Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-19

70 hO" lil0I CoI; hC" OAIil0-
ment''
"One talks about these things. you
know, and has ones fits of remorse.
when the world is hollow, and ones
doll is stuffed with sawdust,' but Il
doesn't last
And she laughed Ianguidly, and lean
ed back more comfortably in her seat
AT least, while it does last, let it do
some good The love that seems
worth so little now, may seem worth
so much some day"
He saw that he must be more explicit
but he found a difficulty in keeping his
tone from becoming suddenly colder.
ct would be strange if it did not to
you, Your husband does indeed live
only to love you"
She covered her surprise at this turn
in the conversation very well. Draw
ing herself a little away from him, as
if to look more fully in the face, she
said languidly, with a laugh Of genu-
inc scOTr
Love, Love is such poor thing.
QCu KNOW HuCu dJOUI II.
He was surprised in his turn. He
did net indeed think that the tumultlt-
Gus and turbulent passion she had de-
scribed deserved to be called love, but
could she be so cynical as to think the
same? At any rate, she had thrown
him quite off his balance, and he ven
tdred on nothing more but common
PAGES till they reached Branksome.
An evil foreboding seized upon
ArmathWaite as soon as they came in
sight of the doctors house. The out
eT door, which always stood open till
late at night, had been shut; a curtain
of the bay window in the lower room
mad been drawn aside, and not pulled
back into its place These things.
which would have seemed unimpOrtant
81 any other time, gained a portentous
weight when there lay in the house
a man who would never again leave it
alive. He glanced with an anxious
face at Lady Kildonan, who, when
they drew up at the garden-gate, was
still leaning back without having made
any attempt to alight.
Il think ! had better go in and-and
make inquiries" he said, in a solemn
voice And perhaps-I think you had
better prepare to hear that the doctor
is very ILL.,
EtAh, yes; he said so in his letter, -
she answered at once.
Her mind seemd to be wandering off
to something else. Armathwaite got
down, went slowly up the path, and in
TO the house. He was afraid of what
he should learn there. When the
housemaid came scurrying along the
passage towards him with a scared,
tear-swollen face, he stopped her,
knowing at once what had happened.
"Oh, sir" she began, in a heart
broken whisper, ''the poor dear doctor.
He's gone! He would get up, be-
cause he expected Lady KildOnan. He
said he could not receive her ladyship
in bed: for her fathers sake he must
do her honor. I heard him say it, sir,
in his very own words. And he was all
in a culver expecting her, when sud
Mile were all there, sir-he said he
felt faint-like, and asked to be taken
to the window. And we took him to
q chair, and he looked out along the
road. There was a look in his eyes
made US know what was coming. And
he had the window opened, all in the
cold and dark as it was; and it was too
dark TO see, and so he listened. But
he couldn't hear anything, nor we
couldn't, though we all stood quiet as
mice. And presently he fell back in
his chair and said, 'Alma-give my
love to Alma. But Aphra, tell her
thought Of her last of all, and with
my dying breath begged her Those
were the last words he said, sir. Then
he drew a deep, long breath, and he
struggled to breathe a little while, and
we laid him down. But it was no use.
And he just held Miss Miles hand,
and ike that he died"
The girl burst out crying, and
Armathwaite led her gently into the
sitting-room, which was empty, and
with few kind words left her there,
and hurried back to Lady Kildonan.
Whats the matter?" she asked.
rather ENORMOUSLY. Am I not to get
out?"
To be continued