Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-10-30

of seventeen or eighteen. This inspec- i
ton caused him to decide that, al |
though it was Ned Crosmont who had
been driving when the LADY dropped
her handkerchief on the preceding
evening, it was this young man who
had taken his place when the sleigh
stopped at old Peggys cottage. Lady
Kildonan was clever enough to per
ceive the look of curiosity in her COM
panion's eyes,
you look as if you thought you
had discovered secret" she said,
laughing, as she took the reins and
the ponies began to descend the hill.
doctors are men to be trusted, we all
know, so I don't mind confessing that
if I have to drive long way after
dusk, and want a more muscular pro-
ector than poor little Martin could
prove in an emergency, I get Ned
Crosmont to meet me at Peggy's CO.
tage, and he bOrrows Martins coat and
goes with me, while the lad toasts his
toes over a jug of beer till we come
back again. You see, in a place like
if poor Ned were recognised driving
me about, although we've been play
| fellows ever since we were mites in
| the nursery
But surely it's a great risk. 1t
would be so much worse if he were
recognized in-in spite of everything"
mo fear of that. I'm Independent
of any arm but my own as long as day
light lasts, and look at the pace my
little ponies go!"
"Then that Iad-how can you dare
trust to his discretion?"
She turned her head and made the
young doctor meet her eyes, which
were speaking with the serene con-
seriousness of triumphant beauty.
"How can I? All, as you are not a
woman. I'm afraid | can't explain it
to you"
There was something that Jared
upon him in this bold avowal of her
condescending to use the power of
her brilliant beauty to cajOle SER
want into silence; but at the same
moment that upward gaze through the
golden-brown lashes of her eyes set
the tide in his own blood running fast.
You really couldn't be hard upon a
woman for getting by a look the ODE
dience that money wouldn't buy. She
seemed to read a trace Of disapprOval
in his silence, and when she spoke
again it was with some moving pas
sion in her voice.
ct is so easy to be hard on a wom-
an, and say she ought to be as open
as the day in every little thing, and
never deceive her husband about SO
much as the price of a scrap of rib
bon; and of course it would be much
better and pleasanter too if one could
do like that. But if you are married
to a dear old Sobersides of a Scotch
mani don't want to complain of him.
for he's a very good, kind old thing as
long as one keeps off the bawbees, and
doesn't touch upon religion, and likes
an evening spent in silent contempla-
ton of the opposite wall-why, you
must find some vent to your pent-up
vitality, if it's only in taking a sleigh
with a poor dash Of romance in it-in
the shape of an old sweetheart dis
guised in a coat that doesn't belong to
him! There, there, now I've made my
confession Look grave over it if
you like!"
1t Armathwaite had not remembered
the neglected wife who suffered by
these escapades, he could scarcely
have felt inclined to look grave at all,
so piteous even in imagination was
the picture of this beautiful, brilliant
woman tied to a dry-as-dust Scotch
man thirty years her senior. But what
on earth did she marry him for? The
interest he naturally felt in this and
kindred questions made him rather
glad than otherwise when, after a
drive Of about half an hour, Lady Kill
DOMAIN, pointing with her whip to a
handsome, modern, warm-looking, red
brick house. built in the Tudor style,
standing halfway up steep hill
which they had just begun to ascend
at a gallop, said:
THAT, oh, stranger, is the pirates
lair! By which l mean only that in
stead of taking you direct to Drank
some, | have brought you round the
lake to The Crags to luncheon. And
it is of no use to try to protest, be-
cause the deed is DONE
Armathwaite didn't protest much;
but he wondered where his wits could
have been for his suspicious not to
have been aroused by the fact that
they had come through the outskirts
of the village of Mereside and driven
round the h ,Ad Of the lake instead Of
along the east side of it, according to
the direction given him at the hotel
the night before. Just before the
sleigh reached the gates, an elderly
woman came quickly out of the red
brick lodge, and throwing them wide,
stood smiling at the approach of her
mistress. Lady Kildonan stopped and
spoke to her in the most winning man
ner.
well, Mrs. Wheeler, and what has
! become of Tommy? We don't gen
orally see you at the gate on washing
morning?"
Il wanted to ask, my lady, whether
his lordship is any better today. Mrs.
! Flint says he's been ailing for the last
month, ever since that night he was
took so bad; and that his eyes seem
! queerer than ever"
Mrs. Wheeler was sharp-featured