Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-10-23
Continued.


to Armathwaite a circumstance
little short of marvellous that
a woman of so much sense and spirit
as Mrs. Crosmont should submit to
the humiliation of living under the
same roof with a man who not only
denied her the rights of a wife even
to the extent of treating her with
open neglect and discourtesy before
strangers, but who was also ad-
mittedly under the influence of an
other woman. Gentle and yielding as
her nature might be, natural as her
shrinking from the parade of her
wrongs undoubtedly was, there was
yet something unexplained in the
meekness with which, while feeling
the bitterness of her position with a
passionate warmth, she had sub
mitted almost too suddenly to the en-
durance of it for an indefinite time
longer. Reused to chivalrous ardour
on behalf of this lady, the young man
refused to admit even so much OF
blame to her as a too ready sub
mission would imply, and he insisted
on seeking some fault in the husband
to explain what looked like want Of
self-respect on the part of the wife.
In the midst of his reflections, how
ever, he was overpowered by physical
and mental fatigue. and fell into a dis
turbed sleep, from which he was
reused at half-past eight o'clock by the
knocking of housemaid at the door
of his room. 1t was difficult, in the
light OF bright January morning, to
realize all the marvels which had
come under his notice since he last
saw daylight; and as he hastily
dressed and heard the sounds OF or
binary life about the house, he felt
more vivid curiosity to see how the
personages who had filled such dra-
matte roles by night would look by
day, than perturbation over imaginary
crime and mysteries, such as had
agitated him before he fell asleep. He
was careful. however, to examine the
bedstead, and found that it was fixed
to the floor close to the wall; In the
centre of the upright frame at the
head OF the bed was the usual small
embossed iron ornament where the
bars crossed; this was exactly on a
level with the head of the sleeper In
the middle the ornament was hollow
and behind this hollow was a hole in
the wall which proved, on careful in.
spection, to be covered with grating
of the finest wire. This, Armathwaite
had no doubt, was the opening to a
tube, or series of tubes which. in DAYS
dating before the telephone, formed an
ingenious means of communication
with another room. He had just re-
solved. without much need for deliber-
alton, to keep his discovery to him
self, when he heard another knock at
his door, and the voice of Uncle Hugh
asking If he was ready for breakfast.
MY nephew has to be out early,
and so he breakfasts at eight" Mr.
Crosmont explained as they went
downstairs, while Armath waite no
ticed on the way that the upper floor
was constructed on the same principle
as the lower, with an irregular corri-
dor straight down the middle from end
to end, upon which the rooms opened
on each side, The little one has
nothing in particular to get up for, so
she waits till the chill is off the morn
ing, and generally breakfasts about
nine. | divide my favors between the
two. and have my chop with one and
my toast and marmalade with the
other, Ned rather wanted TO have
protested in the interest of humanity
that you should be allowed to rest an
hour longer"
As they came to the last step of the
staircase, Mrs. Crosmont met them
coming along the corridor from the
back of the house, She looked very
fresh and sweet, and explained. as she
took off a little shawl that was
wrapped round her head and neck
that she had been to the stable to Sc,
Gray Friar."
''Ned's gone. | suppose?" asked Mr.
Crosmont
"Oh, yes, long ago! He's gong I,
lunch at The Crags. ana won't b
home till dinner time" she answered
as she led the way to the dining room
where breakfast was laid.
With the morning glow, caused b
her run through the frosty air to visi
her old favorite, still upon her cheeks
Mrs. Crosmont showed for few mC
ments what nature had meant her I
be--a sweetfaced young Engiishwon
an. with healthy pink skin, clea
eyes, that wholesome air of daint
neatness which is a special charm {
the race, and a certain radiance, nj
only of hair and complexion, but of e,
preston. which was like soft SUI
shine. But Armathwaite HAD scarcel
noted these things with admiratio
and surprise. when the glow began
fade. and the smile disappear. and
few minutes the dark rings or sleel
iessness showed under her eyes, an
the momentary vivacity died out {
her manner. She was perfectly swe'
and courteous to him. and affectionat
to Uncle Hugh: but nothing coul
have emphasized more strongly tina
did that little incident, the differenS
hafwaen what she was and what gel