Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-30
Woman' S F ace
FLORENCE WARDEN
FLORENCE WARDEN

! VINO thOught THIS was joke.
Armathwaite raised the glass to his
lips.
They've put it into the wrong de-
canter,'' he said, calmly, though his
eyes were bright with excitement;
cor, no,"-he tasted the spirit again
They've put it into a decanter that
hadn't been properly rinsed. What
is it they use for washing these
things? Vinegar and sand Or some
thing of that sort, isn't it? l can taste
the vinegar; it spoils the favour com
pletely."
Lord Kildonan took up the tumbler,
and tasted the contents in his turn.
There is a peculiar favour in it.;
I've noticed the same thing before.
Vinegar, do you say? 1t doesn't taste
like vinegar to me-"
f'In any case, you had better not
drink it. It might make you sick.
Have a fresh bottle opened, Lord Kill
donan rang the bell, and after some
delay the under-footman appeared.
I It was a most unusual circumstance
for the master of the house, who was
a man of the simplest habit, to re-
quire any attendance so late, and the
lad seemed very much alarmed by
the summons. The butler had gone
to bed, he said, and the keys of the
cellar were locked up in his pantry.
Lord Kildonan. who would not have
broken a dogs sleep for his own
,1O fully of hn
demned decanter, and would most GER
tainly have contented himself with the
deteriorated spirit but for the pres
ence Of the doctor, who, with some
astute knowledge of men and man
ners, said:
''You know where the butler keeps
that bottle Of whisky for his own
drinking?"
ooh, yes, sir" answered the lad
readily, and Immediately fell to blush
ing furiously as both the gentlemen
smiled.
well bring it, there's a good lad,
just as it isl
And the young fellow disappeared
without delay.
I'm afraid Webster will think we're
taking a liberty" said Webster's mas
ter doubtfully.
ct he does, Lord Kildonan, you
may be sure he'll not rest till he has
taken ample compensation"
When the servant reappeared with
! the whisky, and having put it softly
down upon the table, took himself off
as noiselessly and unostentatiOusly
as possible, Armathwaite mixed two
! tumblerfuls, the first very strong and
the second very weak, and having
given the former to his host, took
! the latter for himself.
'Eh. but this is stiff,' said the old
Scotchman, tasting the preparation
without disfavOur 'You have mixed
this for a professor Of medicine, and
not for student O. phillogy, doctor.
If I were to drink off this, and then lie
down for an hour as ma custom is,
should do ma more work tonight, and
there'd be some precious hours
wasted. An wi these little whipper-
snapper pretenders to science yapping
a. round us, it i'll becomes a man wi
any pretensions to learning to gle his
time to whisky toddy and ma to word
roots"
ooh, I'll see that you don't sleep too
long, Lord Kildonan. After that ex-
element about Crosmont and the ten
ants, you will work better when
you've had a sleep to calm your
nerves"
"There's something in that" said
the student, not unwilling to be con-
WINGED. And while keeping up a con-
versation upon his favorite studies
which was little more than mono
logue onhis sidevaried by explanations
of assent from his companion, he grad
ually emptied the tumbler, and being.
as he had predicted, by that time well
disposed for his usual hours repose he
excused hiself to the doctor, and re-
tired to lie down on the hard little
sofa in the antechamber.
AS soon as the curtain between the
! two rooms fell behind his hosts retir-
ing figure, Armathwaite seemed to be-
come a different man. Looking at his
watch, he discovered that it was
| seventeen minutes past ten; and
springing up lightly in a state of high
excitement. which there was no longer
any need to conceal, he turned up the
! lamp and paced the room from end to
end with a soft tread. his ears on the
alert for any sound. When he came
close to the outer door, or to the cur
tain which hung in the doorway Of the
inner room, he would stop and listen;
and as, at last, peeping behind the
curtain, he saw Lord Kildonan lying
with closed eyes, he stepped softly in
and blew out the two candles that
were burning on the table at the foot
of the sofa. But the elder man was
not asleep; he opened his eyes and
said:
whats that?'
THAT light tries your eyes Lore
Kildonan"
"Oh, very WELL" he answered
docilely.
And the doctor reiterated into The
next room. 1t was now twenty-five
minutes past ten. Faint night-noises
unnoticed by day, but rendered start
: ling in the silence Of the dark hours
assailed the listening ear on all sides
! The chirp Of a cricket, the crackin!
( of the woodwork, the scurrying 0
, mice, each of these sounds came witt
almost deafening dfstinctness t.