Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-02-23

| faint, delicate scent OF white yiolets
came to him, along with the silvery
Ginning of bells
| In truth, fair maiden, it does" he
answered, ''but it would pleace me stiu
better if you would dance with me-"
The eyes behind the white domino
had lost their merry look, but that
which had replaced it made the blood
beat quickly in his veins. as, without
a word, she yielded herself into his
arms. He felt her slight form tremble
in his clasp as they glided round the
room.
Are you tired?'' he whispered
mo, no, my knight"
He bent again and whispered some
tender words in her ear. The scent
of her violets, the Ginning of her
bells, had intoxicated him. They
neared the entrance.
L am tired now" she whispered
and before he realized her intention
she had slipped from him and fed
Something white lay at his feet. He
stopped to pick it up. 1t was a slip of
paper, violet scented. Three nights
hence l shall be here again. was writ
ten on it. He put it away in his
| pocketbook and left the building.
1T will depend on Lady Vermount
whether | come again or not" he said
to himself. I've tried to keep straight,
| but I'll be hanged if can go on with
| this arrangement at home much
longer. | was fool to begin with it,
| but | felt l owed so much to her that
l did not like to oppose her wishes.
Who would have imagined such a
strength of cold purpose lay behind
those eyes of hers?" He bit off the end
of his cigar viciously, hailed a han
som and was driven homeward. He
tried to think to think of his wife, but
the jingle of the horses bells recalled
too wildly the girl in the white cloak.
She had cast spell over him which
Lady Vermount's coldness-more
pointed than ever during the next day
or two-was not calculated to loosen.
Lord Vermount found himself on
the night of the second masket ball
dressing eagerly. He even ran up to
his room at the last moment with a
thread of blue silk, purloined from his
wife's workbag, and with clumsy
fingers inserted it in the tail of his
coat. He would lose no chance of be-
ing recognized by his sorceress.
1t was hours before he saw her white
| cloaked figure drawing near him
through the crowd of dancers, which
he had watched with all the WEAKNESS
of hope deferred. She did not speak,
but, slipping one white rounded arm
from the shelter of her cloak, laid it
on his.
"Are we to dancer he questioned.
A slight movement of her hooded head
and his hand stole around her waist
beneath the cloak. For a space neither
spoke. He felt for the violet scented
breath coming in little quick gasps,
and the music of her silver anklet
bells seemed to his heated fancy to
beat out the words, Love, lovei" to
the measure of her footsteps. He
breathed some tender words in her
ear and felt her whole frame culver.
A moment and she had drawn herself
from him, and, lifting her hand, let
her glowing eyes rest on his face.
MY knight" she whispered, dare
| say au revoir?"
do not CO." implored Lord Ver-
mount, stretching out his hand to
catch, not her cloak, but a slip of
paper. He stood looking at it sui
lenly long after the Ginning of bells
which marked her flight had ceased
Little witch, let her co. he NUT
tered, but UNFINISHED the paper all the
same.
What impertinence Well, I'll be
hanged! So this is some scheme of
her ladyship's. Thinks to entangle
me with this young woman that she
may be free to carry on some little
game of her own. / wonder what she
will say to the revealing Of her plot
HIM. reading the note. ''AlI Anleri-
cans are not as cold as you deem your
wife to be. Go home and ask her
who I am. She knows" He smoked
no cigar on the homeward drive on
this night. His temper was too ruff
fed. He meant to have it out with
his wife, despite the lateness. or
rather earliness, of the hour Such
affairs as this were better gone into
at 6. oe. She would have to get her
self into dressing gown and come
down to her boudoir or else give him
for once access to her bedroom. He
went with no light footstep up the
stairs and paused at her door, which
was on the latch.
Vermont, is that you? Push open
the door bit. | want to tell you
something. I have had letter from
papa. He has just made At big thing
over some railways. That means more
dollars for you some day. Good
night Shut the door now, and firm
ly, please"
Lady Vermount's voice was hard and
cold. He shuddered at it. For
moment he was disposed to go and let
matters drop. The same faint scent
of violets which doubtless still hung
about his coat sleeve altered his pur
pose He took a step or two into the
room.
A rose colored satin curtain hang
ing down at right angles from the fire
place shut out his wife from his sight,
but beyond it's edge protruded 1ittls
Moorish stand on which were set a
coffee equipage and cups for two. A
quaint shaped liqueur carafe and
glasses were also on the tray.
Two cups! Two glasses! What did
this mean? Had his wife
A hand held the curtain slightly