Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-04-08
CHAPTER Discontinued.


y have been told" thus Deborah
easily proceeded, that for a small
house yours contains the most won
-derful assortment of interesting OBJ
jects. Where did you ever get them?"
My father was a collector, on
very small scale Of course, and my
mother had a passion for boarding
which prevented anything from going
out of this house after it had once
come into it."
My husband" began Mrs. SEQ
vile, thoughtfully.
Miss Weeks stared in CONSERVATION
at Mrs. Scoville, who fastened to say:
You wonder that I can mention my
husband. Perhaps you will not be so
surprised when l tell you that in my
eyes he is a martyr, and quite guiltless
OF the crime for which he was pun
ished."
You think thas?" There was real
surprise in the manner of the ques-
toner. Mrs. Scovilles brow cleared.
She was pleased at this proof that her
affairs had not yet reached the point
of general gossip.
Miss Weeks, I am a mother. l have
a young and lovely daughter. Can
look in her innocent eyes and believe
her father to have so forgotten his re-
spOnsibilities as to overshadOw her
life with crime? No, I will not believe
it Circumstances were in favor of his
conviction, but he never lifted the
stick which struck down Algernon
Etheridge."
Miss Weeks, who had sat quite still
during the utterance of these remarks,
fdgeted about at their close, with
what appeared to the speaker, a sud
den and, quite welcome relief.
Obi" she murmured; and said no
more. It was not a topic she found
easy of discussion.
The sadness which now spread over
the very interesting countenance of
her visitor, offered her an excuse for
the introduction of a far more mo-
mentous topic; one she had burned to
introduce but had not known how.
Mrs. Scoville, I hear that Judge
ano. That is really wonderful thing
for him to do. Not that he is so close
with his money, but that he has al
ways been so set against all gayety
and cOmpanionship. I suppose you did
not know the shock it would be to him
when you asked Bella to let you into
the gates
mol l didn't know But it is all
right now. The Judge seems to vel
come the change. Miss Weeks, did
you know Algernon Etheridge we'll
enough to tell me if he was as good
and irreproachable a man as they all
say?"
He was a good man, but he had a
dreadfully obstinate streak in his dis
position and very set ideas. I have
heard that he and the judge used to
argue over a point for hours. And he
was most always wrong. For in
stance, he was wrong about Oliver"
"Oliver?"
Judge Ostrander's son, you know
Mr.. Etheridge wanted him TO study
for a professorship; but the boy was
determined to go into journalism, and
you see what a success he has made
of it. AS a professor he would prob
ably have been a failure
WAS this difference of opinion on
the calling he should pursue the cause
of divers leaving home in the way
he did," continued Deborah. conscious
of walking on very thin ice.
But Miss Weeks rather welcomed
than resented this curiosity Indeed.
she was never tired of enlarging upon
the Ostranders.
4 have never thought so. The Judge
would not quarrel with Oliver on so
small a point as that. Ny idea is,
though I never talk of it much. that
they had a great quarrel over Mr..
Etheridge. Oliver never liked the old
student; I've watched them and I've
seen. He hated his coming to the
house so much; he hated the way his
father singled him out and deferred
to him and made him the confident of
all his troubles When they went on
their walks, Oliver always hung back,