Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-11-28

| the injured party by the time he had
reached the foot of the hill. He miss
ed the little white figure which usually
/ ran down to meet him, and the chilly,
/ deserted air of the house, when once
within it's doors, half prepared him for
/ the servants answer to his inquiry for
/ his wife, that Mrs. Warner had gone to
! the city on a visit several days since
| All forgetful of his nice little speech
or his way home, Max Warner was
half inclined to be angry that his wife
should absent herself for any length of
time without consulting him. Consult
him, indeed. when he was away on the
wings of the wind, goodness knows
where. But the angry feeling soon
gave way to one of mingled grief and
self-reproach when he opened Ethel's
letter and read:
DEAR MAX Il can no longer live
as | have lived for so many months; so
/ shall cure what cannot endure, and
the only remedy | fnd is fight. Do
not try to find me, for / shall put the
ocean between us, and in some retired
spot shall try to forget the one who
vowed to love and cherish me, but who
deserted me for q toy"
"May The Ethel spread her white
wings over and carry you safely through
all LIES storms, and be to you what |
can no longer be,
"Yours only, ETHEL"
Poor Max sat half Supplied for a few
minutes, trying to make out what it ali
meant Could it be possible that his
poor wife had been so unhappy as to
have been driven to so desperate
step? Had she really intended to leave
him forever? Impossible. She only
meant to try him, and was in all proba-
bility at her mothers home, impatient
ly waiting for him to come and take
her home. Buoyed by this hope, he
went to the city he found no trace of
her he sought. The young man be-
came a wanderer on the face
of the earth. taking no pleasure in
anything, leading feverish, heart-sck
existence. One day frightening up at
something like a clue to the where
abouts of his impetuous young wife,
the next, ready to die Of despair when
he found himself further than ever
from attaining his object.
He knew how the poor girl had suf-
fered when she was waiting for him to
come.
As months and years passed on, he
gave up al hope of ever havinga home
again, and directed his agent to sell
the house at Lakeside, which, shut up
and deserted all this time, had acquired
among the country people the name of
4 the Lone House. Great was the curl
osity to know who would live in the
gloomy old place, for it Wore such des-
olate, melancholy air that the few
strangers who Were tempted to climb
the hill to look at it We're glad enough
to go back into the sunny country road
and go on their way.
One day the new owner arrived, and
/ that was the event that stirred up the
village of Lakeside. The present pro
prietor was a widow, for she was drc :
ed in deep mourning. She was follow
ed by two negro servants, one of whom
carried in her arms n beautiful child,
apparently some two or three years old.
/ The little household lived in the strict
est retirement, the lady neither MAX
ing nor received visits. The servants
! Ntlt LuubtS, 81 iIlc NIlitSt CuiIOSlbN It,
NAMED unqualified, On bright morn
ings the lady, accompanied by ser
want with her little boy, would walk
out, always dropping her heavy veil
over her face if she Glanced to meet
any one in her rambles, SO that even
those who had passed her quite close
/ " could not tell whether she was old
or young, good locking or PLAIN. Even
/ in the village church she never raised
i the thick veil, and although she APP
/ pcared to be a devoted Christian her
/ self, ! am afraid she made sad sinners
/ of the greater part of the congregation,
! who certainly paid more attention to
/ her than the sermon.
/ The curiosity had somewhat abated,
/ when it was again aroused, and again
/ bv an arrival. But this time the OBJ
/ iect of interest was an invalid gentle
man, who came to reside in a small
/ two-roomed cottage or lodge lately
erected on a small knoll not a hundred
Yards from the Z" Lone House. The
sweet country air brought health and
strength to the newcomer, and soon
\ he was able to take long walks, with his
! OnIV companion, an Immense New
! foundland dog. He made no acqualn-
/ tances, and indeed would go far out of
! his way to avoid meeting any one in his
/ strolls. Now, as you may imagine,
these two people were the innocent
cause of a great deal of gossip, and
Mrs. Grundy, who lived on the east
side of the lake, whence she had a view
of both houses, with all their neon.
/ ings and outgoings, was quite envied
/ 10y her less fortunate neighbors, who
+ possessed no such advantage. One
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