Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-14

there are the wives and the children.
shall send sleeping tents, and eating
tents, and provisions enough to feed
battalion. Forty-seven liyes!" said he,
pityingly.
"Ah. sir" said the deputy, "and such
lives, some of them; for Mr.. Hope and
Miss Mary NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that is
not her name now; she's Mr.. Hopes
daughter"
"Why. what has she to do with it?"
Il am sorry to say, sir, she IS down
the mine"
God forbid" said the Colonel, that
noble girl dead, or in mortal dangerl"
"She is. sir, and"-lOWering his voice
-"by foul play" Then, seeing the Colo
mel greatly shocked and moved, he said:
"And l ought not to keep it from you.
". - ar nearest magistrate. The
young lady told me at the pit mouth
she i5 Mr.. Hopes daughter"
"And so she is"
"And she said there was a plot to de-
stroy her father in the mine by explOd-
ing the old workings he was going to
visit. One Ben Burnley was to do it-a
BLACKBOARD that has spite against Mr..
| Hope for diScharging him. But there
was money behind him, and villain
that she described to us-black eye
brOws, a face like corpse, and dressed
in a suit of tweed one color. We hoped
that she might have been mistaken, or
she might have warned Mr.. Hope in
time; but now it is to be seen that there
was no mistake. and she had not time
to warn him. The deed is done; and
darker deed was never done, even in the
dark"
Colonel Clifford groaned. After a
while he said, Seize that Ben Burnley
OF no Mo
behind him."
mo, he WON'T" said the deputy. "He
! is in the mine; that is one comfort; and
| if he comes out alive his life won't be
| worth much. with the law on one side
! c. lie blackguard, and Judge Lynch on
! t'other."
"The first thing" said the Colonel, ais
to save these precious lives. God help
us and them!"
He then went to the railway, and
| wired certain leading tradesmen in Der
! by for provisions, salt and fresh, on q
large scale, and for new tents. He had
! some old ones stored away in his own
| house. He also secured abundance of
! knives, forks, plates, buckets, pitchers,
| and jugs, and, in short, he opened d
! commissariat. He inquired fer his son
| Walter, and why he was so late. He
could learn nothing but that Walter had
mounted hunter, and left word with
! Baker that he should not be home till
eight O'Clock.
John" said the Colonel, solemnly, "I
am in great trouble; and Walter is in
worse, / fear. Let nobody speak to him
about this accident at the mine till he
! has seen me-"
Walter Clifford rode to the Lake Hotel
to inquire after the bracelet. The land
lady told him she had sent her husband
over with it that day.
"COnfound it," said Walter; "why he
won't know whom to take it to-"
"Oh, it's all right, sir" said she. "My
Sam won't give it to the wrong person,
/ you may be sure"
"HoW do l know that?" said Walter;
"and pray, whom did you tell him to
| give it tor"
why, to the lady as was here with
you"
"And how the deuce is he to find her?
He does not know her name. lisa great
pity you could not keep it till | came"
well, sir, you was so long a-cOming."
That's true" said Walter; "let us
make the best of it. / shall feed my
horse, and get home as quickly as [
can"
However, he knew he would be late,
and thought he had better go straight
home. He sent a telegram to Mary
| BARLEY: Landlord gone to you with
bracelet" and this he signed with the
name of the landlady, but no address.
! lie was afraid to say more, though he
| would have liked to put his wife upon
her guard; but he trusted to her natural
ShreWdneSS. He mounted his horse and
went straight home, but he was late for
Il 4l,,,4 i l. e.,
1t was matter Colonel Clifford was
bedroom and began to dress all in a
hurry.
John Baker came to him wearing a
very extraordinary look, an6 after some
hesitation said. Il would not change my
clothes if | were you, Mr.. Walter"
oh" said Walter, q am too late, you
know: in for penny, in for pound"
But, sir" said old John. ''the Colonel
wants to speak to you in the drawing
| room"
Now Walter was excited with the
events of the day, irritated by the af-
front his father had put upon him and
Mary, strung up by hard riding, ETC.;
he burst out. well, I shall not go to
him; have had enough of this-badger-
ed and bullied. anC my sweetheart af-
fronted-and now [ suppose [ am to be
lectured again. You say l am notwell,
and bring my dinner up here"
NO, Mr.. Walter" said the old man,
| graVely; L must not do that. Sir, don't
you think as you are to be scOlded, or
the angel you love affronted; all that is
over forever. There has been many a
strange thing happened since you rode
out of our stable last; but wish you
| would 90 to the Colonel and let him tell
you all; however, suppose may tell
you SO much as this, that your sweet
heart is not Mary BARLEY at all; she is
Mr.. Hopes daughter"
What" cried Walter, in utter amaze
ment.
There is no doubt about it, sir" said
the old man; "and believe it is all out
about you and her; but that would not
matter, for the Colonel he takes itquite
different from what you might think.
He swears by her now. | don't know
really how that came about, sir, for I
was not there, but when was dressing
the Colonel he said to me, John, she's
the grandest girl in England, and an
honor to her sex. and there is not drop
of Bartlay's blood in her"
ooh. he has found that out" said Wal
ter. Then I'll go to him like a bird,
dear old fellow. So that is what he
wanted to tell me-"
NO" said John Baker, gravely.
"No!" said Walter; what then?"
tits trouble"
TROUBLED" said Walter, puzzled.
"Av nv door young master" said
Baker, tenderly; "sore trouble as faith
er's heart won't let me or any man
break to you while he lieves to do it. |
know my master. Ever since that fell
low BARLEY came here we have seen the
worst of him; now we shall see the best