed sob. but no reply.
'Oh. Confound 1t ALL exclaimed
Stephen. IF you're going TO be sulky.
I'll be off. Good thing / left my port
1 .anteau on the cab. / half-expected n
Gene of some sort" This was strictly
true. forasmuch as he had come with
the fixed intention Of provoking one.
The girl-wife nerved herself by a
great effort TO reply, in some sort. to
her husbands brutal words. Brief as
lad been her married life. she had sell
dom lsave i'm the very early DAYS of
tfeir unionD experienced aught of kind
ness OF consideration at his hands.
Yet she had yielded to him on every
point. and had let him have his own
way IN. everything-save only where
her W honor was concerned.
He had tried. had tried hard. TO in
duce her TO elopc with him. from her
fathers house. and TO trust him to ar
range a subsequent marriage: but to
this proposal she had rcsolutelv re-
fused TO listen. Her woman's instinct
had warned her that. although she
loved him, she dared not trust him;
and she had told herself that, though
she would risk her happiness, not even
Tor his sake would she jeopardize her
good name.
Yet. in the face Of his solemn assur-
aiice that an ayOwed marriage world.
for family reasons. utterly ruin his
prospects in life. she had yielded so far
As To consent TO a private celebration
OF the ceremony. And afterwards he
had persuaded her. still for family rea-
sons. To live In Brixton lodgings under
a false name. Here. for n short time.
he had resided. also, absenting himself
now and then for "a day or two. But
these absences had become more FIRE.
quent and prolonged. And now, after
abandoning her for more than six
! weeks, he had returned In a fit of i'll
humor. To worry and bully her.
I She had been prepared Ia forgive him
Tor his neglect, In the JOY of seeing him
again; anu, mad he so willcd it. all
might have been well between them.
But her patience had at lergth reached
It's utmost limits: and there was little
Indicative OF further meek cndurance
or plaintive eHtreaty i'm the set lips and
In the finishing. dark eyes which She
presently turned upon him.
stephen had never seen anything Mt
all esthis new expression uDon his
wife's face before: and, sooth TO say.
1t somewhat staggered him. But he
! had come IN get tbrouyb an unpIaaeant