Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-12-18
CHAPTER XII.

NOW, IN tie uTSt pace, SAID LORD
Kildonan, as soon as he had closed
the door, did she, when she sent for
you this morning. mention any symp-
toms which woul support ny idea
about heart-disease?"
Not one, Lord Kildonan, and
, think you may safely dismiss the no.
ton altogether from your mind. Lady
! KildOnan's physical health appears to
me to be perfectly sound, and the only
thing that seems to be wrong with her
! is a slight tendency to annui, and a
/ spirited craving for a little more
excitement than life in the country
can give her. Think shopping eXpe-
dition to Liverpool would make her
all right again, or the trip to London
! she seems so anxious for
Did she say that to you right out,
in so many words?"
well, yes at last"
"Ah! It is gene AIly her health, or
my health, or something like that. and
not Please take me away, | am dying
of dulIness.' Ard she is not dull That
/ is the strangest part Of it. She is as
gay as a lark, day after day, enter
| irg into all the pleasures Of the coun-
try as if there were no others, and
| then suddenly there comes a change,
and she gets one of these restless
fits, in which nothing will please her
but something she hasn't got and
can't set. If you could tell me the
II nd TO IO
you would do NE the greatest service
anyone has rendered me yet
Armathwaite said he would do his
best, and he thought there was no need
for Lord Kildonan to worry himself
over the natural caprices of a lady ac-
custOmed to the instant qualification
OF he wishes. But he remembered
the flashes of fierce, feverish longing
in her eyes, and thought Of DR.. Peele
and his secret. After listening to his
assurance, Lord Kildonan said
well, I should like to comfort my
self with the belief that you are right.
You will understand my fear better if
[ show you a letter I received from
her father a few days before her mar
riage. There is only one passage [
need trouble you with; I have read it
again and again"
There was little necessity of this
explanation; the letter itself betrayed
the fact. Worn in the folds so that
it scarcely held together, the old
letter, which Lord Kildonan took from
a case in his breastpocket, showed
evident signs of the numbers Of times
/ he had taken it out to pore over its
meaning. The particular passage
which he pointed out to the doctor
ran thus:
There are two injunctions which,
before you marry Aphra, | wish par
ticularly to impress upon you. The ore
is to let her live always in the country
an arrangement which will, | know.
cause you no inconvenience, as it is
directly in accordance with your own
| tastes. From her earliest childhood
this has been impressed upon me by
medical men who have seen Aphra,
for they point out to me that her
buoyant health and spirits are not
such sign of a robust constitution
as we should like to think. and that
in the Initiated air and distracting
excitement of town, she would pine
and die. I beseech you not to be
cOerced by her girls craving for
amusements into doing anything so
hurtful to her as residing in a town
would be, particularly a great city
like London or Liverpool The second
thing | wish to impress upon YOU is
said not in her interests. but in the
interests of the estates which will
after my death be in your care:-Ruv
her everything in the world she
wants, in reason, but pay for it your
self. Do not let her have any com
mand Of money, for living in the
country where there is nothing to buv.
the reckless generosity of her nature
will cause her to become the Drev Of
every scamp and idle baggage who
chooses to appeal to her. and encour-
age the pauperism which it has al
ways been ny endeavOr to suppress
L earnestly enjOin you to follow nv
advice in these two things. as believe
you will do absolutely in consfdpra-
ton OF the entire confidence I have
nlaced in you, and of the happiness I
feel in the knowledge that my dear
child and everything else care cor
in this world. will be in the charge of
man I respect and esteem as I dc
you"
That is the passage" said Lord
/ kildonan. when Armathwaite had got
as far as this. Il read it quite simply
when first received it. But since
then the FREQUENT recurrence Of he
tits OF feverish melancholy has made
me wonder whether there was not
deeper meaning in her fathers wo~7~