Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-11-20
q Woman' S ace
FLORENCE WARDEN
Continued.

III iiouL Vi uiu dI LHe SISOP iNou NoS
side the park gates, which the early
setting winter sun had already left in
cold gloom.
Lady Kildonan likes strangers
for a little while" said he, gruf1y.
But everybody seems to like
strangers here, at least to the extent
of being awfully kind to them pur
sued Armathwaite with persistent
cheerfulness. Lord Kildonan re-
ceived me almost as if had been an
old friend. The very first minute ar
rived at Conismere a villager who
overheard me asking the distance to
Branksome offered me a seat in his
cart; while you and your uncle and
Mrs. Crosmont treated me, not like the
vagabond which England expects
every wanderer without credentials to
turn out to be, but as an honored and
welcome guest"
well, you don't look like a vaga-
bond on the tramp" admitted Cros-
mont. glancing at him half-ungracious-
ly out of the corners Of his eyes. Then,
as If he thought he had debased him
self by being too civil, he added,
Every woman snatches at the chance
of talking to any man who is not her
husband"
Even that does not account for the
kindness of four people, yourself
among the number, who not being
women, have done everything in your
power to make my short visit pleas
ant to me-"
You are not going to stay here,
them"
"Oh, no. 1t lookes now very much
as If | should nave to put off my jour
ney north until tomorrow, but"
Crosmont interrupted him with a
rude grunt, and Armathwaite, begin
ming to feel little nettled stopped
and turned to him for an explanation.
mo man at whom-at whom the
Kildonans look twice, goes off like
that" he said shortly.
"Oh. yes, but he does If he has more
important affairs elsewhere" the doc
tor remarked in a rather constrained
voice.
"Ah, well, We shall see," said Cros-
mont, with a disagreeable laugh
I've known Lady Kildonan since she
was baby. and nobody's been able
to thwart her wishes successfully vet.
She's chosen to take a momentary
fancy to you. and not all the attempts
you may, or you might, make to leave
this neighborhood will be of the least
use until her ladyships caprice is
worn out-which will be-" he added.
tauntingly. with savage glance at
his companions handsome face, "in
about three days. | should say; four
at the outside
Armathwaite saw that the man was
bent on insulting him, but he had
already seen too deeply into the
springs of the unhappy young fellows
strange conduct to be more than mo-
mentarily annoyed by his outburst of
ill-temper. After minutes silence
he laughed good-humoredly.
III there is any efficacy in absence
then, this fancy you say her ladyship
has been condescending enough to
tatte to me ought to grow into a very
fair passion; tor most certainly It
viii be months, and probably years,
before | am so fortunate as to be
within fifty miles of The Crags
again, he said, imperturbably
Crosmont looked hard at him, still
with scowl upon his face.
Il suppose you belong to that class
of London young men who set nm for
oelng indifferent to women, and let
them run after you: the class we in
this country call fops," he said. pres.
emily.
III by a Top you mean a man who
doesn't run after other mems wives. I
don't mind confessing I belong to II "
Armathwaite answered, in such a very
low and deep voice that his compan.
Ion, perceiving that at last he was to
be taken very seriously indeed
dropped the surly buster of his own
tone.
i didn't mean anything offensive"
he said, quickly. 1T would be out of
the question anyhow in talking of her
ladyship. Everybody worships her
about here. was only talking as a
kind of joke, you know-of the feeling
we all have for her--and her-her
husband. They're royalties about this
part, you know. and we are Jealous
that they should have homage paid to
them. We expect strangers admira.
ton as kind of toll-do you setS"
"Oh. yes, | understand" said Arma.
thwaite, accepting the clumsy apology
readily, Il do admire them both i'm.
mensely. But If you really think the
homage of stranger worth having. I
will tell you frankly that there is
another lady have met here to whom
/ should yield far handsomer tribute
of admiration than even to Lady xii.
donan-and that is Mrs. Crosmont. "
MY wife," cried Ned. in unfeigned
establishment; adding quickly, "You
don't mean it,"
Indeed do"
"Oh, but you can't What. like a
long face that gives you the blues to
look at better than one full of smiles
and laughter Like woman who
depresses your spirits better than one