Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-22
IsCoNsIN. THURSDAY. JANUARY p, 1880.
Watching a favorable opportunity,


Watching favorable opportunity,
| Joined her unobserved, and had
the satisfaction of seeing q moment.
airy look Of gladness sweep across
her beautiful face at my approach.
She questioned me eagerly as to
the progress was making; but some
thing in my face must have told her
how little / could do for her, for she
threw ont her tiny hand with q ges-
ture supreme in its agony, and
could see the quick shudder that ran
through her frame.
"What is it? Has he repeated his
cruelty?" l asked huskily; for some.
how the Indignant blood seemed to
rise in my throat and choke me, and
| felt like strangling the wretch
whose cunning baffied me.
She did not speak again, bat look
ing into her pale face, could see
her lips forming the word "Hush!"
and looking up quickly, saw Her.
bert sauntering toward us through
the avenue Of ferns, with that disa.
greeable smile on his lips, and that
strange, glittering light In his black
eyes.
"My dear Nellie, / have been
searching for you; owimprudent OF
you to stay out in this chilly place
without your wraps. Alb, Mr.. Reayey,
| shall question your gallantry; see
how my little wife shivers. Come
darling, l think we had best return
homo"
He spoke lightly, and with his arm
around his wife's waist; but could
not Danish the impression that he had
been playing the sp..'; and to confirm
the impression, caught the CLEAN
of absolute terror that Elenore Her.
bert threw back at me as he led her
away.
"That man is mad; there is danger
in his eyes tonight" l thought, and
impelled by some irresistible impulse,
| found myself hurrying in the direc-
ton of her residence half an hour
later. Was it fate or providence
that guided my wandering steps? 1
do not know; it was all so strange
and unreal; the events that followed
seem to me even now, looking back
into the dim vista of years, more like
the incidents narrated in some senti-
mental novel than an occurrence in
real life. / had just turned into the
block on which the Herberts resided,
when wild, thrilling cry disturbed
the silence of the summer night, a
cry that came from the lips of 4
woman, and from the direction of the
house in which Elenore Herbert
passed her miserable life.
"Father in Heaven, save her!" |
cried, and no such fervent and heart
felt prayer had crossed my lips since
l knelt at my mothers knee. can.
not remember how l sprang up the
steps; Sadie, the maid who had
brought Mrs. Herbert's note to my
office, was in the hallway, wringing
her hands and giving vent to the
wild screams that had attracted my
attention to the spot. I did not
wait for her explanation, but darted
up stairs and toward the door Of the
white and gold boudoir, from whence
came the sounds of maniacal laughter
and low groans of pain. Almost mad
with terror, | forced my way through
group of frightened and useless
servants, and threw myself wildly
against tho door. 1t yielded, and if
l live for hundred years, 1 shall
never forget the sight presented to
my view.
Beautiful Elenore Herbert lay
prone upon the floor, her white silk
evening dress dyed crimson with
blood, and her face rigid and pallid
as that of corpse. Her mad hus-
band stood over her with q cruel.
looking knife in his hand, chuckling
gleefully. At sight of me he burst
into a terrible peal of laughter, and
before hand could be put forth to
stay him, plunged the knife in his
own heart.
"Ha-ha." he cried, "see how
nobly have foiled you! You would
have stolen her from me--take her
now-she is yours.
He fell to the floor dead, with the
last words on his lips, and at the
same moment an officer, attracted to
the spot by Sadie's cries, rushed into
the room to ascertain the cause of
the disturbance. / can never clearly
remember what Immediately fol.
lowed. / only know that the words
came to my ears: "rhe lady is not
seriously wounded"
Then ] must have fallen i'll, for
when / recovered myself, the re.
mains of Charles Herbert had been
laid IN the grave, and his wife was
slowly recovering. Years have
flown since that terrible night, and
looking up from the written pages
before me, my eyes fall upon the fair
face of my wife.
"Elenore,my darlingl" ] call softly,
and she comes to meet me gladly,
more lovely than when ! saw her
first in that fatal room of white and
gold, far more beautiful, with the
love light giving place TO the look Of
haunted terror in her violet eyes, and
a smile of infinite peace upon hei
perfect lips.
any wite-my own!" / murmur
fondly, and perhaps she guesses why
! kiss her face with such passionate
tenderness. for she shudders and
nestles closer to me, with her COLDER
head upon my breast, and her mind
straying back to the tragedy of th,
past, that is dead.