Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-06-18
rhG Evil Genius.
ADOMESTlC STORY
BY wILKIE COLLINS.

did you flnd your old landlady still
aliye?'
ayes. But oh, so altered. poor thingl The
struggle for life must have been hard one
since last saw her."
.She didn't recognize you, of courseg'
"Ohi no. She looked at me and my dress
in great surprise, and said her lodgings were
hardly fit for a young lady like me. 1t was
too sad | said had known her lodgings
well, many years ago-and with that TO pre-
pare her, | told Ier who was. All, it was
a melancholy meeting for both of ms. She
b"rst out crying when | kissed her, and !
had TO tell her that my mother was dead and
my brother lost 10 me in spite OF every effort
10 find him. | asked TO go into the Kitchen
thinking the change would be relief to Do'h
OF us. The kitchen used to be paradise TO
me in those old days; it was so warm to
half-starYed child-and | always got some
thing to eat when | was there. You have no
idea, Herbert, how poor and how empty the
place looked 10 me now. | was glad To get
out of it and go upstairs. There was lum-
ber-roOm at the top OF the house; used 10
play in it, all by myself More changes met
me the moment opened the door"
Changes for the BETTER?
MY dear, it couldn't have changed for the
worse! Ny dirty old play-room was cleaned
aud repaired the lumber taken away, and a
nice little bed in one corner. Some clerk in
the city had taken the rO5m-I shouldn't
have known it again. But there was anOth-
er surprise waiting for me; happy surprise
this time. In clearing out the garrett what
do you think the Iandlady found? Try TO
guess"
Anything to please her! Anything 10
make her think that he was as fond OF her
as everi "Was it something you had leTt
behind you" he said 'at the time when you
lodged there
Yes! you are right at the first guess a
little memorial Of my father Only some
torn. crlmpcd leaves from book Of chill
drrn'5 songs that he used 10 teach me 10 sing
and a small packet of his letters, which my
mother may have thrown aside and forgot
ten See! have brought them back with
me: mean To look over the letters at once
but this doesn't interest YOU"
Indeed it Goes.
lie made that considerable reply mechan-
ically, as if he was thinking of something
else She was afraid TO tell him plainly that
She saw this; but she could venture to say
that lie was not looking well. 81 have no
tccd it for some time past" she confessed.
"Iuu have been accustomed 10 live in the
country; | am afraid London doesn't agree
with you.'
lie admitted that She might be- right; still
Speaking absrntly, still thinking of the di-
vorrc She laid the packet OF letters and
10 poor relics Of the old soug-bOoK on the
.lbr and bent over him. Temdery and a
lllir tmidly she put her arm round his neck.
g., ct MS try some purcr air, she suggested ;
"thc seaside might do you good. Don't you
think so1''
II dareeay, my dear, Where shall we go?'
"Oh, / leave that To YOU"
no Sydney. 1t was | who proi uScd
coming 10 London. You shall decide this
time
She submitted and promised to think OF it.
Leaving him with the first expression Of
trouble that had shown itself in her face she
took up the songs and put them into the
pocket of her dress. On the point of rcmoy
ing the letters next she noticed the news.
paper oh the table. "Anythi ( interesting
to-day" She asked and drew the ncWSplpC
toward her Ia look at it. He took 1t from hCI
suddenly almost roughly. The next mo-
mrut he apologiHcd for his rudcncSs. There
j. nothing worth reading III til" paper" he
said, after begging her pardon. You don
care about politics, do yuu?
Htcai of answering She looked at him at
tuuycy
me heightened color which told of recent
rlrirlse. hralthily cuIoyrd, faded from hrr
face She wns silent; She was Pa'c. \ Lite
confused. h' smiled mca~ly. surely" he
resumed, irving To speak gayIy, II haven't
on r4c, you"
"rhctr Is >umrthm. in the newspaper,
she said which You don't want me To read. %
llcdeuicd II hat hr ,tlII kept t." news