Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-28

| little excursion to some old ruins that
would make capital subjects for their
pencils. The friends acquiesed, and
Laura was forthwith instructed to order
| luncheon. They arrived at their destina
ton, and Hal and Chester were soon bust
ly transferring several picturesque views
| to their sketch books, while the old gen
tleman stood by chatting. Laura in the
meantime had wandered off through the
woods in search of Wild flowers.
"Now boys" said Mcleod, presently,
swhen we've sketched yer fill there, I'll
| take ye up to the Vulture's Nest for
| fine landscape view"
"VuIture's Nest! What an ominous
name.
Eyes, and it's an ominous history, too.
| It deserves its name from the number of
vultures that used to flock there. Many
| is the terrible experience the people
| hereapouts have had with the creatures.
Why, it was only two years ago that Don
aid Stuart's daughter was attacked on
Yulture's Nest by Etwo of the vile crea-
| lures, and before help could reach her
she was so terribly torn about the face as
TO be disigured for life. It is not safe to
venture up there unarmed, for even yet
-
A piercing shrek, followed by another
and another, here rent the air, and the
three men simultaneously started to their
| feet. Once more that terrible cry for
help rang out:
''My God!' shouted Mcleod. "Laura's
voice! The Vulture's Nest"
With blanched faces the men hurriedly
grasped their rifles and dashed off toward
the spot whence the cry seemed to seemed
to come. Suddenly, as they issued from
a thick underground, terrible sight
burst upon them. Far above, on an over
hanging rock, her figure closely outlined
against background of azure, anguish
de picted on every line of her face, stood
Laura Macleod, while above her circled
an immense vulture, the uncah ny neck
outstretched and the small eye parking
with greedy expectation.
The men stood spellbound, and then,
with shout, Chester led the way up the
incline, his eyes fixed on the girl whom
he had learned to love so well. At that
moment the monster ceased circliDg about
its victim and prepared for attack. Just
as it pois ed itself for the last fatal swoop,
the sharp report of a rifle rang out on the
air, and the creature fell dead at the feet
of it's intended victim.
The next moment a man en- merged from
the shrubbery near by, with rife still
smoking, trailing after him. He ran to
the now PROSTATE girl, and kneeling be-
side her, chafed her wrists and held to
her lips a small flask. By this time
Chester and his tSo companions, breath
less and speeches., reached the spot
where Laura Ley.
| Glow can l thank you, sir? You have
my darling's life," cried Mr.. Macleod,
sobbipg with JOY.
Laura soon returned to consciousness,
and Chester explained to her what
had taken place. During the ex-
element that followed, the strange savior
was entirely forgotten. When, however,
they had regained calmness, they found
that he had disappeared as silently and
suddenly as he had come. They scratch
ed the surrounding ground for some
trace of him, but without avail.
1t is needless to state that no more
sketching was INDUCED in that day.
One eveing, week after the adventure
on Vulture's Nest, our friends were all
congregated in the drawing room at Bon
ME Park, when a servant made his ap-
pearance with the announcement that a
man had called and desired to see Mr..
ately rose and followed Ben amin out of
the room Soon his voice was heard in
the hall extending hearty welcome to
his visitor, and the next moment he re-
| entered the room arm in arm with none
other than their elusive friend of the
Vulture's Nest incident. He was re-
markable looking man, tall and erect in
| carriage, with a sad, handsome face,
golden brown beard, and deep blue, pen
etrating eyes.
Laura thanked him with her own sweet
sim plicity, and Macleod was load in
praise of his GOODNESS and bravery. Hal
stood a little aloof from the group and
concentrated his gaze on its central fig
ure. For him the stranger had an mex
plicable fascination.
After they had thanked him to their
hearts content the stranger made known
the object of his visit. He had found q
locket on the scene of the encounter. and
thinking one of the party must have lost
it, took the first opportunity to return
the trinkIet-a small, oddly-shap ped affair,
on seeing which Hal exclaimed:
'My locket! You have made me your
debtor, sir, for prize this trinkeb very
highly. It was q gift from my father to
my mother before l was born"
The stranger started slightly, and a
deathlike palIor overs pread MS face.
would you have any objection to my
seeing the interior OF that lOcket?"
Hal looked surprised, but silently open.
ed the trinket and presented it to the
stranger. The latter gave hasty glance
at the picture within and started back
almost dropping the liatle looket as ne
did So.
81 beg your pardon for my awkward
ness. And this is picthre of your
mother?"
Eyes, taken a short time after her mar
rage"
"Strange, stranger muttered the other
"Can it be mere coincidence? No, it is
impossible! Loving sir, know not who
you are, but the picture you have shown
me is that of my wife,"
"Your wifef" gasped Hal.
"Yss, she is dead. She and an only
child were killed in railroad accident
/ Hal turned CHASTITY pale. 1t flashed
, across his mind that his mother and he
> once had a narrow escape from death il
q railway accident soon after his fathers
: demise. startling suspicion vas dawn
r ing on his mind. In an unnatural voice
, he spoke.
"Have you proof that they were really
killed in that acoident?"
/ The stranger took from his pocket 6
time stained newspaper. He pointed
! silently to paragraph describing a fata
railway collision; and there in the list OF
! dead Hal saw "Mrs. Julia Moore, widow
t and her baby boy, HaIstead Moore
[ The paper dropped from the young
: mans lifeless hands.