Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-12-26
The Doctors wife
BY MISS N. E. BRADDON
$S$SSS$SSS
CHAPTER Xx.-(Continued ]

CHAR Eli AA.-tNIOQtlnueQ.l
There was no omnibus to take Mrs
Gilbert back to Graybridge after the
service at HurstoDleigh; but there had
been some Graybridge people at church,
and she found them lingering in the
churchyard talking to some of the model
villagers, enthusiastic in their praise of
Mr.. Colburn's eloquence.
Isabels friends left her at the gate.
She had done nothing to redeem her
character in Graybridge by her frequent
attendance at Hurstonleigh Church.
when was as patent to the gossips as
ever her visits to Thurston's oak had
been. She had been cured of running
AFTER Mr. Lansdell, people said. No
doubt George Gilbert had discovered her
golngs-on, and had found a means Of
chpplng her wings. It was not likely
mat Graybridge would credit her with
such virtue of repentance. Graybridge
regarded her as an artful and presuming
creature, whose goings-on had been
stopped by marital authority.
She went into the parlor and found the
tea things laid on the table, and Mr.
Gilbert lying on the sofa, which was too
snort for him by couple of feet, and
- SASu VuL ny IL CndlT, Oh WHICH MS
clumsy boots rested. Isabel had never
seen him give way to any such self-in-
dulgence before; but as she bent over
he told her that his head ached, and he
was tired, very tired; he had been in the
lanes all the afternoon-the people about
there had been bad-and he had been at
work in the surgery since coming in. He
put his hand in 1sabel's, and pressed hers
atfectionately. A very little attention
from his pretty young wife gratifed and
made him happy.
Why, George" cried Mrs. Gilbert,
your hand is as ,ot as a burning coalw
Yes, he was very warm, he told her;
the weather was hot and oppressive;
at least he had found it so that after
noon. Perhaps he had been hurrying too
much, walking too fast; he had upset
himself somehow or other.
III you'll pour out the tea, lizzie, I'll
take cup and then go to bed,' he said ;
I'm regularly played out"
lie took not one cup only, but four
cups OF tea, pouring the mild beverage
oown his throat at a draught; and then
ne went up to the room overhead, walk
ing heavily, as if he were very tired.
m sure you're i'll, George" Isabel
said as he left the parlor; "do take some
thlng-some of that horrid medicine you
give me-"
No. my dear; there's nothing the mat
ter with me. What should there be
amlss with me, who never had a days
illness in my life? ] must have an as
slstant, lizzie, my works too hard; that's
what is the matter"
Mrs. Gilbert sat in the dusk a little
While after her husband left her, think
ing of that last look which Roland Lans-
dell had given her in the church.
Heaven knows how long she might
have sat thinking of him, if Jeffsen had
not come in.
After the lights had been brought Isa-
bel took a book from the top of the lit
tie chiffonier by the fire place. 1t was
a religious book. Was she not trying to
be good now, and was not goodness in
compatible with the perusa of Shell
leys poetry on Sunday? She sat thus,
until she was startled by a cautious sin
gle knock at the door. She started from
her seat 1t the sound; but she went bold
ly enough to answer The summons.
There was nothing uncommon in late
knocking at the Doctors door-some one
from the lanes wanted medicine, no
doubt, the people in the lanes were al
ways wanting medicine. Mrs. Gilbert
opened the door, and looked out into the
darkness. A man was standing there,
well-clad, rather handsome looking
man, with broad shoulders, bold black
eyes, and a black beard that covered
all the lower part of his face. He did
not wait to be invited to enter. but
walked across the threshold like a man
who had a right to come into the house
and almost pushed Isabel on one side as
he did so. AT first she only stared at him
with blank look of wonder, but all at
once her face grew as white as the pIas-
ter on the wall behind her.
Your. she gasped in a whisper; "you
here!"
Yes, me! You needn't stare as If
you saw a ghost. There's nothing SO
very queer about me, is there? You're
a nice young lady, l don't think, to stand
here shivering and staring. Where's
your husband?"
Upstairs. Oh, why, why did Won
come here" cried the doctors wife. pite-
ously, clasping her hands like a creature
in some extremity of fear and trouhla.
HoH Soulu you De so cruel as to come
here? How could you be so cruel as to
Gomez
How could l be so-iddlesticksvs
muttered the stranger, with supreme con-
tempt. II came here because | had
nowhere else to go, my lassie. You
needn't whimper; for l sha'n't tronbla
you very long-this is not exactly the
place l should care to hang out inf
you can give me bed in this house for
tonight, well and good; if not YOU can
give me money and I'll find one else
where. While l am here, remember my
names Captain Morgan; and I'm in the
merchant service"