Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-04-22
Through a
WOnan'S Heart.
BY Sidney Warwick.
BY Sidney Warwick.


dear! Such a sweet young lady as she
is, tool" said Mrs. Kirby, sympathetic
cally.
They'd sent for the doctor in a
hurry tonight
THAT would be the new doctor
that's been called in. That's strange;
no one can understand it. Old DR..
Hill has always attended Mr. Strang-
ways until quite lately, and then sud
denly he's dismissed although he's an
old friend; never crosses the
threshold now, and the new doctor,
new to the neighborhood, is called in.
7 believe old DR.. Hill had no hopes
of the poor gentleman ever seeing the
race day; but this new one, DR.. Brew
err, laughs at that; says there's no
doubt of his pulling through for a lit
tie while at least. I'm sure hope SO,
if only for Miss Margaret's sake; just
devoted she is to her father. But
what seems so strange is that ever
since the new doctor came the gates
have been always locked, and scarce
1y any of his old friends are admitted
to see Mr.. Strangways. I think they
want to keep it dark how i'll he is
Such change-he used to be such a
one for company"
Jack Lathom thought of the great
house of gloom, with scarcely light
showing in the windows, and the
locked gates. What life for this girl
he had seen tonight, to be immured
there, seeing, as Mrs. Kirby said,
scarcely any one. And what curious
whim made Ralph Strangways deny
himself to his friends, keeping the
place barred against intruders like a
prison? He remembered the suspi-
cious glance of the old servant What
mystery lay behind those barred
gates? Why were they afraid of in
truders? For it looked as though for
some reason they were afraid.
If determination will keep a man
alive, Ralph Strangway will live to see
the race yet; never knew such a will
as his, boy and man." went on Mrs.
Kirby, an inVeterate gossip. ut means
more to him even than leaving Miss
Margaret provided for, his winning
this race. For his cousin has a horse
entered too-the cousin whom he
hates like poison. l verify believe
Ralph StrangWays wouldn't sleep in
his grave if through his death Pride
o. Life couldn't run, and Mr.. Anthony
Strangways, his cousin, was to win the
race. Myself, I don't know why there
should be such bitter feeling. | know
nothing against his cousin; but there.
you can't argue with family quarrels
or with folks as stubborn as all the
Strangways are"
All Newmarket, all the racing world
Strangways' family quarrel 1t was
an old family, where the love of
horses and the passion for gambling
seemed inherited. For generations
the StrangWays had always figured
prominently on the turf, getting poor
er and poorer, parting with land, cut
ting down timber, but still clinging
to the ruling passion.
Between two branches of the family
was a long established feud, dating
back to days Of Ralph Strangways'
father, and the father Of the Anthony
Strangways whom the landlady had
spoken of, who was his second cousin.
The story was familiar to Jack La
Thorn. Anthony Strangways had
been an acquaintance of Philip Hume.
Some foolish bygOne quarrel over
a disputed bit of land that was not
worth fighting over, that was no use
to either claimant, whichever won it..
But the Strangways were of an in
grained obstinacy, and always reader
to fight than compromise; thousands
had gone in law suits over a worth
less bit Of land and the bitterness
engendered had never been forgotten
on either side-a bitterness that
seemed likely to be carried to the
brink of the grave, now that these
two men who hated one another each
had a horse in the race, the winning
of which meant SO much to Ralph
StrangWays.
"Jove. I'd rather be in here than
outsider observed Grisson. suddenly,
breaking a silence that had fallen, as
the rising wind shook the windows
and sighed drearily in the chimney
''Why, I believe you ladies are half
asleep; Peggy, 1 distinctly saw you
you yawning. I'm just going to finish
this last pipe and then I'm off too"
The fire had died down to a red
glow the hot, smoke-laden atmos
phere of the cosy, wainscoated room
was making them all drowsy after the
firing railway journey, and more than
one of the ladies had begun to nod
Jack in his corner of the settle had
| fallen into a momentary doze; and
| the adventure of the evening and the
| talk of Ralph Strangways had fol
! lowed him into his dreams to color
them, and in some strange way he
found himself mixed up vitality with
! Pride O. LIES race, the result OF
which was to make or break Ralph
! Strangways, and with the girl of the
sad eyes who had reminded him Of
Hilda, with whom in his dream fate
had mingled the threads of his des
tiny in some curious, inextricable
fashion.
why, there's the Scotch express
it must be half past twelve!" cried
the landlady, suddenly, startling Jacl
to sudden wakefulness. Who'd have
thought it was so late?" as the vino
brought to them the sound of a pierc
ing whistle and the rush and roar o
train, that presently grew fainte
again as the express rushed north