The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-10-20

would, sooner or later, expose the vii
lain and thwart him Ill his plans.
The Italian was very busy all the
while, preparing for the grand party
that was to be given about the time
Noll would return She was not plan
ming for the party alone, but other
things of more Importance to herself
and the beautiful Lenora, whom she had
vowed to shield.
Strange, indeed, yet true, that at that
very date three different parties were
planning to steal away the beautiful
Lenora, all prompted by different mo-
tives.
Gertana's keen womans Wit had been
equal to that of the leader of different
bands of desperate thieves. She had
been looked upon as mistress of the
cottage until Lenora's arrival, and then
the servants called the new lady mis-
tress only because Noll had ordered
them to do 50. However, if Gertana
was not mistress longer, she did as she
pleased, and the servants obeyed her as
of old This was exceedingly fortunate
for her, as it assisted her III carrying
out her plans more successfully.
Before Noll left Gertana watched
him closely, and was positive that he
had not taken the mysterious papers
with him, but had left them in the
drawer in which she saw him place
them after he had read them. She
therefore was determined to possess
them.
Henry, | want the key to your mas
ter's room. There is little work III
there on mystery that | want to get"
The servant vas good and obedient,
but his education had been sadly neg
lected, and, unfortunately for him, he
could not read word Noll had en-
gagged him, with this defect in view.
Under the circumstances, there could
be no risk of this servant reading and
revealing any of Noll's secrets to the
world.
"All right, madam, here is the key. F"
She took it and FASTENED to Nolis
room, where she found the key in his
vest pocket.
80, precious heavens, you are on my
side, and right will conquer wrong
That poor, innocent girl shall not be
further wronged by him who has 50
cruelty prosecuted me-"
She tore open the seals as quietly and
carefully as Noll had done and then
read the papers through from begin
ming to end. As she finished, she
showed back the chair from the desk
and sat there with folded hands, while
such strange, foreign look lighted up
her dark, beautiful eyes.
go, how freely would now give my
life to undo the past; but no, that is
beyond my power. If l could only be
back to the lands of my happy child
hood-be back at my happy home,
where all was love, purity, and no un-
fathomable mysteries.
90, God, | pray you to open my eyes,
to let me know all; yes, all, that /
may be able to fathom this great, hor-
rible mystery that surrounds that beau
tiful, injured child.
"Ah, she is only a child, but sixteen.
Yet sometimes she displays more tact
and womanly wisdom than many much
| older than she.
"As she sits there in her room, her
great beautiful eyes gazing as if they
| htlt StuttlillS Itl SoIltlllllS liultll
in the far past, for something that they
alone cannot find
ooh, You great lone beauty, [ believe
you fancy that there is something
buried too far back for You to remem-
! berl
"Motherless, and perhaps fatherless,
she is like little beautiful white lily
| Just budded, that had been dropped by
by some fairy hand on the waters Of
! the deep. blue ocean. She drifted, she
rose, she fell as the gentle or fierce
winds carried her on Some kind,
! gentle-hearted person, an admirer of
beauty and nature caught up the little
drifting lily and cared for it; she has
| now grown almost to womanhood, and
| knows not who she is or what awaits
/ her in the future.
Mine has been a mysterious, I'M
/ pleasant life, and vet, when | think
how much greater, how perfectly
wonderful all is that surrounds her,
( ] am lost"
/ As Gertana's thoughts ran on the
tears freely flowed from her now sad
and beautiful eyes. She still remained
III deep thought.
! ut is strange to me that Sylvester
| could be so cruel and wind the threads
4 OF mystery still closer about Lenora.
! Why does he not unravel this hated
smart and place her where she belongs,
/ for | am positive that lie knows all
/ about her.
/ Il see now part of the duty that lies
/ before me. Three years more Lenora
will be compelled to live without the
! knowledge OF her real name and birth.
Ny duty, then, is to protect her until
! that time, and / will do all within NV
/ power to shield her.
sylvester Noll shall never see these
papers again
She then placed within the wrapper
/ blank papers, and kept in her own
room the stolen ones The little KEY
was placed Ill the pocket where Ger
tana found it, and the large one re-
turned to Henry
( Everything was all right at the Noll
cottage, and in a few days was the dav
set for the party.
Noll had been detained little longer
/ than lie expected at Milwaukee. but
! would be at home in time for the grand
| affair
Gertana had forgotten nothing.
Cards had been sent ont, and the
flowers had been ordered to decorate
the beautiful cottage.
Since she had read these papers it
seemed that she could not do enough
for Lenora. BY careful perseverance
and promising Lenora that she should
not be annoyed, and that she would al
ways be her friend, she succeeded in
getting the fair prisoner to promise to
go down stairs the night of the party
and play the part of cousin
Before Gertana could get that prom
lse she was compelled to give one. OF
course, We can all imagine what the
promise was, for nothing but freedom
would have persuaded Lenora to have
played so wrong part. Her tortured.
troubled mind was bent upon escape.
and IN her eagerness to be free She
would almost have sold her pure. nm
furnished name. Yes why should she