Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-06-06
THE STRANGE PERIL NE.

Lounging carelessly in an arm chair,
his eyes fixed on lady beside him,
with IN open letter in her hand, was a
tall, fair-haired young man.
What have you there, motherl' he
said, throwing is arm around her in a
caressing way. ''That smile makes
You positively young, | declare. ="
Losing his father in India, when a
child, "A small legacy from his god
mother had, with the most severe econ
omy, given George Roberts a liberal
education, while his mother had her
small pension alone to depend upon.
Long years had passed, her father was
dead, and her only brother, who In
herited the estate, had ever refused my
overtures toward reconciliation. Not
even in her widest day-dream had Mrs
Roberts hoped to behold her child,
hoods home again No wonder, then,
that her cheek flushed and her eye
frightened over the letter in her hand,
for 1t contained an invitation for her
self and son TO spend the Christmas
week mt Locksley grange. Though ex.
pressed in cold and formal terms, it
was courteous, and the buried years OF
the past were not alluded to. The
young man took the letter, which she
gave him without comment, and, glanc-
ing through it to the signature, ---" Paul
Edward Hollowes, looked up Mt his
mother.
" Your uncle, my son, v she said
4 flush of indignant feeling passed
over the pleasant face. Was this cold
and naughty uncle. who had so long
ignored their existence, to summon
them 10 his presence by wave of his
hand BY hard study and persever-
ance George had won a place at the
bar, but he was content TO labor, trust
ing to time. Butitwas with an inward
struggle, rs he looked at the eager eX-
pectation on his mothers face, and
thought of her lonely life, that he con
trolled his resentment
"Nou would like t. go, dear moth
ert' he said pleasantly.
" Yes, my boy; 1t seems as if | could
die happier it | saw the old place once
more
Then We shall GO" he said. ~
viii make my arrangements for holt
day, and we shall leave town ON Wed
"'sday, and with Il kiss he left her.
Iue master of Locksley Grange, a
tail, erect, old man, of most imposing
presence. with snowy hair and whis-
ksrs, and brilliant, piercing, deep-set
black eyes, shaded 10y shaggy eyebrows
like fierce fires overhuug with Jagged
snow cragS. greeted his sister and her
sou with stately courtesy, although no
hight of love heamed from his eye to
the gentle woman who HAD been his
childhood's playfellow. One sharp
glance he shot at his nephew
rs he made some comment on the
Journey, and then babe servant ush.
er them To their apartments. When
the dinner bell sounded George con.
Quoted his notwithstanding SO fair and
gentle IN her soft grey silk, still with
the delicate flush ON her cheek-iutC
the state drawing room where they
were duly presented TO the rector ut
Locksley and his curate. Still they
waited, and IN n few minutes a vouug
woman entered the room, of such IN.
usual beauty that George Roberts stop
ped short in the middle of sentence
addressed To the curate, and never
completed it, She might have brer
about IL, with a slight form. graceful
as deer hair of a pale gold which
deepened INTO shadows ot tawuy
sheen under the mellow wax-Hghts. and
soft brown ewes, shudowed by lcua
golden lashes A dark silk dress with
ont ornament displayed and heightan
al the deieately tinted skin ana per-
fact figure. She approached the group
timidly, ard George, nelug 1t bl>
uncle, saw, 70 his ,Qstonlsbuept "a scuv