Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-09-09

uOC even W greet lltIl0 EuulS.
When bedtime came the old lady
arose in solemn silence and retired.
The next morning, when John re-
paired as usual to his studio, he ut
tered vehement sentences not at all
in praise of his wife's mother.
While he was engaged in undoing,
so far as lay in his mortal power, the
mischief she had unconsciously
wrought Mrs. Perring was closeted
with Carrie. The young wife's face
was colorless, and her eyes wild with
anger and indignation, as she listened
to her mothers words.
"It's a beautiful face-the hand
soonest picture of real person l ever
saw. Great dark eyes that seem to
look you through, hair as black as
night and hanging in ringlets all
about her face and neck. The skin is
just like alabaster, so white and clear,
and the lips look Ike ripe cherries for
all the world
Carrie sank back in a fainting con-
dition, and her mother clasped her
in her arms.
ooh, my poor lamb! that 1 should
see you treated in this shameless
manner. And John so dignified and
proper seeming. The hypocrite! But
Nv mistrusted that his loving ways
were all put on ever since cleaned
his desk and found scraps of poetry
about love and such like nonsense"
Mother, don't; you will kill me by
your suspicious. 1 can't believe it.
John cares for no one but me. He is
too noble, too"
take my keys, then, and go satisfy
yourself. Go look at the SIRENS por-
trait in the closet. 1t isn't finished
yet. l could see that, and l wish now
I'd had presence of mind enough to
give it two or three extra touches
with the brush myself. No wonder
you found his room locked so many
times of late, and had to wait your
artists pleasure before you could en-
ter. And the deeply-veiled old woman
that we've noticed going upstairs so
many times of late isn't an old woman
at all. I've made up my mind about
her. She's the original of that por-
trait and no mistake. See, there she
goes up the steps now! Mighty care
full she is, too, not to show her face.
There-did you ever see an old wo-
man with such feet and ankles? She's
the woman!"
When the unknown woman had de-
parted, and the unconscious John WIS
quitely eating his dinner, Carrie left
the table under some pretext, and
with the rusty key in her hand, she
assembled the Stairs and entered the
studio closet and stood before the
painted form Of woman before
whom her own charms sank into in
significance.
What was this beautiful woman to
her husband?
Carries heart lay like a lump Of
lead in her bosom as she turned away
and sought her mother.
Shortly after John returned to his
labors, the two women-the elder,
filled with virtuous indignation, the
younger too utterly wretched even for
tears-left the house, taking Eddie
with them.
Silently the poor wife followed her
mother in quest of some quiet retreat
wherein to pass the night. On the
morrow Mrs. Perring had resolved on
taking her charges into the country.
This was Carries birthday, and al
ways heretofore, during the few years
of their welded life, John had remem-
bered the day with suitable gift;
but today he seemed to have forgot
ten not only the present, but even
that it was her birthday.
"Poor thing" murmured Mrs. Per
ring, philosophically, as, in lonely
bosom and wept passionately over
her wrong.
Poor thing! it's hard for her to
bear at first. She loved him alto
gether better than he deserved, even
were he true to her. It's best she
should see him no more. Let her have
her cry out, and then she will be calm
and a different woman entirely;
strong to resent the insult and in
jury which that wretch has heaped
upon her."
When the gloomy night was curtain
ing the earth in darkness, Carrie beg
ged piteously to be permitted to look
upon her old home once more. She
would not enter the house-she might
never again do that-but she could
gaze a moment into the dear, familiar
rooms. John might be in the pleasant
sitting room as of old. She had left
note for him, and she longed to know
how he bore the separation; whether
he was rejoiced OF sorry that she was
gone.
cts nonsense" said Mrs. Perring,
angrily; "but if you're determined to
go, I shall go along to keep you from
rushing right into the villains arms"
A cheerful light shone out from the
uncurtained windows of the ROyaltOn