Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-04-13

| J
And then came Zaidee'soft, hesitat-
ing laugh.
1T seems like dream, Mr. Ford
ham,"
"But you will find it happy real
ity," he said, looking tenderly down on
her bowed head "You do not regret
trusting in me Z"
ooh !" she murmured, I never
dreamed that earth had so much of
happiness in store for me yet! And I
owe it all to YOU"
And then Bertha could hear his
footsteps dying away in the distance
she could see Mrs Raymond standing
motionless for moment, with her tiny
hands clasped, and then, gliding softly
on, her scarlet scarf glimmering
through the dusk like the wing of
Ceylon bird.
"False faithless !" muttered Ber-
tina under her breath, with her teeth
set closely together "And she how
dare she p
The storm of hot unreasonable fury
that ragged in her breast seemed to
shake her slight frame as a leaf is
shaken by the equinoctial gale; and
her eyes literally blazed with blue
baleful fire. At that instant there was
murder in Bertha Wyman's heart
She hurried down the twilight glade,
the thorns tearing her dress, the briars
wounding her delicate flesh, but she
felt them no more than if they were
rose petals blown toward her by the
evening breeze. Some strong, savage
purpose was maturing in her mind
some overmastering passion held her
whole being in its grasp.
She knew that, to strike into the
right road, Zaidee must ere long take
the secluded path she herself was
treading. Her sole aim was to reach
the tiny foot bridge which crossed the
narrow river first.
And she succeeded. 1t was quite
dark-the fragrant, starry darkness of
a midsummer night-when she hurried
down the steep, shelving bank.
"The planks are old and rulnous."
she murmured. "They shook and rat
tied under my feet as I passed over to-
day. Zaidee Raymond shall come
between me and my phghted lover no
m re!
As she crossed she deliberately stop
ped, tearing up plapk after plank be-
hind her, and throwing them into the
river, with dull, splashing sound.
They were not large, but had they
been twice, nay, three times their size,
Bertha Wyman would have torn them
away from their moulderidg beams, so
supernatural seemed her strength in
that instant. M.
"There," she said, half aloud, paus-
ing to look down into the peaceful
stream where the planks floated amid
the faint reflection of innumerable
stars. "Long ago, when l was a child,
man was drowned here. The water is
deep and the spot is very lonely"
The next moment she was gone,
hurying madly away, as if some un-
seen presence were following close up
on her footsteps.
"You're late tonight, Bertha !"
Paul was looking out for her, from
the piazza steps, and came pleasantly
to meet her.
81 know it," she said, putting the
hair away from her forehead, where the
cold dew stood in beads. cit is long
way from Redcote Farm, and II did
not walk very fast"
Come and sit by me, Bertha, :" said
Paul GIVE got long story to tell
you"
"What is it z" she asked mechanical
ly.
"It's about little Zaidee Raymond.
She's not widow, after ALL
"Not q widow2"
kNn. and how Jn Won o,,Crpco r
found it outl Clifford, my cousin Cliff
ford, wrote to me from India, and he is
her husband. You see, there was
some misunderstanding, some absurd
quarrel between them before the hon
eymoon was over He was jealous
| fool, and she was passionate, and she
ran away and LEFT him. He somehow
| heard she was in this part of the coun-
try, and wrote to me- OF course, the
minute | got chance to speak to her
knew it was Zaidee And she il the
happiest little creature in the world to
think he really loves her, and next week
she's going ou- to him. I've managed
| it all. Don't you think I'm pretty
good diplomatist 2"
His face was fairly radiant with hon
est pleasure as he looked down into
Berthas face. She did not see the
gaze; her eyes, wide open and dilat- |
ed were fixed on vacancy, and her face
was deadly white.
Merciful God Of heaven what had
she done, in the Wild unreasoning mad !
ness of her jealousy2 Was she a
murderess2 Was the blot of Cain upon
her browl
Alas for the wild remorse that gnawed
at her heart all the slow creeping hours
of that dreadful night Had the !