Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-02-22

did not consider moral ofense.
1t was but a battle Of money and
wits. and to the victors OF the earth
the spoils legitimately belong.
l told her the general trend of my
thoughts with much earnestness and
she listened without comment, her
face slightly ayerted and her hands
resting contentedly in mine. l kissed
her eyes and forehead and she sighed
softly as her bosom rose. Just what
the sigh meant I did not know and
did not ask, but believed it was the
responsive chords Of her nature sound
ing to my touch. She had told me
that she cared more for me than for
any other man, and that under conci-
lions which I appreciated were not
unreasonable, she would rather live
within my arms than those of any
other person. Neither had she made
my financial success an unqualified
condition of our marriage, but had
merely pointed out the great desira-
bility of it as an added stimulus to
my endeavors. That the principal
reason she had advanced as to why
she wished me to possess wealth was
that l might be able to be more often
at her side thrilled me with JOY
whenever it required to me. Had she
not really loved me her desires in
this respect must have been Just the
reverse.
The buzzing of the door bell aroused
us from our close communion with a
mutual start 1t was an unusual sum
mons, one sharp pressure upon the
button closely followed by two more
of some seconds duration each At the
first alarm her hands involun-
tarily frightened in mine, and as
the longer notes hummed their
insistence I saw the color rush
from her cheeks in a scurrying
tide. Her form Strengthened and
grew tense, and arising she Gid
ed with swift noiseIessness across the
room and touched the button that
summoned her maid AS though she
had been waiting in the doorway
Janet slipped into the room. Her mis-
tress addressed her swiftly.
Janet say that I am not at
home. Under no circumstance permit
him to enter. If he says that it is
important, tell him that he may call
me up in the morning" Beyond all
question greatly agitated she returned
to near where I sat, placing herself
before the piano in the attitude of
one about to play. Her face was I'M
naturally bloodless and thin, air
like line about the corners of her
mouth seemed TO be constructing her
lips Altogether the change in her
appearance was not to my liking, and
the quick stealth of her movem ents
caused a most uncomfortable sensa ton
to run through me; a mingled feeling
of guilt and doggedness as though I
had been surprised in a forbid den
bower by its rightful lord A tot ally
different type from the soft and per
fectly poised creature of the morlent
before was revealed to me in those
feeting seconds of quick action and
swift sentences, and my breath ame
faster before the contrast. In the
few steps that had been require TO
take her across the room and lack,
her face had become that of an der,
harder woman The sensitive be luty
of her mouth had been lost il its
compression; her cheeks were like
polished marble; the soft luste OF
her eyes had turned into the glinting
brilliancy of gems. Whether it was
fear or anger or blending of the
two that had wrought this magic