Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-09-14

DAN"
as you have. And Of course we all
hope you're not going to be exactly
an outsider in the affairs of the fam
ilyr' This sally with another and
louder effect of Iaughter) "And if it's
my duty, why, in a way, l think it
might be thought yours, too"
mo, nor exclaimed Mary, sharply
Listen" said Sibyl. "Now sup
pose 1 go to Father Sheridan with this
story, and Edith says it's not true; but
suppose [ could say: All right, if you
want proof, ask Miss Vertrees. She
came with me, and she's waiting in
the next room right now, to"
mo, no. said Mary quickly. ''You
mustn't"
Listen just a minute more" SibyI
urged, confidingly. She was on easy
ground now, to her own mind, and had
no doubt of her success. Miss Yer
trees, listen! Don't you see we ought
to do it, you and I? Do you suppose
Robert Lamhorn cares the snap of his
finger for her? Do you suppose a man
like him would look at Edith Shert-
dan if it wasn't for the money!" And
again Sibyls emotion rose to the sur
face. Il tell you he's after nothing
on earth but to get his finger in that
old mans money-pile, over there, next
door! He'd marry anybody to do it.
Marry Edith?" she cried. Il tell you
he'd marry their niger cook for thatY'
She stopped, afraid-at the wrong
time-that she had been too vehement,
but glance at Mary treasured her.
and Sibyl decided that she had pro-
duced the effect she wished. Mary
was not looking at her; she was star
ing straight before her at the wall. her
eyes wide and shining. She became
visibly little paIer as Sibyl looked at
her.
After nothing on earth but to get
his finger in that old mans money
pile, over there next door, The voice
was vulgar, the words were vulgar
and the plain truth was vulgar! How
it rang in Mary Yertrees' ears! The
clear mirror had caught it's own image
clearly in the fawed one at last.
Sibyl put forth her best bid to
cIench the matter. She offered her
bargain. ''NOw, don't you worry she
said, sunnily, about this setting
Edith against you. She'll get over it
after a while. And another thing-I
guess you won't mind Jim's own Sis
ter-in-law speaking Of it. Of course.
( don't know just how matters stand
between you and Jim, but sisters-in-
law can do lots of things to help mat
tiers on like that. There's lots OF
little things can be said, ana lots"
She stopped, puzzled. Mary Vertrees
had gone from pale to scarlet, and now,
still scarlet indeed, she rose without
a word of explanation, or any other
kind o. word, and walked slowly to the
open door and out of the room.
Sibyl was a little taken aback. She
supposed Mary had remembered some
thing neglected and would return in
a moment; but it was rather a rude
excess of Observation-Disclosures not to
have excused herself, especially as
her guest was talking. And Mary's
return being delayed, Sibyl looked at
her watch and frowned; went to
window and stood looking out upon
the brown lawn, then came back to
the chair she had abandoned, and sat
again. There was no sound in the
house.
A strange expression began imper
ceptibly to alter the planes of her
face, and slowly she grew as scarlet
as Mary-scarlet to the ears. She
went into the hall, glanced over her
shoulder oddly; then she let herself
softly out of the front door, and went
across the street to her own house.
Roscoe met her upon the threshold,
gloomily. Saw you from the win
dow" he explained. you must find
a lot to say to that old lady"
what old lady?"
Mrs. Vertrees. I been waiting for
you long time. and 1 saw the daugh-