Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-09-11

her side in silence He scarcely dared
to put questions to this strange WON
an with weird sad eyes, who, after
saving his life, seemed to have taken
possession of him body and soul, and
to deem it unnecessary to enlighten
him as to the disposal she meant to
make of either. They left the trees
and the uneven ground behind them
and, the wind being now at their
backs and the snow therefore less
binding, Armathwaite could distin-
guish without difficulty the point at
which he had reached the level road.
This said the lady, Indicating
the way from left to right, ''is the
high road from Mereside to Drank
some"
She crossed it without further COM
ment than her companions polite if
rather futile ooh, indeed" and they
began to re-ascend the steep road on
which he had come to grief. One thing
the young man knew without asking:
this mysterious lady who had appar-
emily been on the lookout for human
fiotsam and jetsam on this bolster
Gus night, came from the gloomy
house which had aroused his attention
half an hour before Dwelling and
occupant fitted each other like the
nautilus and its shell. The soft brown
eyes of the woman-they were brown.
he could swear though he had had no
chance of OFFICIALLY assuring himself
of tho hoI 4,
dened, desolate attraction as the large
window through which he had seen a
dim light filtering weakly between the
dark leaves of the plants in the little
conservatory.
AS he had expected, the lady, who
seemed to think further conversation
superf1uous, stopped before the heavy
iron gates and pulled the handle Of a
long rusty chain which hung beside
them. This Immediately set jangling
bell, the funeral tones of which
struck as great chill into Arma-
bell for his own soul. She then
pushed open one side of the gate, led
the horse in, and invited the appar-
emily less important human creature
to enter also. Armathwaite thought,
as he watched her playing affection
ately with the bride of her old favor
lite, that she had forgotten the rider in
the interest of this meeting with the
horse, and had led him home as an
accidental adjunct of the animal, to be
considered at her leisure. But the
! appearance at the door of young
| maid-servant who seemed struck with
amazement at the spectacle before
! her, reused the lady from her alb
straction, while an old mastiff ran
down the steps and licked her hand
She turned to the stranger and said
very graciously:
"Are you anxious to get to Drank
some tonight? You would hardly be
and we should be very happy to give
his friend shelter for the night"
Armathwaite felt so certain that he
had not mentioned DR.. Peele's name
and therefore SO utterly amazed at the
ladys knowing his destination, that
shy tone with great confusion. She
entered the house with a grave gest
ure of invitation to him to follow, anG
told the servant to take the horse tC
the stables. Just as the girl was about
to obey her order, she turned quickly
and asked in harder voice, ''Is your
master in?"
''Not yet, ma'am,' answered she
and she went out, closing the door be
| hind her, to the grey horse, which
stood patiently and placidly waiting
at the foot of the steps from which
him. Armathwaite was too much alb
sorbed by his interest in the lad.
herself to examine very minutely TIL
hall in which he was standing. H
, perceived that it was long, wide an
lofty, that one wall was well-line
with whips and guns and fishing
tackle, and that there was a hat-ant
coat stand covered with masculin
garments. This was interesting, mas
much as all these things must belon
t to the lady's relations, concernin
, whom Armathwaite longed to kno7
2 more. He hoped, as a young ma
Y instinctively hopes on making az
a quaintance in a romantic manner wit
an attractive woman, that she was nc
!. married, and in spite of certain di
Y cOuraging dignity in bearing and r.
D pose in her manner, he bad an und
4 Enable conviction that she was fire.
He offered to help her as she disel
e numbered herself of her outer ga
e ment, which proved to be unmistal
k ably a French cavalry cloak. Sh
thanked him. but shook her head an
s begged him to take off his own owe
coat. which was covered with snow
f When he had obeyed she stood befol
d him transformed. Rather above tn
{ middle height, but looking taller, A
|. mathwaite saw lady Of about twent
d two years of age, dressed in a sa
}. phire-blue velvet gown as plain as
L habit, with a square-cut bodice. Fro
d her neck to her feet hung a long gaui
e dark-blue drapery like night-clou
which glistened with bright drops, Il
+" colours Of which changed as 81
t moved. The skin Of her face ana nee
r was fair with a warm, pinkish health
x fairness; her eyebrows and eyes we
Is dark: and her hair. which seemed
t. be abundant to the verge Of unma
u ageableness, was a gold-brown whe
d. it fell over the forehead. and a brow
lg 1sh-gold where it lay in coils on t
k. top of her head. Her features we