Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-28

courtesy, you must no longer pay me
that visit at night during my work.
have been most selfish to exact it, and
I will do so no more. You have
caught cold by it, and it has made you
feverish, I can see. You understand
that for the future shall not expect
it."
She rose slowly during this speech,
examining his face, at first evidently
somewhat puzzled. Rt as he went
on she became gradually convinced
that he was in earnest; and when he
glanced quickly at her as he uttered
his closing words, he saw upon her
face a look Of feverish relief and sat
isfaction.
At that moment dinner was an
nOunced. To Armathwaite-whO talked
mechanically to the lady by his side,
and could not remember afterwards
who she was-the meal was like a
banquet OF Royalists during the Reign
of Terror. The heavy scent of the
bIossoming plants with which Lady
KildOnan, in her love for all bright
things, caused the table to be loaded
from end to end, until it appeared to
be spread for a feast Of flowers,
seemed to him deadly, poisonous; the
candles, in tall gold-plated candle
sticks that sprang up among the banks
of foliage and bright blossoms. re-
minded him of the lights round a cot
fin; the talk that huzzed about him
rang hollow in his ears, and the beauti-
full woman in her robe of white and
gold, who sat at the head of the table,
seemed to his excited fancy to be
simply the victim Of a gorgeous sacri-
fee, to which lights, flowers, and
laughter were but weird accompani-
ments. For, before the second course
"a over, Lord Kildonan had uttered
words which, bearing a deep signii-
to Armathwaite only, told him
that Lady Kildonan's doom was fixed
as surely as if, following out his fancy,
she had been summoned to the guillo-
tine. This was all the old Scotch
man had said, in a quiet, almost indif-
ferent tone, that bore no trace of sus-
piciOn:
Il want you to go UP to Liverpool
again tomorrow, CrosmOnt, to see
about some business that l forgot when
you went up the other day. You won't
mind going, will your" he added. with
his usual courtesy.
81 am quite at your service, your
1ordship," answered the agent, while
Lady KildOnan, from the other end of
the table, watched and listened with
kindling eyes.
ArmathWaite involuntarily found
himself casting intense, almost implOr-
ing glances, first at CrOsmont and then
at Lady KildOnan. Neither of them
noticed him; but as he turned his head
away from the lady he met the gaze of
her husband, ~peremptory, stony, re
minding him of his promise. The
rest Of the dinner was torture to the
young man: he saw that a trap had
been laid for the guilty couple. into
49, "OSA \GN w 4oi LII (lol
ruin and misery not only to them but
to those nearest to them would surely
be the result.
When the gentlemen followed the
ladies into the dTawing-room, Lord
KildOnan, breaking through his usual
custom, went too. Armathwaite be-
lieved that this was in order to shorten
! the solitary hours when he would have
nothing to do but to brood over his
purpose, and over the secret DR..
Peele's papers had divulged, which
had made the old Scotchman harder,
more bitter than even his suspicious
Of his Wife's fidelity had done. Anna
thwaite waited for an opportunity of
speaking to him apart, and was glad
when, a few minutes after their return
to the drawing-room, his host came
straight to the corner where he was
standing by himself, watching Cros-
mont and Lady Kildonan as they CON
versed under cover of a brilliant" fan
tasia which a young lady was perform
ing on the piano. Under the clever
affectation of trifing conversation,
which Lady Kildonan knew how to as.
sumo, Frank thought he could detect
that she was urging Crosmont to some
course against which the agent was
protesting. Lord Kildonan followed the
direction Of the doctors eyes as he
came up.
To be continued.