Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-11-10

seize the ends together in my hands
and rush frantically over the gravel
and greenswward, never pausing to
LOOK behind me, dragging my victim
after me.
j At length | reached the pond at the
farther end of the grounds; it lies cool
and dark, sleeping under the moonlight.
| drag nay burden to the edge and with
one mighty effort push it into the quiet
waters. There is great splash, num-
berless eddies, that is all, and then a
white face, the beautiful face of nv ri
val, with the s;lken girdle about her
slim throat, appears above the surface
of the water. She holds out her arms
supplicatingly; but | turn away: |
have no mercy. Then shrill cry
arises. Hugh Hugh |"
stand paralyzed with horror; they
will hear her. turn back. The water
is unrufiled; there is no indication on
the CLASSY surface of the death strug-
gle of moment before, but the cry
still echoes weaker and fainter.
Hugh Hugh"
Sudden horror seizes me. What is
this that l have done? tell myself
stoutly that it was an accident, that she
overbalanced herself and fell in; bat
the girdle-my girdle-how did it come
| around her neck? From afar comes
the whispered cry of Hugh Hugh!"
] Oh, that | could undo the mad deed!
l hesitate moment and am about
to plunge in myself, when the scent of
J mignonette comes over me- so strong
that it well-nigh suffocates me. stoop
| to pick up the knot of flowers that lies
at my feet, and as | throw it into the
| pond-tar, far down. see the face of
Beatrice Lloyd, not dead, but smiling
the old, hateful, knocking smile and
with wild effort / shrek out ''Hughr"
and awake tc find him bending over
me.
Ny darling, what is the matter?
Iou vii! get your death cold lying
out here on the earth"
spring up, and push the hair from
my forehead.
Save her Hngh--she is drowninsl"
| cry.
Who?" he asks.
" Beatrice Lloyd"
| Nonsense child You are not awake
yet. Miss Lloyd is in the drawing
room, and have been hunting for you
all over the grounds"
| 1t has been dream ! My first
| thought is one of sheer thank fitness.
! shudder as | recall how vivid and life
| like the vision was.
Did you meet Miss Lloyd by the
sundial ?" | ask confusedly.
| Hugh's face burns under my search
ing gaze. Then it has not all been
dream. 1t is quite true that Hugh
loves Beatrice and met here tonight !;
they were long in coming and was
weary, and so fell asleep. sigh hea-
Willy.
"What do you know about it?' he
asks.
ooh, / know" | answer Indignantly,
pulling my hand away 81 know that
you love her and are going to marry
her, and I-hope-you'll be happy
that's all'-with the after-thought I'M
expressed-"and Pm quite sure you
won't"
He makes no reply, nor does he make
any effort to repossess himself of my
hand, and with all woman's inconsis-
tency / feel agrieved, and look ruefully
down upon the fingers l have wrenched
from his grasp, and think how much
more comfortable they were when the
kindly clasp was round them. AT last
he speaks, and my heart stands still to
listen.
"Hilda, you are jealous, foolish
child. 1t was not my own cause that l
pleaded by the SUM- dial tonight, but
that of my friend BERTHE Robert. You
know, or perhaps you don't know, how
very bashful he is; and, although / did
not feel the slightest fear that he would
be rejected, | nevertheless consented to
pave the way little for him. Are you
satisfied?'
l am ashamed to confess that | never
stopped to ask if Miss Lloyd acquiesced
gracefully. just flung myself into his
arms and sobbed out the whole story of
my wicked, jealous feeling, and the ter
rible dream | had.
"You have dared to doubt my fealty
and truth, says Hugh, gravely. "You
must expiate your fault"
| open my eyes wide, and look at
him in the misty light with a faint
recollection of Father, father, | come
to confess" dawning on me, and Won
der vaguely what my penance is to be.
He looks at me until my eyes droop
before the light in his, and then ! am
gathered to his embrace as he whis-
pers;
"You must give yourself to me, Hill
da, and then through all your life y on
shall never have cause to be jealous OF
me again"
And did not say nay.
| The Great Salt Lake.
| El,,, b,rra1, Of u,ator Of tho (,raat