Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-05-10

long had brought her safely back into
deep waters again, after her ship had
| stranded amidst the cruel rocks of sorrow.
What more natural than that the artist
should find in her society repose, and she
in him-protection The secret had
passed from eye to eye in long mutual
gaze of recognition, had trembled on
their lips, bat remained unspoken be-
| cause events had not hastened revelation
The strains of the orchestra followed them
along the path, the laughter OF unseen
persons reached them from shadowy
depths of sidewalks, while their own
voices were subdued. Here a space of
smooth lawn stretched, bathed in moon
shine; a fountain scattered its waters in
snowy wreaths in the center, and the
shrubbery distilled rich odors in the
warm night. Minerva paused, and
hummed little sonnet. The past was
folded away in soft obscurity, like the
lines of forest on the horizon; the future
lay beyond, bathed in light, like the
peaceful meadows about the Lichtenthal
convent; life was full of placid content
ment to Minerva, who also impaired this
soothing influence to the man at her side
There was silvery radiance on the foun-
tain's wavering column, on the glossy
leaves of pendent branches, and on the
road
All the particulars of their first meet
ing were rehearsed minutely-the sur
prise, the wonder of recognition, the
doubts and fears of possible aversion;
and then, where the shadow was deepest
beneath the trees, Herbert Wilson stopped
to whisper with his lips touching Mi
nerva's cheek: II love you"
H.--JANEs's STORY.
Jane passed along the street alone. She
was half-minded to take a walk by her
self then decided to spend an hour on the
balcony instead. The street consisted of
row of lodging houses opposite the rear
of several hotels. These houses resem-
bled ornamented paper boxes, and were
exactly alike, even to a range of tiny gar
dens adorned with green arbor, wherein
the frst-floor lodger might partake of
morning coffee. Jane passed man and
woman on the pavement. The man
was bareheaded, and smoking cigar; the
woman-a maid-servant escaped from
duty-was chatting coquettishly. Jane
opened the yellow gate and walked up the
open, as usual. Jane paused to peer into
the landlady's room, where that affablc
but unwieldy person usually lurked ready
to exchange pleasant word The land
lady was not there. A dim light burned
in one corner of the hall, and Jane ascend
ed the winding stair. The first floor.
where our travellers occupied one suite of
rooms, was very dark. Jane fumbled for
the key on the nail where it was placed
by the servant, and found it still in the
lock instead. Mentally reprehending
such carel9sSness, che entered the room
and groped for the match box. Jane was
the type of woman who always knows
where the matches were last placed; her
fingers therefore sought instinctively a
certain small table, and came in contact
with a hltnaan head. James heart gave one
thump, and seemed to stand still. She
expected to be seized and perhaps strangled
the next moment in the almost palpable
darkness.
"Who is there ?" she finally managed
to articulate, and stepped back with an
irrepressibly quick movement, which up
set a standard, and sent down shower of
glass, crockery and jingling spoons with
a crash. The conviction that Minerva
would have tainted kept Jane from doing
so herself.
There was no answer save soft rustling
sound and long respiration, half sigh
and half groan. Jane never knew pre-
cisely how she gained the door again,
but when faint ray from the nall re-
vealed a candle and the matches, she
conquered her first cowardly impulse to
run, and determined to investigate mat
ters. James whole after life was des- |
tined to be illuminated by that match.
Good heavens! she was in the large |
bedroom instead of the salon. Where |
were her large trunk and Minerals bas-
ket of flowers? The first object on which |
the light of the candle fell was a pair of |
masculine boots. and the next a black |
coat suspended with a weird and limp as
pect, as of ghost about to embrace her. |
Jane opened her lips to scream, and |
ciutched the candle cOnyulsively What |
had become of the head?
Awful silence, and the candle made a |
feeble ray without penetrating obscurity |
Wondering if she were asleep or in pos |
session of her seven senses, Jane peered |
about her. Something cold touched her |
foot The upset stand lay amidst ruin |
of china bowl, tea-cup, phial and water
carafe, and the fluids were streaming |
across the floor. She had overturned the |
how had it been placed there |
at all? The head was over yonder, and |
belonged to shape stretched on the bed |
James teeth chartered, and her brain be- |
gan to whirl.
Somebody had taken possession of their |
rooms, wearino boots and a black coat. |
Stay, the atmosphere was permeated with |
medicine, possibly from the broken bottle |
on the carpet. Had the stout landlady |
basely turned them out, bag and baggage, |
on the arrival of an invalid? Fear i'm |
PEELED Jane to fly and learn the truth so
in its mystery, and an equally |
fascinating horror held her motionless, |
staring at the intruder. The swift change |
of circumstances was overpowering to
Jane. She was stupefed, bewildered;
realities became suddenly swallowed up
in dream, a fearful nightmare. The
head reposed On the pillow so quietly that |
the stiffness became awful. What if it
was that Of corpse? The thong nerved |
her to most desperate va'or. She had read
stories about such things many time,
voices in the street impaired additional
she advanced cautiously, with
the candle held before her, and inspected
the occupant of the couch. The hair on
the pillow was gray, as was the beard on
the cheek. The intruder was either in
sensible or in the letnargy of a drugged
sleep.
Why, it's the Rev Mr.. Powertonr' ~
exclaimed Jane, in excessive astonish-
ment.
III.-THE RESULT.
The lovers strolled home at twelve
o'clock, and there were many last words
to be whispered at the gate. The house
was dark, and the door still open.
Poor ane must have gone to bed"
said Minerva, with degree of conscien-
Lious reproach in her own happiness.
Then Herbert Wilson departed to his
hotel, and Minerva, entered the garden
The fat landlady greeted her on the thresh-
Did, even made some half Ineligible
remark as she passed up stairs, TO which
'he assented vaguely Minerva's knowl-