Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-06-05

Her face could grow no paler; but
her head fell more heavily upon my
shoulder
$50 strange!" she murmered. "Ah,
so strangei'
you never had a little child, Lady
Culmore, had your"
Never" she answered.
Had you little brothers or sisters?"
asked.
None" she replied.
1T is an extraordinary thing, never
having had anything to do with little
child, that you should be haunted by
the cries of onei"
She was looking at me with wild,
distended eyes.
Miss Forster, you will not ten this
fancy of mine to any one?" she said,
slowly. Il am SO afraid that people
would think me mad"
Then she promised to try to be calm.
to lie down and Sleep if l would re-
main with her. did so, and sat down
by her side, holding her hand, until at
last she dropped into a fevered, rest
less sleep.
All me, how restlessi The beauti-
full head and troubled face turned in
cessantly from side to side; the lips
were never STILL and the burden of
her cry was, 81 did it all for you, love
all for you!" Then came prayers,
entreaties, signs, and tears; but above
all rang that one pitiful cry, "AIl for
you, love-all for you!"
In the full morning light I left her
fast asleep.
Could it be that the gloom OF the
house were extending to me? All that
day l was miserable. I felt sure that
Lady Culmore was very ill, threatened
with severe illness or with insanity
| was sorely perplexed, feeling that it
was my duty to get help for her from
somewhere, yet not knowing in the
least to whom l should apply. l would
not betray her. I would keep the secret
of her strange fancies and her terrible
nights; but / must have the advice of
| some one as to how she could best be
dealt with. The only person l could
! think of was Mrs. Harper, the house
| keeper; and I went one afternoon in
search of her. 1 asked her to come
out with me into the grounds, where
| could talk to her at my ease. told
her that | thought Lady Culmore was
very i'll, and that she required more
attention than 1 could give her. The
housekeeper looked sorry and very
| puzzled.
Il am just as much bewildered as
yourself, miss" she said. "This is not
like any other household. What lies
between those two-husband and wife
i cannot tell. but I fear it is some
thing terrible. They seem to me more
4 like jailer and prisoner than anything
else.'
Which is the jailer?" l asked
Sir Rudolph she answered. 81
would not stay but that, after all, l
! like both my master and my lady so
! well. They seem to me perfection
apart, but together they would puzzle
the saints
Has it always been this way,
Mrs. Harper?"
| Yes. The servants in the house are
strangers, except the butler and my
self. We lived with Sir Rudolph at
Brooke Hall. We were with him at
his marriage"
Was there anything curious con-
nected with it?" l asked.
| Nothing; every one noticed the in
tense love of the bridegroom for the
bride. | never saw any one so de-
voted in my life. 1t was marvlous to
see them together. Sir Rudolph
brought his bride home to Brooke Hail.
and lived there one year with them.
Then, quite suddenly, they came here;
and they have lived in this strange
fashion ever since"
And you know nothing of what
brought them here-nothing of the
cause of their being on such terms
with each other?'
Nothing. Everything was bright
and happy at Brooke Hall. The house
was filled with guests. ! remember
even that arrangements had been made
for dance, when Sir Rudolph sent for
me suddenly, We are going to Ulia-
mere, Mrs. Harper he said. win you
come with us? We shall not return
to Brooke Hail. 1T is very sudden,
Sir Rudolph said; and then noticed
how white his face was I have never
seen him like himself since that
never; and that was Christmas Eve.
We stopped at Brooke Hall until the
day after Christmas Day. We have
been here just one year"
But there must have been a rea-
son." I said. "a husband and wife,
both young, passionately attached to
each other, could not have fallen into
this state without some reason"
Il know of none. have thought it
over hundred times"
Did nothing happen at Brooke Hall?
Did Lady Culmore make her husband
jealous
Mrs. Harper smiled.
There was little fear" she replied
II ever any woman worshiped man.
my lady worshiped her husband. She
seemed as though she could not live
out of his presence. 1t was the won
der of every one. do not think. when
she talked and laughed with other
men, she really needed them. Her
eyes followed him always, and her
whole heart was in them"
But was there no warning of what
was about to happen?"
None was the reply. ''The only
incident which occurred at Brooke