Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-10-09
q Woman S F ace
FLORENCE WARDEN


ton. Halfway along the passage tht
come up with him.
Hell perhaps be there by himsel
half the night" he whispered. HE;
making himself an old man before nj;
time by this turning night into J
and-and-other follies. If he has :,
make a short journey, to Liverpool OIL
Edinburgh or anywhere else, as he
has to do once or twice a month, CT
Lord Kildonan's business, he starts
Off at night when there's no earthly
reason why he shouldn't go by day
He says it's the night hours that are
the hardest to get through. Some
times he makes poor Alma sit up in
that little den all night with him
when he's in the blues. Now / ask
you is that a right state of things
for a man with the constitution of i
horse, leading a life which ought to
be the healthiest in the world?'
Certainly not. It's about as wrong
as it can be. And is there no one
with influence enough over him to II.
duce him to alter it?''
"The only person who has the in.
fluence hasn't the will to care two
straws what he does with himself
when he is out of her sight. AS long
as he is at her beck and call by day
it's all the same to her whether he
sleeps or drinks himself into frenzy
at night. At least that is my impress.
| eli nd oil
lieye there's any harm in her; l sup
pose no man could look at her and
think there was. She's just beauti-
full spoilt woman, and 1 don't suppose
anybody could make her understand
that she hasn't a heaven-born right
to the worship and the submission
and the dutiful reverence of ever,
man who comes near her. You can't
blame her; lots of ugly women think
the same: only the ugly women can't
get their rights, and she can. It's
rough on Alma though, very
Cant her husband see that his
treatment tends to bring about tnal
very arrangement of which he
speaks? For he does not really be-
'It is hard to say. One inclines so
naturally to believe what would ex
cuse ones own conduct"
How long have they been maj,
ried?"
Eighteen months. Since the first
six weeks of their marriage they have
always lived here, and I have lived
with them by their own desire. From
the very first things have all tended
the same way; no quarrelling, no dis
cussion; but always the same
estrangement, the same neglect.
moroseness, and irritability on his
side, the same silent submission on
hers, getting more and more marked
as time goes on. It's a strange and
unhappy state of things, and Gle
wonders how it will end"
Armathwaite wondered still more
how it had begun. That a man in all
the freshness Of the first weeks of
married life should be Indifferent to
the grace and charm of such an at
tractlve and interesting woman as
Alma Crosmont seemed to him mar
Vellous, in spite Of the impression
Lady KildOnan's more dazzling beauty
had made upon him. They were
absurdly Unmatched, evidently: this
coarse, uncultivated man, with strono
sensual inclinations, and few ideas
beyond their qualification: and the
nervous, sensitive woman. who
seemed to CULVER with repressed Das-
sion and sentiment even while. with
pathetic Wifeliness, she listened with
dutifully-bent head to her husbands
grumbling comments on his dinner.
the weather. her dullness, the CON
spiracy of all things, animate and IN
animate, against his comfort. And
Lady KildOnan, did she know or care
Tor the havoc she was working in her
old playfellow's household? The
question raised many other equally
interesting, and Armathwaite decided
mat he must at all hazards accent
thlS lakeside SIRENS invitation to The,
Cfags, as he easily could do on pre-
tence OF returning the twice-lost hand,
Kefchlet; for whenever he inclined tc
the belief that she was acting in verv
Wantonness, her sparkling face woulo
rise up again in his memory as he
mad seen it smiling good-humouredIy
) through the veil of falling snow. and
he said to himself that it could moi
De: she was as fair as a rose. If was
no fault of hers if men would look
upon her fairness until it shut out
everything else from their sight
Ana with these reflections he found
himself at the top of the staircase
exactly opposite to which was the
door of his room.
Uncle Hugh opended the door fo1
him, and said he hoped the winf
{ wouldn't keep him awake.
Il don't fancy it will he added
! cheerfully. you see this room is If
exactly the center of the front of the
: house. When it was an asylum bt
! continued in low tone, "this wa,
l called the doctors room, and was
used by the principal; SO it ought tt
! be pretty comfortable However. j
: you should be harassed by uneas,
} spirits or anything of that sort. m,
3 room is two doors off, to the left OF
g the opposite side; you can come RICH
2 III ana Jump upon me, or tilt the bed
t stead up, for I sleep like a log
: Good night"
y he went away, shutting the doc
after him, and Armathwaite gave
d slance round the apartment. II was
i | rather small room n1ainIv