Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-10-19


soft careses the Colonel showered upon her
head and face. Then he drew her to q sofa.
still enfoldiag her in his arms
" Father, whispered Ignatia brokenly ''do
You know ? Has Aunt jacob told YOU"
= know ALL my daughter answered the
Colonel gently
And yon forgive me-: You will not cease
to love me ?"
The father answered only bv soft caress.
Her terror and anguish aroused his tender
ness and pity. and he mad never in all her life
loved her with such yearuing love as he felt
for her at this moment when she lay tremb-
ling against his breast.
Aunt Jacob has told me of your marriage,
Ignata, he said. Il viii not upbraid You
tor keeping the matter secret from me all
these vcars. How long Is It since you saw
Captain Holm ~
. 1t is nearly three years, father" was the
low reply, Il have not seen him since the
child was three months old
DO You love HIM still - asked the Colonel.
"Oh, no, no." she murmurei. | would
rather die than live with him as his wife,
And this child is yours and his p
Yes, father, but she Is not like him in
character.
The Colonel looked at the little creature
She vas scarcely three years old, and 1t was
easy to see that she had inherited no faint of
her proilgate fathers nature.
What Is your name, little oue2' asked the
Colonel.
Georgia Redruth," was the prompt an
swer.
The Colonel held out one hand with smile
to the child. When he throned his tiny name
sake on his knee, his daughter knew that she
was forgiven.
She presently raised her head from its rest
ing-place, and told him her story. 1t differed
httle.from the narrative Miss Redruth had al
ready given her brother Ii seemed ii iced to
the father, as he heard her. that the grl had
been "more sinned against than shining "
"Doyou suppose, he added "tha &c tptain
Holm knows now that you are an heuess ~
:" | am sure he does not answered the de
serted young wife. 'If he had known il he
would have returned to me. He never dreamed
that you were the next heir to poor Uncle
Ralph
"lou parted in a quarrel -
Yes, father; but it was not q sudden out
break lie came home one day from the town
where his regiment was stationed in terrible
humor We found afterwards that every Of
liCer IN his regiment had cut him, for conduct
mhecoming au officer and gentleman lie
was Obliged TO sell ont his commission rs soon
as possible after that.
lie was fun OF rage, which he vented upon
me- He cursed himself for falling in love with
me, when he might have won an hcress.
"At last he took his effects and mounted
ms Morse, ana lhut lONdlt AZ Il ltlLlpllH
pace. | have never seen Inn since, / Go not
Know whether lie il living on dead
"lour young life shall not be blighted by
this scoundre ~ cried tho Colonel, 1.-THE law
shall free you from any claims he may choose
to make upon you when he discovers that his
deserted vile Is really an heiress My irst
movement shall be to procure you release
from the william.
And until you have obtained a divorce
from him, we viii not go 10 Rcdrnth."
Evil they let me keep my cmld?' asked
lgnstia.
"Of course, dear
" Dear father, she said softly. My whole
VIE shall try to show my love and gratitude to
YOU
Before the Colonel could reply, Miss Rod
ruth stalked into the room, Enthusiastically
anxious.
4 A single glance set her mind at rest. The
! Colonel held ms grandchild on his knee, and
I Ignatia was looking up az him with 6yaleful
eyes,
IAN is forgiven aud forgotten" said the
Colonel cheertuly. lguatln and the child
viii start for London with me by the morning
tram.
~ wall not take her to Redruth while that
scoundro has the shadow Of a claim upon
her"
The evening was passed pleasantly and with
out restraint No further allusion' was made
to Capt. Holm; and Col. Redruth told stories
Of his Indian life, charming his hearers
into forgotfulness of Ignatia's proligate hus-
band.
At about two O'Clock the next day, Col Red
ruth, Iguatia and tho little Georgia took their
leave of Miss Redwth, and drove away from
the Moor
They were obliged to wait nearly an hour for
the mail down train.
The gray dusk WAS falling when they steamed
i,tI ~ ut 4
tered and lighted the ceiling lamp, and went
ont again.
Suddenly two young men came sauntering
along the platform.
one approached the door Of the coach occu-
pied by Col l}edruth's family, and looked IN.
A guard came forward and addressed the young
men, and ushered them into the very carriage
occupied by the returned soldier.
Ignatia hurredy drew her veil over her
face and sank back upon her seat trembling
aud panic-striCken. Col. Redwith noticed that
she seemed to cover in the shadow Of her
/ corner
The next instant the train was once more on
its swift way to the southwark.
Col Redruth looked at the intrudcrs closely.
One of them was ordinary looking Young
man in military uniform, with loud laugh and
pompora manners. The Colonel did not be-
stow upon him a second glance.
His companion was slender, tall and grace
tul, and with a dasilng, spirited ar. ltis man
ner was strange compound of grace. inso-
lence and gtntemanncss. He was Of florid
complexion his forehead high, his eyes of q
blueish gray, and possessed Of a strange power
of attraction and fascination. His eyes re
minded the Colonel oddly enough, of the eyes
of an lndiap serpent.
" That man looks like an angel" thought
the Colonel :" And believe he Ii at heart
a devil !"
Ila u,itI,Ircuy bia oo,a .Io,rl,, A, tl,o ga,,,o
instant lgnatia bleathed into his ear;
&" That il he-my husband
For the continuation Of this story-the his
tory Of the divorce suit, its strange develop
ments and result, see the New York Ledger
dated October l4th which is now ready and for