Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-18

Gin that case we are teetotalers, for we
drink only natures own water"
| And athletes" added. ''Your ances-
| tor was wise man, Queen Nab. I dare
say you are all the better without beef and
/ beer. At any rate you look wonderfully
strong and healthy. and Mr.. Field tells
me you are very long-hved. But you
must remember that you have an excep-
| ionally fine climate, and spend much of
your time in the open air; that counts for
great deal"
Yes" she said, significantly; "there are
worse places to live in than the Fair Island;
and though l should certainly like to see
| England"
Here she paused, and I seized the oppor-
tunity to drop hint that should like to
see England at no distant date. and to in
q,,irc wneuner might reckon on her con-
sent to my departure and her assistance in
| getting away. But she pretended not to
hear Though her ears were as sharp as
| her cousin's) and instead of answering,
asked me to dine with her at the Queens
| House.
"We are going to have some cock-fght-
ing" she said, land afterward a dance.
Our dances are, of course, very old-fash-
| Toned; but you will perhaps oblige me by
| teaching rs some of the steps that are now
the mode in England"
II bowed, and answered that should be
only too delighted to oblige her in that or
any other way; but was much put about
| by her refusal to grant my request (for that
was what it amounted to- I saw that for
some reason or other she was resolved not
to let me go; and for the first time l began
to consider seriously whether it would not
be possible to find way of leaving the
island without her knowledge, and in spite
of her evident desire to detain me. Though
as ignorant as ever of our exact where
abouts, had gathered from the records
that we were Gin the west" and [ felt sure
that we were no very great distance from
some part of the American continent
When I entered my room at Mr. Fields
house, some three hours later, found w.
ing on my table three-cornered note, on
very rough paper, addressed in a sprawl
ing, school-boy hand to "Mr. Erie" 1t
contained these words
SIR:-The Fair Island is not good for
your Health, and your Presence is not de-
sired. You may take ten Days to make
your ARRANGEMENTS for Departure: but if
after the Expiration of that Time you are
! still here, you are as certain as you are
| living to meet with a serious if not fatal
Accident.
"a PRESENT FRIEND, BUT A POTENTIAL
FOE"
pleasantly 1 thought, after reading this
| precious missive over second and third
| time. '"The queen refuses to let me go;
and if I stay l am to be murderedp'
CHAPTER xXL-A DANCING LESSON.
bota onnuvpoo,,c 1attarC vn,, n,7
never tell what to make of them-whether
| they are jest or earnest, whether the writer
really means what he says, or is merely
amusing himself at your expense. The
| letter had just received looked like
| grim joke; for who could suppose that it
was possible for me to get away in ten
days, even though the queen and the Coun-
Gil of Nine were as willing to let me go, as
they were notoriously unwilling? 1t was
hardly conceivable that I had made an
enemy already, and I could think of no.
body who had an interest in fastening my
| departure.
Yes, it must be joke; and yeti felt
that there might be something in it, after
all. But if the rascally writer of the letter
| thought to brighten me, he was mistaken.
His threat should not force me to leave the
island a day sooner than suited my con-
| venience, even though were at full liberty
| to leave, and the means of leaving were at
| my disposal.
| Had l merely consulted my inclinations,
and been able to inform my mother of my
| whereabouts and safety, [ should have
| been quite content to make long stay in
she island. Queen Nab and her piebald
people interested me much, and l wanted
to see more of them. But the "Diana"
was long past due at Montevideo; unless
| she was soon heard of, the owners and I'M
| derwriters must needs conclude that she
was lost, with all on board, and my moth
er, who had only me, would be well-nigh
| heart-broken. It was, moreover, my duty
| to inform poor Mrs. Peyton, and the other
| friends of those who had persisted, so soon
| as might be, of the fate that had befallen
them; and could not forget that the long
| er was absent from Liverpool the more
difficult should find it to obtain a situa-
| ton when got back. Out of sight is out
of mind; and if people began to think ne
dead. they would forget me altogether.
Yet what could 1 dos 1t seemed that
without the queens help could do moth
| ing. For aught knew, the nearest port
where it would be possible to obtain a
passage for Europe or the West Indies
might be hundreds Of miles away. An
other voyage in the DIANA" was out of
the question; but if Nab could be persuad-
ed to give me an idea of the latitude and
longitude of the island, and lend me the
"Sun fiower'' and her crew, the thing
might be done. 1t would be asking great
deal, since, apart from her own wishes, she
could not send her yacht on distant voy-
age without running counter to the pre-
JUDGES of her people and the injunctions
of that remarkable ancestor of hers whose
will, though he had been dead century,
seemed to be still their law. Yet it was
my only chance, and if went on as had
begun, and continued to please her, I
might eventually win her consent to my
project.
On the other hand, felt that it would
be mistake to hurry matters, to weary
her by importantly, or appear over-eager
to get away. must wait for a favorable
opportunity to proffer my request, and it
would be well, if l could, to insure her
help by placing her under an obligation.
My cue, in short, was patience and polite
ness.
Should I say anything to her-or any
body else-about the anonymous letter.
On the whole, thought not. If it were a
hoax, l should only by so doing expose my
self to ridicule; while if an enemy were the
writer, should be putting him on his
guard and making him think that I was
afraid. Better keep my own counsel and
watch and wait.
AS the note had come through the post
q did not know before that the island pos
seSsad pOs1 T had no claw to the identify