Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-07-22

torment folks, and would do 1t II allow
ed after death; and don't she look quite
material, poor lamb
The Judge bowed and hurried away
from the garrulous female, feeling
much more comfortable when he got
out into the air again. Rob was pac-
ing the garden walk gloomily.
You have offered reward, | pre-
sume?" said the Judge.
Rob started.
"Why, no. Inever thought of that"
That will be the right thing to do at
once" answered the other. IF can
serve you in any way, call on me-
Thanks! A fellow is all adrift at such
time"
The Judge shook hands with the
young man and rode away. His feel
| ings were hard to define He thought
he would not decide just then upon
any course of action, but stand aside
and let events march on.
He rode that way couple of days
afterwards to the funeral of the muir
dered lady. There was a crowd, of
course; the multitude who are always
curious about crime. Standing among
them after the clods had fallen with
that dread sound upon the cOtfin-lld-
that knell that goes to every heart
the Judge heard various whispers and
mods and cautious hints He saw that
the tide was setting against Rob Ster-
ling. The servants had left him IN the
house when they went out. He had
night-key, of course, and went and
came at will; but Miss Sterling was
timid about burglars, and kept all doors
| locked when alone. How did any sus-
picious character get in, then? The
young man knew that he might lose
all by his aunt's whim any day. He
was hasty, and she was-sOme one
whispered it very low out of respect to
the dead--'a cantankerOus cat" So,
so; we would see when the will was
read, and so on
The ball was rolling, and the Judge
did not speak. 1t was none Ofhis bust
ness, he said at the same time words of
Holy Writ echoed unpleasantly through
his mind: "Am my brothers keeper"
He heard in the course of a day or two
that Miss Sterling had left will-sup-
posed to be her last; she was always
making withstand Rob was to have
everything. The next news was that of
his arrest.
This came to him as follows: He was
musing somewhat sombrely over his
afterdinner smoke in his garden, when
the rustic of Il woman's dress, that soft
peculiar swish of woman's silk gar
ment came to him, and it seemed as if
Suddenly the air grew denser
Perfumed by an unseen censor.
n Il, -l,n
could change earth and air for him, so
it scarcely seemed surprise to see
Gwendoline DOrmer standing before
him, with pale face that her dark, VIC
let silk dress made paler, a shawl care
lessly wrapped about her, her broad
Rembrandt hat very one-sided, and her
bare hands clasped quite pitifully to-
gether.
ooh, Judge Warburton" she cried,
have you heard the charge against poor
Rob?-so absurd so cruel! Rob wouldn't
hurt a tiy-and they have known him
from a boy. You must help him! You
will for my sake, wont your
She had laid one slender white hand
on his little knowing how his pulses
pleaed under that cool touch. Her face
was flushed with her appeal, and her
sweet eyes looked up to him with an
imploring glance that maddened him.
II scarcely understand you. You
said Rob was arrested. Some one, L
suppose, who is Rob to you-but to
you but to the rest of the world"
ooh, you must know; Rob Sterling.
They accuse him of numbering his aunt
because the poor old lady left her mon
ely to him. To whom else could she
leave it? and besides, I KNOW know he
did not do it!'
"Ah, how do you know asked the
Judge with dull heart-throb He did
not feel like sparing her just then. 1t
was, indeed something of relief to
his tortured heart to torture hers.
Gwen blushed beautifully. The
judge felt that he would have given a
year of his life to be the happy man
who brought that lovely rosy tide to her
face.
Il know it-because-remember,
judge, lam making you my father con-
fessor." The judge WINGED. How old
he must seem to her, but he did not
speak. "And the secrets of the con
fessional are never revealed. 1t was
impossible for Rob to have killed his
aunt, even if he had been hardened
villain enough to have done the deed
for he spent the hour between ten and
eleven with me-"
"Ahr' a quick, short exclamation, that
sounded like surprise, but was only
pain,
Eyes; I do not usually meet young
gentlemen at that hour in the peach
orchard" she went on, with evident
embarrassment, ..but in this case it was
I might us we'll tell you that Miss
Tab has taken violent dislike to Rob,
and if she knew of his meeting she
would turn me out Of the house"
'Indeedp exclaimed the judge, with
some bitterness. at seems you were
ready to risk considerable for the young
man.
"Of course. | could not imagine
that my sin would find me out III this
way" she answered, with forced
laugh, and you see how cruelty am
situated My word would clear Rob
and | am afraid to do it. He poor fel-
low, has made me swear | will not, for
he knows Miss Tabs venom, and that I
should be cast out at once! You see,
the doctor who examined the body at
halfpast-eleven, gave it as his opinion
that the poor woman had been dead
about an hour, the very time that Rob
was talking to me peacefully under the
peachtrees"
"Well, my dear Miss Gwen, if you