Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-10-06
CHAPTER Xxx.

OF all the persons VINO SUFFERED oe-
cause Kitten chose to run away from her
husbands house, none endured at first
more acute sense of agony Connected with
that event than did Margaret Grantley.
The next day all the world knew of it.
The scandal-mongers and the gosslp-iov"
ers. and all the crowd of title tattlers,
male and female buzzed about like bees
out of hive over this one little delight
full morsel of scandal which had come
TO disturb. with a pleasing excitement,
the even current of a hitherto uneventful
season. 1t was the talk of the clubs,
and the popular topic of the park.
1T seems that Brian Desmond neg
lected her" said one.
well, she must be a thoroughly bad
lot" asserted another; land such fool,
too, to 90 and bolt!' This one, of course,
was Il woman.
And first and foremost among them
all. is Il matter of course, was Mrs TAI
bot. and many were the knowing wlnks
and mods and shakes of her head, half
uttered sentences. and half-cOmpleted
revelations, by which she gave everybody
to understand that she knew of 4 great
many more horrible and dreadful details
than did any one else, and that there
were thingS-things connected with the
whole business! All, well. if they were
but known-well, she could only say that
the hair on the heads of the whole pop
ulation of London would simply stand on
end with it!
And is it really true, then, that that
poor young fool, Sir Roy Grantley, has
gone Off with her?' asked some one.
of
trude almost viciously. for she was an
cry with Roy for admirinS Kitten.
why, l met his sister at supper last
night, and you should have seen the
poor woman's face; why, she nearly
tainted when she heard the news"
Thrce days tnus passed away, and still
conjecture and gossip ran rife, and scan
,l7l refused to be silenced concerning
Mrs. Desmond and her doings. And
then one fine morning, just when Mar
Earct WAS nearly driven demented by all
the rumors and hints which her dear
friends in every direction took care to
convey to her, up drove Roy himself in
Il hanson, to her door in Connaught
Square, with his small portmanteau
ADORE him, and with as unconcerned an
air rs though he had been away for a
couple of days hunting or shooting.
For heavens sake, Roy, what is the
measing of all this?" she cried breath
Iessly to him, as he entered her draw
ing room.
Roy looked surprised. almost more by
her manner than by her words. His sis
ter was very pale, her voice shook with
emotion, and her hands, as he took them
i'll his trembled nervously.
MY dear Margaret. l do not under
standyou Is anything the matter?"
Anything the matter? How can you
ask such thing? Do you take me for
4 child, Roy? Do you suppose l do not
know. have not heard everything-every-
thing?"
i have no idea to what you are all,ld-
ing" he answered her in calm surprise,
looking slightly puzzled and bewildered.
Where is Mrs. Desmond?i she asked
him almost in whisper, so terrible was
her anxiety.
What has that got to do with your"
he answered her impatiently. almost
roughly,
''Ahr' she cried, "then it is true what
everybody is saying? 1t was you who
took her away from her husbands house
you know where she is she answered
Teckiessly.
Once before Margaret had seen that
Wild blaze of anger in her young broth