Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-10-27


truder rs she advanced to the bedside.
S'Do you wish to see Mrs. ingalls, or the
doctor?"
'Oh, no, thank you, you Will do
quite as well. Give memy travelling bag
please"
And on receiving it, the invalid drew
from it, with hands that were trembling
from the near approach of death, a
square pasteboard box securely tied.
Gin this box are all my iewels-dia-
monds, emeralds and rubies-and they
are too intrinsically valuable to be left
in this bag. Will you take care of
them? If If [ die, you will please
give them to my sister; and perhaps you
had better write her address nowhere
is a pencil in my bag" And as the
frail hands searched for it, their grasp
was suddenly loosened, and in a few
seconds she was dead.
The watcher by her side for an instant
stood motionless; then, hearing voices,
she fed.
The dead woman had been travelling,
she was very Ill, and physician, DIR.
ingalls,, who sat near her, kindl ~ insisted
upon her leaving the train, and goingto
his house to stay at least until the NOR
row. And long before midnight she was
dead.
When DR.. ingalls, and his wife entered
the room and saw that she was past the
need of earthly care, they we're very
much shocked; Mrs Ingalls, uttered
a slight scream, which brought two
young girls to the room, both entering
through the door that had given exit to
the watcher and the jewels.
'sWhat is the matter?" exclaimed
both the girls.
''The poor stranger is dead-died sud-
denly and alone p said the doctor.
''And we do not even know her name -
added his wife.
A careful search gave them no clue to
either her name or address, or that OF
any other person; or was there any
mark of any sort on her clothing.
If either of those two girls, DIR. In
gals niece. Lenora, or the governess,
Efie Claymond, was the person who re-
ceived the jewels and was therefore the
Last to see the stranger alive, she gave no
sign.
DR.. ingalls, inserted In several news
papers an account of her sudden death,
giving full description of her height,
features, wearing apparel, etc., but all In
vain
Three weeks had elapsed when Carroll
Hurston came and SAID that he thought
the dead woman must have been his
aunt, Hester Gregory.
some of her friends,' said he, E" has
Informed me that she had in her bag a
box of valuable iewelry."
"Here are all the possessions that the
dead lady brought into our house." And
Mrs. ingalls, showed him various arti-
cles, some of which he did not recog-
nize, and one Or two which he thought
he had seen, at least one, little silver
cup, he knew to have been a gift from
himself to his aunt, and another, round
pincushion, yielded to a secret spring
which no one had hitherto found, and
disclosed his uncle's face.
The stranger was indeed Mrs. GRECO
ry, as Carroll Hurston supposed.
Now, Carroll Hurston was no stranger
to DIR. Ingalls, or any member of his
family. He and Lenora Ingalls, had first
met when she was visiting relative 8
about two years before; for a few weeks
he fancied himself desperately in love
with Lenora's pretty face-her deep
blue eyes that were almost black, her
fresh complexion that neither knew nor
needed cosmetics, her scarlet lips that
formed a perfect cupid's bow, her soft,
light hair, so unlike her dark eyelashes
and brows that she was wrongfully &C
cused of having bleached it.
And if Lenora had not returned home
very suddenly, owing to her uncle's i'll
her declared (and accepted) lover.
But Hurston was now in love, beyond
a doubt, with Efie Claymond, merry,
brown-eyed girl whom he had known
when she was scarcely in her teens but
had not seen for six years.
This sighting of herself for another
vexed Lenora, but she was powerless to
help herself, although she did her best
TO lure him back.
She tried to convince herself that ii
was not Fife Claymond's personal
qualities that enchanted her quondam
lover, but the wealth bequeathed her by
her dead father. But when a great
financial crash came, and Effie walked UP
one morning and found herself penniless.
then Lenora was too we'll convinced that
she had deceived herself, for Carol, far
from deserving Effie, proposed and was
accepted.
The same crash that beggared Ehie
reduced Mr.. Hurstons business to a
mere nothing. and Carol could not per
suade her to marry him at once.
"No, Carroll, she said. ''Your first
duty is to aid your father and comfort
your mother In this trouble. In year
We will talk this matter over again"
When Lenora ingalls, heard of this
haf-broken engagement she took cour-
age, and determined to hope for the best.
Effie felt her dependent position, and
was not always able to contemplate the
future with a calm. hopeful heart, but
CAROLS letters spoke so confidently OF
their speedy union, that she was not ut
terly Respondent.
Spring passed; summer waned; in Sep
TENDER letter came from Carroll sayins
the business was very much improved and
the debts were virtually all paid.