Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-01-14


me that she despises the man. Her
uncle is very anxious about Miss Kate,
and has men dragging the river at
var Gus points for four Or five miles.
| OF course ne does not know that I, too
am looking for her"
Their conversation was here inter
rupted by timid rap
at is Gaston's office boy-Tim, y
said DIR. Bently. Il saw him pass the
| window. Come in" he added IN a
louder tone.
The door swung partly open, and
an understood, freckle-faced boy, Of
fourteen or thereabouts, entered the
room.
"Weli, my boy" said DR.. Bently,
as ne noticed the pale face and shak-
ing limbs, "what is the matter with
you?"
II got hurt in the storm yesterday,
or rather Tuesday" replied Tim,
swinging his ragged cap nervously.
but I didn't come about that. May |
sit down?"
Certainly replied the doctor.
''Poor chap! you look almost done up.
Here, drink this" he added, pouring
a few drops of colorless liquid into a
glass of water and handing it to the
BOY. ''Now tell us what it is you have
to say"
tits about Mr.. GastoN, and Miss
Dryer, and Miss Caxton," he said,
hesitatingly, looking at the detective.
The men exchanged glances.
You need not mind this gentle
man, Tim," said Doctor Bently. IF
it is anything confidential, ne will
never mention it.
''Will you botn promise, " said the
boy, earnestly, ''that if Mr.. CASTOR
should get out, you won't tell on
me?"
''Should get out?" repeated DR..
Bently, in puzzled tone. "Do you
know where he ISL"
eyes"
Where is hea"
"You promise me please do?" said
Tim, nervously. ''He would kill me
for telling, he would"
"Well, well, Tim, we will both
promise that no harm shall come 10
you on account Of anything you may
tell US. Now 60 ahead"
He's in a cave down the river
shut in. So is Miss Dwyer and Miss
Caxton."
Glow do you know2"
It see them go in-leastways, seen
Mr.. CASTOR and Miss Dwyer. Tues
day morning I played hockey" ex
planned Tim, blushing. 81 told Mr..
Castor I was sick, and couldn't stay
at the office For wonder, he let me
off. He has been mighty good-natur-
hands when he thought nobody didn't
see him.
81 didn't stay home long, but went
down between the bends to fish. [
just got into a good place-maybe
you've seen it; the sandy edge is only
about yard wide now when the
water is low; then there's a strip of
scrubby pines and things, with vines
tangled over them; the bank is rocky,
and rises out of the pines almost like
a wall.
''Just as I threw my line in, [ seen
Miss Kate's boat floating along with
nobody IL it, and in a minute seen
Mr.. CASTOR and Miss Dwyer in his
boat coming. He had his back to me,
and was rowing kind Of slow, and
knew if he seen me I'd catch some
thing more than fish.
Il got in among the pines and seen
a big rock, like table-leaf, sticking
out of the bank. I got up behind it
and hid, lying down. I pulled MY
self along TIL I could see them. By
this time they was right close, and l
seen as how he was making for the
shore. I was awful scart-thought
he seen me, sure. She says:
what you stopping for2"
And he run the end Of the boat on
the sand, and raised the oars out of
the water, slow-like, and says:
There's something want to say to
you, Miss Dwyer. and this is a good
place to say it. We shall not be over.
heard.
81 knew, then, he hadn't seen me.
[ wasn't more'n six feet-or maybe
ten feet-from his head if he. d a. stood
up. He sat in the middle of the boat,
with his back to me, and she sat in
the other end, facing aim.
''She wanted to 60 on; but he didn't
move. He just sat there watching
her I'LL she stopped talking and hdger-
ing around and sat still; then he said
as how he had asked her to marry
him oece, and she efused, and says
he:
81 ask you again now
'"Then she said as when she refused
once she meant it for always. He
coaxed her little, and said he loved
her, and would make her happy; but
she shook her head. Finally she said
she would would rather die than mar
ry him.
] Says he:
"'What kind of death?'
o "And she says:
Amy kind
''Then they didn't say anything for
a minute; then he began to talk about
what an awful death hanging must
be, and how bad the folks that are
left must feel, and ever so much more
about the horror of it, and she getting
paler and paler all the time, till at last
he said, making stop between the
words:
There is a cave there. and know