Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-02-19
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE SHADOW IN THE HOUSE.

But things were sadly changed for her, poor
child: and sometimes as | watched her pa
tent endurance my heart rose IN revolt, and
/ blamed myself for having been the means
of bringing her home again.
True. nv uncle was glad TO see her, and
treated her with uniform kindness; indeed,
be was never happy unless she was before
him. and Annie, noting this, was untiring in
her devotion 70 him. But with my aunt it
was another matter. She, who was usually
the kindest of women, now became domes-
tic tyrant and practiced toward her daugh-
ter a sDecies of cruelty which in another per-
son she would have been the first to de-
nounce. She never let poor Annie rest, but
reproached her increasingly about the trOub-
les she had brought about, the change she
had wrought in her poor father, and the hap
piness OF the little home; and she never fail
ed to remind her that it was not until she
had been deserted by her unknown lover
that she had decided To return and admins
ter consolation to those whose hearts she had
broken.
All this Annie bore without murmur. st
was ONLY her due" she said; "her mother
was right: she had destroyed all their hap
piness. and she should be made to suffer"
Nevertheless, it was hard for her to bear,
and I very often saw her with traces Of tears
upon her cheek.
But when people have poverty before them
they cannot afford 10 eXaggerate sentimental
troubles, and soon came to the conclusion
that the best way to help Annie was to help
myself-tO obtain situation, in fact; and
thus by contributing a weekly allowance to
give things better complexion at home. AS
all hope of obtaining employment Ill St Cur
lofts was out of the question, | turned my
attention to other quarters. After many
heart-rending disappointment and endless
CORRESPONDENCE. / obtained a situation as
overseer Of a copper mine in Devon.
The situation was a suitable one in every
way, and promised to be lucrative. | was to
leave home and begin operations in fort
night
was in the midst of my preparations, half
happy in the thought of being able to inhabit
part OF the globe where my miSfOrtunes
could not find me out, when | one day heard
piece Of news which killed at one blow ali
my hopes Of the future, and made my life
mere Dead Sea fruit.
A report spread over the village that
George Redruth was about to be married
forthwith to Madeline Graham.
How or through whom the report Origi-
mated, no one could tell; but its truth was
admitted Oh every ndllu.
The news stunned me at first, then it drove
me mad; wild ungOyernaDle jealousy took
possession of me- | could do nothing think
of nothing now, save one thing-that the
woman | loved beyond everything in this
world was about to become the wife Of an
other man, and that man my bitter enemy at
heart
1t was impossible to conceal my secret any
iauppT-thpv had but inf NV fopn
and read it. When Annie heard the news,
she cried bitterly; and |, blind as usual be-
lieyed she cried out of sympathy for me.
at is a shame Hugh" she SAID, latter
having made you love her, that she should
vile away another man"
Don't say word against Miss Graham"
returned 'fOr she is an angel"
'isS, hold your peaceW cried my aunt
Ills nawt to us, and why should you inter
fere? And, after all, It's better as it is. She
could never have wed wi Hugh; and no good
comes O young folk dangling after one an
other when they can never COON together
There was sound sense in my aunt's words,
though at the time with the fiercest jealousy
and hatred raging in my heart against the
man who had Supplanted me, | could not
listen to them. A few days reflection, how
ever brought me to better state OF mind
showed me that | was a fool and that the
news which had wrought such an astoUnd-
ing effect upon me was only what l might
have expected, il a wild uIIwarTantable pas
sion had not made me blind. For, after all,
what was | to Madeline?
During my boyhood, | had dared to love
her; but when wemet again, saw distinctly
that the episode which had been all in all to
me had passed completely from her mind. [
had had the good fortune to save her life
and she, angel that she was had been crate
full; but now the debt had been reDaid-in
exchange for her life, she had helped to save
mine. Having paid her debt, She had re-
moved herself iTreYocabIv from me-
As | thought of ali this, | felt my heart
grow hard, and | cursed God, who, i'm his
benehcence, had sent me this one ray Of
blessing But why had it come at all? Why
had been shown the light at all. if was
doomed to be east into darkness again for
the remainder of my life? With Madeline
Graham by my side, | knew what nv DAYS
might be; without her, | knew it would be
better for me to be lying at the bottom of the
sea.
: | had unused Thus walking up from the vii
lage one night and now, standing at the cot
tage gate | looked across the marshes to-
ward the spot where so many months ago I
had brought Madeline to shore.
As gaZed, my eyes grew dim. and the i'm
pulse came upon me To revisit once again the
spot where my darling had set her foot: so |
struck oil across the waste toward the lone
" shore.
1t was fine bright moonlight night, clear
and still, though the shifting clouds in the
sky predicted storm. | found the sea as calm
as mlll-pond, fringed with white where
the edge Tapped the stones upon the shore
The moon was shining radiantIy upon it;
also upon the bOat-hOuSe which [ looked at
fenderly, remembering how l had carried
Madeline there Then | fell to thinking of
her. telt again as if her head were lying
on my Shouder-her cold bare arms cling
ing about my neck; and | felt as though ]
would give half my life for such an expert
enee again.
With heavily drawn sigh I was about to
move away, when a hand was laid upon my
shoulder and turning, 1 found myself face
to face with Madeline herself!
Yes; there she stood, looking more like
spirit than thing of flesh and bioOd-her
face was 50 white, her eyes so sad. She was
wrappai from head to foot in costly furs,
while black hood was thrown lightly over
her head and tied under her chain.
Al sight of her, all the blood rushed to my
temples, and l felt my body trembling like
leaf; but commanded myself to speak.
'Madelne"' ! said: Miss Graham, YOU
here at this hour?"
Yes she answered calmly, smiling a
little; 1T IS strange place 10 find me, is it
not? But then you know, Mr.. Trelawney, /
am strange creature. l may as well con-
Tess the truth. l followed you here to-