Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-11-19

there had been some uneasintsS ia the
house concerning Mr.. Raymonde,
which was increasing, and presently
that was the one theme Of conversation,
Ii did not need much urging To- cause
exploring parties to range up and down
the Shore, and rs ] did not care \ straw
| for wha; amy one said, | did not hesitate
" urge. But by night fall they had all
returned, unsuccessful and the rain
WAS still lashmg the panes, The wind
bowling round the house, while the
Roaring and pounding vi the surf made
| il impossible 70 hear amy other sound
Il one put ones head outside the door.
And the storm and darkness did not
diminish the anxiety about Mr.. Ray
monde, when those who knew tho
region stated that there WAS no shelter
on all the shore, except il should he
some casual gunncr'S tent, and Is for
that, NO tent could have resisted the
gale, and the danger WAS IN the marshes,
into which he might have wandered III
the sudden shutting down OF night and
mist Without light Of amy Kind to guide
him, and whore he might perish with
exposure.
Marion had sat quietly at thr Win
dow Of the drawing room, with her silk
knitting, ever since She ramC in, for we
none Of IT'S kept Our rooms; once PLAYED
a part st u Souato. when some one
asked for ii, and once She took up n
book and turned lis pages slowly not
too slowly Ry.anl,hy she laid the
book down, and SAT there, mStionlcSs
rs y statue, tin the dark fell,
what agloomy night" sighed Char.
lottc 1t would certainly do NO harm
| ltwc go into the great hail and nnmSr
ourselves.
And have drinsweod fire there"
cried Marion "A monStrous one
"a dritt-wood fire. echoed t. lor
knew whore the sun soaked timhcrs of
the old wreck had been slowed away,
and OWNED instantly what The light
of the uncurtamtd hall windows might
he Ia any lost wandercr, When we
returned from the tea table where Mr.
l'rQuhart, the last arrival was testing
with Marion quite rs il nothing was the
matter, although | fancicd that re
peatrd motion of her hand across her
face was IL brush away some trouble,
but could not telit ii were anything hut
fancy, knowing Shr we'll deserved To
feel the trouble of memories never to
he brushed away when we returned, |
say, q fire was cracking and rolling un
the big chimney place, and tranSigur-
ing everything in the room with its
rosy illumination Marion sat down
in one corner 10y the heap o( old wood.
tossing every little while, with her
white hands aud iewcllcd fingers, am
other splinter ON the blaze. Young
Mayhank sat on hasSock NJ her feet.
Arthur Shntly leaned over the back Of
her chair, and kept up the testing With
'rquhart, since the latter would have
il, III the pauseS Of the rather dun
game that went on all in Nay thut
allowed Marion To lie silent she sat
erect and strangely still, like one listen,
my for life or death, her Only motion
being now and then to bend and throw
on n billet that sent shower uf sparkle
up the chimney and then great wal.
lowing flame, u sapphire changing to
m emerald glory, or burning away IN
To the salts of the sen with which the
wood Glanced ~ he saturated, The
splendid coors seemed to roll through
thc windows wide and high, and nN
great beams of beauty on tho storm,
and we imagined the flames 10 be the
risen spirit Of the old shipwrcck, and ns
we clustered about the hearth we foil
10 telling stories Of the dangers of the
seas till We sould talk of nothing else
1t had come to ho past midnight, hat
nobody thought Of sleep; and while
they talked ! sat conjuring darker
faneics yet, and | wondered, rs /
remembered his melancholy if there
were any possibility of Ray
monde's having sought his own
destruction. And CHANGING over NJ
Marion, felt assured that She ~ had
10 other thought. She stopped me
ehanically for She was not gazing ~
the fire, but the windows, and threw
another piece 81 the blaze and SAINT.
Icy stopped too, and hcapcd nj armful
there. "Ihe last Of the rudderpost,
said he 1T was y bad guide once.
Bit such arc the nlctempsychoscs of
nature, let lis hone thnt il Inns now he
come beacon star ts the frag-
mcnts caught tire ilamc and kindled il
atresh, the great chimney place seem
ed TO burst into gigantic blossom, or
rs if a holocaust Of rainhows took flight
mp and into outer darkness, and we i'll
exclaimed ut the wonder Of IL nll hut
Marion; and ns ! turned ia bid her
look, | saw her face white even il all
that immense ruddy glow and glare,
white and fixed in terror, while her
lips seemed yainly striving 70 move.
Aud then, il moment, restraint
doubt despair, horror, had given place
70 wild JOY, and she sprang % her
feet with 4 cry, scattering rs 10 the
right and left, was throwing np the
window and letting IN gust that
swept the hall was stopping to drag IN
after il something that had just fallen
against the sash.
Il was Raymondc, who, wandering
all night and day IN the marsh, had
found his bearings III last only when
reason was nenr fled, and tho darkness
and fog were family penetrated by the
blaze ~ the drift wood fire. "A he