River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-10-23

y
beggar.
Il do not want money, 2 answered
Trevor, scarcely graeiously. Il have
enough for both.
why, Trevor, what has happened.
How gloomy and stern you look"
Something has happened which has
upset me exceedingly. Those letters
Wilfrid's letter, that you saw IN my
drawer last night-are gone. and he
looked at her fxedly while he spoke.
Gone what do You mean ?"
Some one has taken them away: dc
you know who it is? 2"
Trevor, you brighten me-don'
glance at me like that--but tell me-
whose interest would it be to take them
What are they about?"
II am afraid YOU know too we'll what
they are about"
81 Why, it is only last night I dis
covered that Wilfrid Lane was your
brother"
eAhl You are good actress, Miss
Craigie"
Trevor great heaven, Trevor you
do not believe that Lob, this is too alb
surd!"
''You know nothing of the disappear
ance of those letters?"
Nothing, upon my word as 1 stand
here living woman, / swear it.
He shook his head; her very deter
mined assurance made him doubt he1
more, and he turned away.
"Alas, Miss Craigie, that shoul d
live to say it, but till those letters are
found / can enter into no further en-.
gagement. Robbng me OF them could
be the act of no common thief, attracted
by an open door; other valuables which
were in the room have not disappeared
CAS- you will, " she answered, bowling
her head proudly. IF you can believe
this of me, it is indeed better that We
should part"
And so, as Trevor had promised, in
less than an hour he returned to Barba-
IA in the studio; but during all that day,
and for many days to come, both the
conversation and the painting went on
haltingly.
Miss Craigie he did not see again.
and report said she lay i'll at the vicar
age; but this report did not reach Trey
or Lane, since he never went out of the
house now; and so no one but his cous-
in Barbara heard it, and she, in he1
gruff, rough way, said: "Itwas wiser to
let sleeping dogs lie, and make no allu-
sion to Miss Craigie, with whom it was
evident that Trevor had quarreled,
though he had never vouchsafed to tell
Barbara about the letters. He did not
care to allude to them, for one reason,
and he thought their loss might worry
Barbara for another.
Heavily the weeks passed by, and the
autumn tints were mellowing the trees
in the little wood. Madge Craigie had
left Heathfeld, and already the episode
of her love passages with Trevor Lane
were forgotten. Forgotten by all but
him: he could never forget the vision
of beauay that had crossed his path
and changed so speedily into q hideoua
spectre.
No, he would never marry now. Sc
he had told BARBARA more than once of
late, and smile had for moment
lighted up her wrinkled, soured face
at his words.
Toward the end of October change
came to the everyday routine of Heath
field Cottage. Barbara fellil Siezed
with paralytic stroke, she lay speech
less and powerless. The grand doctor
Trevor sent for from London said she
might rally, but it was doubtful; at al
events she would never be the same
again.
The solicitude and devotion Trevor
showed her was rather that of a son thar
a cousin, forsaking even his beloved
painting to remain by her bedside ano
minister to her every want. But con
tent was not one of her requirements,
and she kept up her character for fret
fulness to the extent of trying Trevor's
patience not q little. There was evi-
IDENTIFY something she wished to say
and that her loss of speech prevented
and Trevors repeated recommendation
that she should remain quiet ill she
was better, only served to annoy her.
He was sitting with her at the want
of the day, the room only lighted by .
feeble CLEAN of departing twilight, and
an occasional flicker from a wood fire
Cousin Barbara made a strange, un.
earthly sound, and pointed with the
forefinger of her left hand to an ole
bureau which stood III the corner. Ire.
vor took little notice at first. but she
was so persistent that at last he rose
and unfastened the bureau. Its carved
doors shut in rows of small drawers, one
after another. He opened several O
them, but found nothing, and was be
ginning to think that he was merely
the victim of sick woman's caprice
when on sudden he uttered o cry
There, in one of them, was the bundle
of documents marked Wilfrid Lane.
He turned and glared on the woman
who lay in the bed looking at him al
most piteously. It was the first tins
Barbara had ever seen anger agains
herself expressed in Trevor's eyes, an(
she covered beneath it, closing he1
own, and pulling the bedclothes owe
her face.
He did not attempt to speak to her
but taking up the letters walked out o
the room, called the little maid of th'
establishment, and babe her go to he
mistress. Then, the letters still in hi
hand, he put on his hat and went out.
Poor, wretched Barbara; her punish
ment, when they told her he was gone
was almost more than she could bear
He had never forgiven Madge Craigi,
when he believed her to be the thief
how then could Barbara hope to b,
| forgiven.
All that night he did not return, anl
during the next day there was no sign
from him; the servants and neighbour
did the best they could for Barbara
who was 50 quiet and enduring and pa
tient that they all believed the enc
must be very near, since no one ha(
ever seen her so subdued before.
Twenty-four hours had passed sine,
Trevor Lane went away with the letter.
when London hanson drove up to th'
garden gate, and he, himself got out
accompanied by Madge Craigie.
She looked very i'll and wan. and wa
by no means the handsome Madge sh'
had been five mouths ago; still Their,
was a bright expression in her eye
which looked like rapturing happiness
Trevor led her straight up stairs Il
Barbara, whose agitation on beholdine
her was painful to witness, but Madg'
knelt down beside the bed, and takin {
the old woman's hand, she kissed i
gently.
"You loved him so well you grudget
him to me, did you not, poor cousin
Well, he has promised for my sake t.
forgive you, and together we will tr.
and nurse you back to health, and yoI
viii on your part try to love me just
little"
Barbara nodded her head in assent