The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-07-31

cap and spectacles, sat knitting by the ia
BILE. | had but time 10 greet her as her
husband named me to her, when the door
of an inner chamber opened, and Paula
Burton stood in the doorway.
Az, il was shei- dressed as on the night
when We had parted, her face perhaps
trile paler. bTt wearing now the old smile
of welcome dat used to enthrall me. Both
hands she deld out in greeting, and both of
them | held as long as | dared; and she
said, Il thank you very much"
The pause was awkward that ensued
when we were all seated, and in a moment
her voice broke it.
If / were allowed to explain everything
to you, DIR. Minton, how gladly would / do
1t! But Mr.. Staples here-the friend to
whom | promised that my fitting from the
village should be secret, as well as my stay
here-he forbids me to tell just yet all that
he has told me.
Not to- night, Miss Paula. should say,
put in the gardener" If things in the
great house turn out well to-night-or if
they turn out ill-he lnay know on the NOR
row.
She looked inqui.ingly at me. 1t was
f-imploring look, as though she would
ask me to be content with so much as it
seemed best to tell me then. Could / hest
tate?
Miss Burton 1 said 1T is for you to
tell me what you choose, and to withhold
what you choose. Command me: trust me,
even as / trust you.
A grateful look rewarded me. And then
she rapidly went on to tell me what she
wished me to do.
When l came here three weeks ago, at
the urgent wish of these kind friends, it
vast was -" and here she hesitated
slightly that | might help them They
are old, as you see; they have been long in
the service of Mr.. Whalley; they are de-
voted to him. A month ago, by the tyranny
of Clayton Ferrers, the nephew of that sick
old man, they were both debarred from the
mansion and from his bedside. They
thought perhaps it might be that if a Young
person like me, new face. We're introduced
to his bedside, the poor old man might be-
come attached to me, and that the people
who surround him and keep all others away
from him would not dare to drive a stranger
from him. And these old people wished
for some one besides themselves to witness
the custody in which he is kept-for some
day the world must know 1t. They have
been kind to mel would do for them all
that such poor weakling l could do;
and / consented, while / feared that no
good would come of it.
Poor weakling, indeed! Her cheeks
flushed, her eyes sparkled with the indig-
nation aroused by her own words, and her
voice was clear and firm.
Two nights ago, she continued, "after
long watching and waiting for and oppor-
tunity, Hugh Staples discovered that no.
body was by the bedside. Mrs. Ferrers,
whose watch it was, had gone below for
few moments. l was by that bedside
alone with that poor sick prisoner. What
| saw, what | heard there, you shall know
later; now, 1t is enough to say that Clayton
Ferrers entered: that he assailed me with
Oaths and curses, and threatened me with
blows. l fed from him in terror; his face
was the face of a demonl"
Her feelings had been so wrought upon
during this recital, that her voice now failed
her; she bowed her face upon her hands,
and sobbed aloud. Tears were rolling
down the withered cheeks of Dame Staples,
and | saw the hands of old Hugh working
convulsively. So strange was the tale 1
| had just heard, and told by such a narrator,
that | paused not to scrutinize it, as in
| cooler moments / might have done; my
own cheeks were burning hot with wrath; /
was ripe for action. While Paula was re-
covering her voice, the gardener spoke and
continued the story.
Two nights ago this happened, as she
says, and since then, sir, the devils own
work has been going on up IN that cham
| Der. That red faced scoundrel, DIR. Beau
| mont was sent for yesterday morning; /
saw the big, ugly hostler go to the village
and bring him back in the phaeton; and
| he's been in the great house ever since.
| Gradually all summer they've been dis
charging the house servants, to avoid sus-
! picion; there isn't one left in the house to-
/ mix r- oil hat ic
| There's only Big Jake, the hostler, and Ira,
| the under gardener; both of them such
| brutes that Ferrers can't do without them.
| If he dies-WheIl poor old master dies
and the voice of the honest fellow choked
with grief-"thev can take back two or
| three servants right away, and nobody will
! think anything wrong. Now, sir, hearken
to what | heard last night and to- dayi It's
| hard for me to hear or see anything that
goes on, so closely am l watched; but in
the darkness of last night, and while it was
raining this afternoon, 1 crept to the scrub
| oak that grows under his chamber window
and climbed hard work it was for my old
limbs as far as l could up into the
branches. And heard him groaning-oh,
what terrible sounds He never groaned
| like that before; neveri"
Paula looked up as this piteous recital
ended
When Hugh told me what you have Just
heard, she said, Il felt almost wild. As
Hugh has bitterly told me twenty times, no
one would believe anything that we might
say against these people, for are they not
rich, powerful, and highly respected? Yet
something must be done; and of whom
| could L think but of you, who have been
so kind to me, and who so bravely protect
| ed me once? So have sent for you.
| ON / T ,oIo
| ing, nor suggest anything; only, only
| help u.s. Dr. Minton! / can turn to none
| but you.
| Back over the past my mind travelled
| again, and the words of the conspirators on
! that May morning came again to me. Clay
| ton Ferrers had said, When | act, it will
| be quickly, and l shall make no half way
business of it" Had the day and the hour
| come? Was it that the active interference
| of the gardener, and this lGe+ bold expert
ment, with Paulas help, I'D alarmed
| Ferrers into precipitating ne tragedy
which his language to Beaumont had threat
ened?
And if it were so, what was it to me, and
| what was to do?
Swiftly as 1 asked myself the question,
l never hestated for the answer. Villains
| were, it might be, accomplishing the death
| of Edison Whalley that moment; one of
these men, l could not doubt, had been
made by circumstances my mortal enemy.
| Certainly, he was odious to me beyond all
other men. Should | pause and let this
/ work go on? My soul within me revolted
| at the suggestion. Then. too, humanity
cried out to me to save. And she had called
| on me for help: why. perhaps l did not
| quite understand, nor did / care. That
voice l would obey. if 1t called to me from
| beyond oceans and deserts. My decision
| was instantly taken. l rose to my feet.
| Guide me to that chamber, Hugh" l
said.
God bless me, sir, do you mean to go
| into that house alone?"
1 do not fear Them" was my brief reply.
| The old fellow hustled into the other room,
! and brought something which he put into
my hand. 1t was revolver, every cham
| Der loaded. placed it in an inside pocket,
! and turned to Paula.
They are desperate and dangerous, she
SAID. Her eyes regarded me with admira-
tion-and, shall say it?-with something
more that made my heart swell with low