Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-11-27

easy post mere; there are secrets
which Will confide TO you, if you care
to take my place here, connected with
certain OF my patients, the knowledge
OF which Will make your life an ever
lasting dance upon the edge of a
volcano which must break out some
day. You are young, energetic, honest,
not over-emotional, with head very
well screwed on, though it's only on
your shoulders. You may perhaps find
a way to grapple successfully with
difficulties which to an old man,
weighted down by old recollections
and sentiments bound up with the
dead, have been like sleeping dogs
allowed to lie. Stay here a few days;
learn to know us; l will introduce you
to my patients; if at the end OF
week or fortnight you decide to re-
main, you shall take up my practice,
weighted with this one condition, that
you look after my wife and daughter
when | am gone. They will be pro-
Vlded for, but Mile is not handsome
enough to marry, and she will need a
guardian all her life; on you, there
fore, if l give you this start in life,
will devolve the responsibility, not of
providing nome for her yourself, but
OF fulfilling a brothers duty towards
her, and seeing that whatever home
she chooses is a suitable and if pos
slole happy one. Now | have spoken.
TO you very simply and very frankly,
ana perhaps you are startled by pro-
! posal which comes upon you so sud
denly. But my time is short, and my
| reasons for making this offer to you
instead OF to an older man are strong
and clear. Think over what l have
said and study your new surroundings
for the next few days, and when you
have made up your mind, give me yes
or no.
i can give it you now, DR.. Peele.
1t is, with my heartiest thanks-yes"
We'll, you have still, until l tell
you the secrets l spoke Of, the power
to retract. In the meantime will you
go downstairs and have tea with yom
new sister,"
He touched bell by his side twice,
and in few moments Mrs. Peele APP
peared, her approach heralded by a
! tread like that of a man.
Margaret" said her husband. this
is the young fellow of whom l once
! told you that if | had had a son |
would have had that son like him. He
will stay with us for the next few
| days, and you will make him wei
come"
! Armathwaite felt rather uneasy,
after their encounter downstairs, as
to how this exortation would be taken.
! To his surprise and CONSERVATION she
marched up to him, and just as he
made an involuntary step back, half
expecting that her intentions were
pugilistic, she drew him down by the
shoulder with a powerful hand, and
printed on his coy cheek a martial
Z kiss. Recovering quickly from his
establishment, he respectfully re-
turned the salute, and having thus
signed articles of peace, he fastened
, to obey her deep-voiced command to
go down to tea. In the sitting-room he
found Mile, now busy with the tea
things, and, as it seemed to him,
rather absent and preoccupied. He
fancied that there was some anxiety
in the look she gave him as he.
entered, and although she chatted to
him brightly and pleasantly enough
about London and the lake-country
and his Journey, there was more con-
straint in her manner than there had
been when she first received him at
the door. She was, however, such an
extremely Intelligent and agreeable
person that ArmathWaite soon found
himself telling her of his newly-made
acquaintance with the two lakeside
beauties, SURPRISING, however, all
details that sayoured of the mar
vellous. Miss Peele listened with
great attention, and was very anxious
for his opinion of the two ladies: He
gave it in a guarded and modified
way, but the bias of it delighted her.
"Then you like Alma Crosmont
best! I'm SO glad. It's a good sign in
d man to dc that, feel sure. | know"
she continued hastily" that Lady
Kildonan is very bright and charm
ing, and very good-tempered too,
think, for such beauty. But there's
more in Alma than that. great deal
more; and l often feel my hands
t1ngIing to box the ears of that hus-
band of hers, when | see him"
She stopped in confusion and has
tened to put some Goals on the fire;
but in the midst of this occupation she
turned to Armathwaite with genial
laugh.
Its of no us; I've done it, and no
artifice viii cover it," she cried. I'm
always getting myself into trouble by
hurting out things that are better left
unsaid. I haven't the least atom of
taste or discretion. So l may as well
finish what | was saying, ana relieve
my feenngs."
ESPECIALLY as l know what you
were going to say"
do you?" Then her kind plain face
grew grave. Eyes, it needs no con-
jurer to see that the poor little woman
is thrown away on that great empty
headed fellow, who doesn't know the
difference between gold and gliding.
Papa made that match, you know: [
think he's sorry for it now" And she
looked into the fire again.
'You know Mrs. Crosmont in
Il used to; but she never comes
here now. I believe it's hec husband
prevents her; he's afraid papa will
see and be angry about the alteration
in her. l met her in Mereside about