Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-12-11
q Woman S F ace
FLORENCE WARDEN


y
that fer this particular fear there is
not the SLIGHTEST foundation"
'Y0I don't understand" she said
turning in her chair so that her great
blue eyes, winch shODe with radi-
! ance that seemed to throw a liquid
I brightness round them, like stars on
a summer night, looked full into his
! When I explain the peculiar circum-
stances of our marriage, you viii see
! what I mean. ! was an only child, and
inherited all my fathers property,
which was considerable. Papa was
naturally anxious to marry me to
someone who could look after my in
| terests, and see that the estates were
managed properly: that was compre-
hensiDle enough. But when he de-
cided on Lord Kildonan, who had no
money, or scarcely any, of his own.
for my husband, papa was so delighted
to have found such q pearl among men
as he considered him to be, that he
left the estates to him for life in trust
for me and my children, if I should
have any. SO that, you see, I was
made dependent on my husband for
every penny of nv own money"
'But surely Lord Kildonan lets you
have everything you want"
Yes, like child for whom you
buy a half-crown doll, though you
won't let her have haIf-a-crown to buy
a doll with. He has too much con-
science to refuse to get me anything I
want, but his Scotch instincts OF
carefulness over the siIler will never
allow him to put the money into my
own hands and say, There, dear, buy
what you have fancy for. Well,
daresay this sounds only like a tri-
fling grievance after all, but it's gall
ing, ineXpfessih'~ calling when it goes
r on day after das, and month after
, month, over thl smallest expenses,
and when you know that after all it's
} your own money"
Armathwaite was obliged to admit
that it was an irritating thing, and he
saw by the Fuckers of annoyance and
almost Of shame in the ladys beauti-
full face that in her pampered life
: this restriction attained the import
ance of a grievOus affection.
But there is one lucky thing" he
said Consolingly, land that is, that
l living up here as you do, the hardship
of not being able to buy anything
=, yourself cannot press very hardly
, upon you, as there is nothing to buy
, At last he had touched the main
spring Of all this woe. She sprang UP
I in her chair, the lace falling off on to
] her shoulders, and the golden hair
+ loosened about her face, which had
J instantly become cOnvulsed with ex
Il element and Indignation.
No. she cried passionately, he1
bosom heaving and her eyes flashing
|. Nothing to buy, nothing to see, moth
d ing to do. And that is the life | am
), condemned to, chained to a man who
T doesn't understand that | am active
S pleasure-lOving, young. 1 can't read
e can't comfort myself with philoIogy
e and all that stuff. [ want life and
S movement round me, not this dreary
! lake and these sitting hills. | shall
r break away some day and become an
Q actress, or a goVerness, or a telegraph
hateful stagnant existence 1t is like
d being buried alive with a corpse
= She sat up, trembling and painting
t from the effects Of her vehemence; no
e longer looking at him, but staring be
:. fore her with such fierce yearning in
e her eyes that it was evident she was
Q agitated by very genuine and con
> Stunning passion. Whether it was
| merely a vague longing for excitement
or more definite laundering after
, some particular pleasure was more
= difficult to decide; and Armathwaite,
I who had reason to doubt her absolute
, sincerity, watched her with wonder
: and curious as she sprang up from
, her chair, crossed the small room,
drew aside the curtains, flung open
the latticed window, and leaned out
into the frosty air.
Don't you know that is very I'M
, wiser" said Armathwaite, following
her
She turned sharply, and leaning
, back against the vindOw-frame. so
that her golden hair, disordered by
. / the lace she had torn off, stood out
round her head like the dishevelled
name Of a bacchante, she fastened her
fierce eyes upon him with a reckless
and daredevil fascination impossible
to resist
IF I am not i'll, I will be i'll" she
said, in a fierce whisper Then your
noble scruples will be satisfied, and
you will tell my husband that he must
take me away, or see me die
She Kissed out the last words with
passionate abandonment Never had
her brilliant beauty looked more
dazzling, more irresistible. The cold
white winter sunshine could show no
defect in her exquisite fairness, no
fault il her graceful form. The state
OF violent excitement to which she
had dashed herself made her eyes
glitter and hep cheeks burn; while the
defiant attitude in which she stood,
with the left arm stretched across the
window to keep it open, and the right
hand clutching the curtain high above
her head, if a trifie unnecessarily dra-
matte, was Enthusiastically becoming
Armathwaite's face changed, and his
breath began to come faster. Lady
Kildonan, who had not lost control of
/ herself so much as to be unable to
note what effect she made, let her
raised hand fall heavily to her side
and her beautiful head sink. with a
sudden change to inviting humility