Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-07
q Uoman' S F ace
FLORENCE WARDEN
CHAPTER XIV.


woke and stared about him on the
morning after his exciting vigil.
Very little of the morning light came
through the green blind that hung
before the windowa he had to grope
his way across the room to distinguish
the hands on his watch. He had
scarcely stirred when Lord Kildonan,
in his dressing gown, came in from
the study with a disturbed face.
Armathwaite had just discovered that
it was twenty minutes to eight.
you've had a bad night, I'm afraid, a"
said the old Scotchman, in rather a
hard voice.
The doctor felt it was needless to
pretend that his rest had been as un-
disturbed on a hard little sofa as 1t
would have been in bed So he only
said he had had plenty of worse ones.
He was wide awake by this time, for
there was something in his apprehen-
sions. He was not kept long in sus-
pense; for on asking Lord Kildonan
how he felt, he received the follow
ing answer:
81 feel very well in my body, and
very i'll in my mind, DR.. ArmathWaite,
and I'm not sure that l don't attribute
10th those circumstances to you, and
I'm still less sure that I'm grateful to
We for either of them"
Surely to be well in body is a gain,
at all events, your loTdship," suggest
ed Frank, very deferentially.
I'm no sac sure Of that I'm no sac
sure of that. 1t all depends upon
what it costs, and when a heaven for
the body is gained at the expense of
hell for the mind, why then your
physic is too dearly paid for
cell me what you mean, Lord XII
donan. Give me a chance of redeem
ing my character as a physician"
81 can't tell you what I mean;
hardly know myself. But l think you
must have doctored that whisky wi
something to make a mans thoughts
run wild, for the ideas that have pass
ed through nay head this night might
well have made a sane man think he
was going daft. And then this morn
go as usual to my wife's room last
night just to knock at her door and
bid her good night"
"To knock at her door," repeated
Armathwaite, as if to himself
Lord Kildonan looked at him over
his spectacles. Il always try the
door; if it is locked she is awake. and
.rl,+ rlo
back If it is unlocked she is in bed,
and | open the door and look in. Then
l am satisfied she is all right. But
| was telling you about this morning.
| went just now to her room; but she
was not there. 1t is early for her to
be up. am full of all sorts of fears
about her Her manner has been diSS-
ferent lately; she seems dissatisfied
and restless. She is never happy in
DOORS | don't like the thought of her
wandering about out of doors at this
early hour; it is not safe, it is not
right for lady to do so. The coun-
try people would think her mad
But why think she was out of
doors?" said Armathwaite, in a clear,
reassuring voice. rs it not more
likely that she had run into her bou-
doir TO fetch novel;"
'No, it is not so, unfortunately. l
was SO uneasy that l took a bold step,
and opened the wardrobe where her
shawls hang. Now every trifle which
concerns my wife is of so much I'M
portance in my eyes that | could make
a catalogue from memory of every
thing she has ever worn in my pres
enCe | missed a SHAWL cloak |
think she calls it.-with fur inside.
l am much disturbed about it. In the
country the slightest eccentricity is
thought so much Of"
Frank could not feel sure whether
these remarks were all as ingenious
as they appeared, or whether the old
Scotchman was trying to penetrate
into the depths of his thoughts. He
made cautious answers to the ques-
tons put to him concerning Lady Kill
nonan's health and spirits, and tried
to divert his hosts thoughts to his
studies. These, however, had this
morning lost their fascination. After
an unpleasant interview of a little
more than half-an-hour, during which
the conversation struggled on, while
over both speakers there seemed to
hang a dread of something 20 come,
Lord Kildonan rose hastily from his
chair, and. with a muttered apology,
left the room. He returned in ten
minutes with an expression of face in
which bewilderment and doubt per
ceptibly struggled
well, Lord Kildonan, I think l was
right" said Armathwaite, with a
shrewd guess at the cause Of his COM
panion's mystifcation. you found
her ladyship safe in bed, did you not,
reading a novel;"
''She was safe in bed certainly
asleep. l think, but she had been DOT
and ABBOTT, DR.. Armathwaite, as told
We; for there was her dress lying on
a chair that had been empty when l
wet in for the first time. All, we'll,
I've ma doobt we shall have an explain
alton presently" said the old Scotch
man. who had relapsed into a broad
North-country accent as he grew ex-
cited. THE servants will be about by
this, and l ken ye're dying for your
tub"
He rang the bell, and Armathwaite,
conducted by a servant to large ash
panelled bedroom with a wide view
from tho windows of lawn and lake