Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-09

bad man." he aused and added simply:
Don't be offended with me for speaking 50 to
! you. but you and your grandfather have
| been very good to ne, and don't want you
| to be unhappy. IL ever / saw that man
again should kill him." With that he
| struck off into the woods.
| Cora Fernald was completely bewildered,
and told her grandfather that she thought
Gabriel's troubles / ad turned his brain. But
the old man thought he saw glimmer of
| light upon the mystery. Quietly, without a
word to Cora, he wrote to Underhill asking
him some very direct questions. With this
he was forced to % content. Any further
appeal to Gabriel " ould be useless, and with
Lefty it had already been made in vain at the
time of the baby'B death. Less than ever
would she attempt any reconciliation with
her husband, since that chance meeting when
she had seen his sui en- face and abrupt with
drawal, but not his subsequent emotion. Her
life was hard, but if it had not mattered be-
fore her child's death it surely did not matter
now. Tearfully but firmly she thanked Mr.
Fernald for his kindness and begged him to
urge her no more.
So Lefty was left alone in the old house in
the hollow. The leaves lost their brilliant
colors, and bitter winds swept them through
the woodlands; the days grew short and cold
and the snow had several times hidden out Of
sight the little grave under the hemlock
Lefty had her way, Imdisturbed for the pres
emit by MIR. Fernald He was hiding his time
The event justified him. Some weeks later
came letter from Underhill, away across
the ocean, containing an indignant denial Of
any connection with the trouble in GabrieIs
household. The writer added that he should
come In person to Stonybank to investigate a
mystery with which ais name was mixed up
Mr.. Fernald rubbed his hands gleefully over
the young artists manly and straightforward
letter, armed with which he felt that he
could approach Gabri ell with a much better
chance of success than formerly. And, apart
from an instructive unwilliugness to let any
mystery battle his legal acumen, he had the
young couples happiness very much at heart
He would have liked 10 go at once to Gabriel,
but the first great snow storm was on its
way and the thick air and heavy roads
obliged him to defer MS purpose till the NOR
row.
That same afternoon Gabriel was out log
ging with Steve Thatcher and the Wrentham
brothers. Enough SLOW had fallen earlier
in the month to make good sleighing, but the
present severe storm seriously interfered
with their work; so, loading up their logs,
tucy SltL leu SOtN6 udu D61n Ul1Qk-
ing more than usual that day and was very
uncertain in his NOV ements Finally by
sudden lurch he fell III der the team, and must
have been killed outright if Gabriel had not
quickly pulled him out. As it was he suf-
fered very serious injury, while Gabriels
arm was terribly LAGER ated
Here's bad busin sss,n said Eben Wren
than as he held Steve upon the cart. Snow
ing, too, like all posse ssedi How d. We feel
now, Stevel Looks Ii se death, don't hefo in
an audible aside
Steve was CHASTITY pale, indeed, and his
teeth chartered and his eyes rolled round
continually.
"Oh, Lord" he moaned, "I'm all gone to
smash. Get me home, boys, -quicklp
Gabriel spoke to him reassuringly as he
started up the team But at the motion
Steve gave a groan and his head fell to one
side. Then he opened his eyes again and
called feebly, "Gaber
Gabriel bent down. What is it, Steve'n
I'm done for, )" said Steve, who evidently
fancied himself dying, "and-and want to
tell ye something. Gabe, IL lied to We that
time, about-about Lefty
Gabriel had drawn away his hands and
stood pale and lowering over Steve The
other two fell back, looking on wonderingly,
while Steve in broken st ntences told the true
story of that evening. Underhin had met
Lefty by chance in the wood road and had
said good-by to her, saying that he was going
away on the morrow. AS he held her hand
In parting he bent down and kissed her; but
Lefty sternly freed herself, with an exclama-
ton of anger. Underhll laughed and prom
ised not to offend again, and presently they
separated. This was the kernel of truth in
that lie which had char ged Gabriel's whole
life. As for the repeated meetings, the fire.
quent embraces, these we're all the coinage of
Steves angry and enviolls mind, bent on in
juring the three against whom he had a
grudge.
When Steve had finished his story, Gabriel
said hoarsely: You sw EAR before God this
Is true7"
las hope to be forgiven" gasped Steve.
Gabriel lifted his chnched hand. Eben
Wrentham caught 1t. No, no, Gabe, you
wouldn't-not when Steves hurt so bad In-
''Hurtl" muttered Gabriel, .'hurt-where's
my baby2 That's deadI-4 and Lettyr'-
He wrenched his hand suddenly free, and
brought it dom SO violently that the blood
gushed afresh from the ragged wound made
IA rescuiIg Steve. Curse the hand that
saved him!" he muttered again as he dashed
down the road
The Wrentham brothers, after one blank
stare, turned back to the business of the mo.
ment. well, Steve" said Eben, "a good
job you've made of it sltogetheri l spose
Wen have to get you bacl; somehow now"
Steve only groaned as they started up the
team again They were forced to go slowly
on his account, and the rapidly failing light
and fast falling snow rendered progress diff
cult, while the night was setting in bitterly
cold with a singing wind
The next day dawned bright, but with that
intense cold which sometimes follows heavy
snowstorm- The sky had the clear, pale blue
of ice, the air was like ice crystals, every
thing froze and sparkled Lawyer Fernald,
looking out at the piled up drifts, concluded
that he would have to wait yet another day
to see Gabriel Dallas.
The Wrentham brothers, however, who
lived In Gabriel's neighb orhood, were con-
cerned to know how he reached home, in
view Of his injured arm and his desperate
state of mind. So after bre akfast Eben broke
his way over
Gabriel was'not there The house was shut
up, and there was no appearance of life about
the place. Eben made his way to the next
house, where Gabriel had used to take his
meals since his wifes departure. But moth
ing had been seen of him there either, since
the previous morning, when he started off
with the logging party. Eben, uneasy, went
homo and informed his bro Their of the result
of his expedition. The two stood looking at
each other, and the same thought came into
the eyes of both.
Lefty" said Eben
1.-The old house in the hollowI' exclaimed
William in the same breath
They harnessed heavy edge, and started
out toward the old house There were no in
dications that Gabriel had passed along the
wood road diverging to tho hollow, but yes
terday's abundant snowfall would doubtless
e6ace his tracks. They labOred on until the