Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-12-11


words: ooh, Ned, I cannot bear this:
send me away" The vision faded
at once, but left him cold and calm,
confronting Lady Kildonan with the
gravest Of faces, the driest Of man
ners.
What is the matter with you?
What are you looking at?" asked she.
impatiently, noting with surprise the
great and sudden alteration in him
He had turned away to the window.
q am locking" he said, at M
Crosmort; he is coming up to the
house at this moment And I was
thinking how strangely unpopular this
beautiful place is with you ladies, for
Mrs. Crosmont seems quite as
anxious to go away from it as you
are, and certainly, to judge by her
looks, with much greater reason.
Lady Kildoran shut the window
with a very ferocious snap. He could
see that she was furiously angry, and.
feeling his presence was by no means
soothing to her, he picked up one of
his gloves, which had fallen to the
floor, and prepared to take his leave,
satisfied that she would not ask him,
to prescribe for Imaginary ailments
again. But she was too angry to be
wise. Instead Of letting him go with
few curt words, according to her
first impulse, she stopped him when he
was at the door by saying:
you are a great admirer Of Mrs.
CrosmCnt's, see"
81 was considering Mrs. Crosmont
from the point Of view Of a doctor,
rather than an acquaintance. She
looks i'll, unhappy"
And I do not. So my troubles get
no sympathy"
From the doctors point Of view,
no. But as a man who has been re
ceived by you and Lord Kildonan in
the kindest manner, I"
ooh, yes, oh, yes, of course. You
are overwhelmed with concern for
Lord and Lady Kildonan's mutual
happiness. But you would like to pre-
scribe for Mrs. Crosmont."
81 should, indeed
And pray, as a doctOr or as an
! acquaintance, would you see any fault
in the stolid unconcern with which
she bears her husbands difficulties,
difficulties which drive me, who am
merely his old friend nearly mad with
desperation to think that, with all the
money which is nominally mine, I
haven't so much as five-pound note
really my own, to help the poor boy
out OF his trOubles?"
She was passionately in earnest
most sincerely and heartily distressed.
Armathwaite was touched. She really
| did care for this man, then. "Stolid
unconcern" were curious words to use
in connection with Alma Crosmont;
but he let that pass.
"That's very hard, certainly" he
said.
you see, / daren't ask my husband
for him, because if he thought his
own agent was in money difficulties
he would get into a dreadful state
and think poor Ned managed his at
fairs as badly as he has done his own.
yes, I suppose he would said
Armathwaite.
and that's not true at ALL" contin
ued she, taking up Crosmont's cause
warmly. He has speculated with
his own money, I believe, but [ know
that he is even fanatically scrupulous
about his employers. Why, he won't
even let me have five-pound note il
I beg for it, when he's got the rents il
his own hands ready to be paid into
the bank at Liverpool"
Armathwaite was rather puzzled
Zone would have thought a man might
be safe from the speculation-manie
here" he said.
ooh, people send round prospectuses
of mines and companies and things
you know; and then, suppose, the
poor boy gets seized with the idea
that he can make his fortune in 6
week.
But don't you use your influence
to persuade him that it is foolish?"
ooh, my influence, what is it?
believe his wife encourages him in
these things, and that, of course
weighs down the scale"
The young doctor began to look
more incredulous than ever. Lady
Kildonan, who had not sat down
again, but was wandering restlessly
about the room, stopped and thrust
out her hands before her.
To be continued.