Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-01-29

/ a headache, which, being the sort of
effeminate complaint he most affected,
| passed as sufficient reason for his
/ languoG and his lateness. But Arma-
thwaite, who was on the ale-J, and in
/ clined to look upon every unusual in
cident as a possible link in the chain
of mystery, the scattered portions Of
which be was picking up so carefully,
watched the palIid face with interest,
! and threw across the table a kindly
remark on his want Of appetite, which
| Mason received efusively amid the
| general inclination to make light Of
his t-ouble.
| He doesn't really deserve a2y
! pity" observed Armathwaite's right
hand neighbor, the brightest of the
Croydon girls. HE is enormously
| rich, aH-fully mean, and is always
boasting of his money, not in the man
ner Of the millionai-es of the comic
! papers, Of course, but in lots of little
indirect ways. So, Of course, although
it's an awkward and disagreeable
| thing to happen in a house, yet we
can't help laughing at the fuss he
makes about it. Look, he's got on an
extra number of rings to console HIM
self"
Armathwaite noticed that, besides
| the marQuise ring of diamonds and
sapphires which he generally wore,
he had big single brilliant on his
| little finger, at which he gazed furtive-
| ly from time to time as if the sight OF
,, it really did afford him some consola-
ton for his loss. The young doctor
did not share the general politely sup
| pressed amusement at his misfortune.
Il think you are all rather hard upon
the little fellow" he said in a low
voice trrning to Miss Croydon, and
meeting her eyes with a kind grave
look. He is perfectly sincere; his
| loss is for him as genuine a calamity
as say temporary lameness would be
to me, or as the loss Of her beautiful
| hair"-Miss Greydon's abundant locks
we've one of her few points
be to a lady. One can see he hasn't
| the strength for what we call manly
! exercises; I doubt whether he has the
brains for student. You ladies won't
have anything to say to him for the
| paradOXIcal reason that his tastes are
too much like yours. What remains
to him, then, but his little velvet
coats and his perfumes and his toys
and his trinkets, and the money which
makes al his Importance in the world?
You are too hard, Miss Croydon, too
hard"
FT'll forgive your censure for the
sake of your eloquence. But I believe
you will be as much disguised with
him as any of us when you have stood
the ordeal of a conversation with
him.
E'WeI, am going to try this even
ing"
will you let me know the result?"
Perhaps. Unless it should be too
favorable to your own views"
F'Then I foresee that 1 shall hear no
MORE
The ladies were rising to leave the
table. and Armathwaite, who opened
the door for them, took advantage of
their departure to take a vacant seat
beside the disconsolate Sydney. This
move brought him within three seats
of Ned Crosmont, who had been
mOrose and silent during the dinner,
and who now greeted him with black
and undisguised scowl, which the
young YOrkshireman resolved stoTidly
not to see.
you were not on the ice this after
noon, | Think" began Armathwaite,
as an opening.
ooh no, l was not nearly we'll
enough. And hate ice and snow, and
all those things"
well, really think you would have
looked better if you had put on pair
of skates and tried your luck on the
lake today
But Sydney's teeth almost chartered
at the idea.
ooh no, I shouldn't" he answered
plaintively. eff I catch cold | am al
ways i'll for weeks. Besides, l was
too miserable to go out today, even if
it had teen fine and warm. have had
great misfortune, Doctor Anna
thwaite; it has upset me terribly I
think | shall cut short my visit here,
and go up to town to consult Dr. Man
vile. The Grand Duchess of Schlet-
terberg suffers in exactly the same
way that I do, and she always goes to
DR.. Manville"