Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-07


tap at the door The next moment
Lady Kildonan entered, and uttered a
smothered cry at sight Of him. He on
his side was startled by her appear
ance. Her face was pale, her eyes
were heavy; her golden hair, rough
and disordered, hung down untidily
about her ears. A loose light wrap
per was folded round her, and held in
place by one Of her white arms,
while her feet were bare but for the
slippers into which they had been
hastily thrust. She staggered back
a step like person reused suddenly
from sheep, whose senses are not yet
quite clear; then her heavy eyes
travelled to the decanter Cd which
Armathwaite' hand still rested, and
her face changed; the stupor that OPP
pressed her faculties broke up, look
of fear passed over her features, and
gave place Immediately to one Of stub
born reckleSsness.
You are an early visitor DR..
,Armathwaite,' she said coolly. 81 did
not expect to find anyone in my hus-
bands room at this hour"
Il have spent the night here, your
Iadyship. Do you not remember see
ing me when you came to wish your
husband good night?'
She was standing in front of him,
erect as an empress, her command
ing figure enabling her to appear dig
nified in spite of her negligent attire
AS Frank put this question to her dis
tinctly and with studied emphasis,
looking attentively at her all the time
with exasperatingly calm blue eyes,
he saw a doubt and then a flash of
Geviltry in her handsome face.
Il saw you last night, certainly,
when you appeared to be trying to
hide from me. But l had heard moth
ing of your intention to install yourself
here, and therefore [ repeat that l was
surprised to find you still here this
morning"
Frank said nothing. Strong as his
suspicions-nay, more, his convic-
tions-were concerning this ladys
conduct, her ready wit and her daring
struck him absolutely dumb with al
miration. She waved her left hand in
the direction of the portiere with curt
peremptoriness.
81 see you are chamberlain here. Be
kind enough to ask whether my hus-
band can see me-
A woman who can keep her head
has much the advantage Of a man in
an encounter of this kind His man
Illness calls out to him to put on at
who had come as near to hating this
woman as her superb beauty allowed
him to do, felt both admiration and pity
for her as he watched the splendid
front she was putting on this danger
Gus affair He raised the curtain,
went through into the ante-chamber,
and knocked at the bedroom door.
Before he could receive an answer,
however, he heard the sound of one
of the study windows being thrown
open Lord Kildonan came out, hav-
ing heard his wife's voice, and
Armathwaite followed him back to the
study. Lady KildOnan with the
magic art of handsome woman who
knows the value of her beauty and has
spared no pains on its education, had
already by few deft touches restored
an appearance of gracefully mitigated
disorder to her hair and dress, and
was leaning back DIN her husbands
armchair in a charming attitude of
repose Frank had no eyes for her;
he looked at the cellaret. 1t was
open, as he had left it. The whisky
decanter containing the spirit which
he had rejected last night was little
out of it's place, and was now empty.
Then he glanced at the window, met
her eyes, fixed upon him with an ex
preston half furtive, half defiant, and
smiled. Rather taken aback by this,
Lady Kildonan stopped short for an
instant in something she was saying
to her husband, and regsined the
thread of her remark with an effort.
She was telling him, in answer to his
questions. that she had had a restless
night, and had been down in the
morning room hunting for a book she
had left there when he looked into her
room.
"Ah. Lord Kildonan, that was just
what l suggested to YOU said Frank.
She shot him an enquiring and
venomous look as she went on:
Il feel so utterly tired out now that
I shall sleep for the rest of the morn
ing. | came in just to ask you not to
come, or send to disturb me, Archi-
bald" She rose as she spoke, and
turned to Frank in a proud and de-
fiant manner 81 suppose l shall see
you at luncheon, DR.. Armathwaite?'
mo, your ladyship; l am on the
point of starting on my visits to my
patients.
Indeed! Then l will see you off my
SELF
DR.. Armathwaite is in hurry,
Aphra," said Lord Kildonan, who was
still unusually grave.
Neither am l." said she, with deep
and deferential mock-sweetness, as
she. with deep and deferential mock
sweetness, as he leaned languidly
against the door with her fingers on
the handle. while there burned in her
eyes the determination not to leave
the doctor for one moment alone with
her husband. Her mind on this SUBJ
iect was so clearly made UP that
Frank saw that even if he had earnest
" wished for another tete-a-tete with
Lord Kildonan, it was out of the ques-