Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-03-13

not altogether outside the pale OF friend
ship,-of common fellowship. In her
own divine charity and tenderness she
can see good in others who are not Jas
he acknowledges 20 himself with terri
BILE rem0rse) worthy to touch the very
hem Of her white skirts.
Go" she says, again, entreatlngly,
still with her hand on Geoffrey's breast,
as though TO keep him back, but with
her eyes on Paul.
1t is a command. With a last linger-
ing look at the woman who has enthral-
ed him, he steps out through the win
dow on to the balcony, and in another
moment is lost to sight.
Mona. with a beatin heart. but with
a courage that gives calmneSs to her
outward actions. closes the window,
draws the shutters together, bars them,
and then goes back to Godfrey, who
has not moved since Rodney'S depart
ure,
Tell me again how it all happened"
he saws. LAYING his hands on her should
ers. And then she goes through it
again, slowly, carefully.
HE was standing just there" she
saws, pointing to the spot where first
she had seen Paul when she entered the
library, with his hand up like this"
suiting the action to the word. when
I came in, he turned abruptly. Can he
be eccentric?-Odd? Sometimes l have
thought that
sNo: eccentricity is farther from him
than villainy. But, my darling, what
terrible ordeal for you to come in and
find him here! Enough TO frighten you
to death, if you were any one but my
own brave girl"
The dogs gave ME courage. And was
= jrinrr +harr1l How
strange that I should have wished for
them so strongly tonight! That time
when he drew out the dagger!-my
heart failed me then. and but for Spice
what would have been the end OF lt?'
She shuddero. "And yet" with sud
den passion, "even then | knew what |
should have done. [ had his pistol.
/ myself would have shot him, If the
worst came to the worst. Oh, to think
that that man may yet reign here in
this dear old house, and supplant Mich
olas!"
Her eyes fill with tears.
'He may nOt,-there is faint chance,
but of course the title is gone, as he
has proved his birth beyond dispute"
"What could he have wanted? When
/ came in. he turned pale and leveled
the pistol at me. was frightened, but
not much. When I desired him, he laid
down the pistol directly, and then l
seized it. And then"
Her eyes fall upon the hearth-rug.
Half under the fender a small piece Of
crumpled paper attracts her notice.
Still talking she stOOps mechanically and
picks it up, smooths it, and opens it.
/ "Why, what is this?" she says mo-
ment later; land what a curious hand!
I Not gentleman's, surely"
Zone of ThOmas's bdlet-dOlcr, no
! doubt" says Godfrey, Greamily, allud-
| ing to the under-footman, but thinking
of something else,
''NO. no; / think not. Come here,
Godfrey, do. 1t is the queerest thing,
like riddle. See"
He comes to her, and looks over her
shoulder at the paper she holds. In an
| ugly, uniformed hand the following fig
ures and words are written upon it.
| ''7+. Press top corner,-right hand, p"
This is all. The paper is old, sOiled,
| and has apparently made large acquaint-
| ance with pockets. 1t looks, indeed, as
| if much travel and tobacco are not for
! aipn IN ~ Gnotfrnv takino it from NJ n
| ma, nOldS IL nom MN at Tull length, Win
amiable superciliOuSness, between his
| first finger and thumb.
Thomas has plainly taken to hero
| glyphics-if it be Thomas" says he. Il
can fancy his pressing his young wom-
| ans right hand, but her top corner
| battles me. If | were Thomas, | should
not banker after a girl with top cor
| ner;' but there is no accounting for
! tastes. 1t really is curious, though,
! isn't it?'' AS he speaks he looks at Mo-
| ma; but Mona, though seemingly re-
| turning his gaze, is for the first time in
her life absolutely unmindful of his
| presence.
Slowly she turns her head away from
him, and, as though following out q
! train of thought, fixes her eyes upon
| the paneled wall in front of her.
| ''lt is illiterate writing, certainly; and
| the whole concern dilapidated to the
last degree goes on Mr.. Rodney, still
regarding the sOiled paper with curioS-
! ity mingled with aversion. ANY ObjeC-
ton to my putting it in the tire?'
! ut murmurs she, abSently, still
staring at the wall.
at looks like the production of lun-
| atic,-a very dangerous lunatic,-an
habjtte of Colney Hatch" muses. Geof-
| frey, who is growing more and more
! puzzled with the papers contents the
| Oftener he reads it.
Top corner,-right hand goes on
| Mona. taking no heed of him and
far nfF tnuo
" " LIZ ot,,r. ,r,,, t,o,,o = Nv, boor+.
40, oA is Suu low y W ,4'" ~, y
pu1 via! oos9 ~ hie"ii' 9 aiiu "il%U arg
| you staring at that wall t0ff asks me-
hopeleSSly. gong 10 lef size;
1T means-the missing VIII, returns
she, in voice that would have done
| credit to prieStesS OF Delphi. As she
| delivers this Oracular sentence. she
points almost traglcally TO the wall III
| question.
En-: says Geoiirey, starting h9t SO
| niu nue.; DIT ll'e iileiIl'lhS ol hSi Wpluo as
az the WORDS themselves. IiaS 'ie "ot'
| ~ anu eAciiehieit ol Tue last houf I'LL
seIIlea her Draln!
MY dear child, don't talk like that"
he says, neryously; you're done up,
| you know. Come to bets
| Il Shan't go to bed at all" declares
| Mrs. Godfrey, eXcitedly. Il shall never
| go to to bed again, think, until all this
| is cleared up. Godfrey, bring me over
| that chair"
! She motions impatiently with her
! hand. and Geotfrey, being compelled to
| it by her vehemeuce, draws high chair
! close to that part of the wall that seems
| to have claimed her greatest attention.
| Springing up on it, she selects a GER
| tain panel, and, laying one hand on it
| as if to make sure it is the one she