Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-02-04
CHAPTER VIII.
A MIDNIGHT ERRAND.

nc pdChcU WIS " ldSb DObus UHI III
was but little after midnight when it
drew up at the Nj landing, but not
wthstanding the night and the dark
ness l followed the direction given me
and soon found the residence of Burton's
mother. The house, as we'll as the whole
town, was in the pulse!ess sleep of
night, and TIE hollow thump-thump of
the old ia hioGed knocker at the door
echoed duly along the street as | APP
piled it. Presently negreSs came to
the door and asked in q frightened
manner what was wanted, l told her
that | was Il messenger from Burton
Arod to his mother, and. that it was
necessary for me to see that lady at
once.
The negress showed me into Il small
but neat drawing-room, and turning a
low burning lamp up to full blaze left
the room and went to call her mistress.
In a few minutes u tall, handsome
matroh, of about fifty years, stepped
into the room.
sis this the Sonora Arold:" | asked,
rising. She started and stepped back
ward several feet. Then coming for
ward She took me by tho hand and said:
"Iou must pardon my being startled,
but you SO much rcsembled my brother
who Is dead that l thought you
an apparition. You have como from
my son. Is he well?" The anxious
look in the mothers face showed that
she feared the truth; so | Immediately
gave her a short account of his illness,
and suggested that she should be at his
bedside as soon as possible This was an
irrelevant suggestion, for while | was
giving it the Sonora rang for her servant,
and when that person had appeared she
was given the order to wake up her two
brothers and have them get skitf ready
upon the bayou Immediately. 1--WE were
to go down." she said, "by boat to C,
eight miles below, where we could catch
the mail coach for Blank, which would
take us within a half-mile of the villa. "
In the course of fifteen minutes the
negress returned and said that Sam and
Tom were in their skiif at the landing,
ready. The Sonora had packed Il few
necessaries, among which was Il small
case of medicines, into n sache, and
after she had wrapped up we'll we start
ed for the landing, whore we found Sam
and Tom, two strong negroes. in waiting
with sharp proved skiif.
The Sonora gave her orders, and the
stout follows laid to their oars with
will. and several times l spelled" one
or the other of them, to give breath
of rest
No wind stirred the water, and the
skitf sped along down the bayou with
speed that brought us to c. just as
waking day was opening his eyes in the
far dim east.
We had time to take refreShment at
the little tavern Of the town before the
coach started, and soon after breakfast
we found ourselves in that old sway
backed vehicle, tho only passengers,
After having directed the driver to drop
us at the nearest point to the Montinni
estate, we began to talk over the affairs
in hand.
After had explained my connection
with Burton, and told some of my eX-
perienceS among the mysteries of the
villa, | pulled from my pocket the Old
copy Of the New York paper given me
by the negro Ben, and showed her the
marked item of the shipwreck.
There are times when the heart is
full, when recolections OF the past crowd
in uIon the soul, and the commingled
anguish and joy, tho pent-up experience
of years, the vicissitudes of lire, per-
haps we'll up from the vaults Of NOM
DRY and ovcrwhelm the heart
Far be it from mo to assume to de-
scribe the feelings of that widow and
mother when she learned through that
old and limos stained newspaper the true
cause of hcr widowhood away back in
the tender years her earlier ifc
Her sorrow for the sad fate OF her
husband, aud her JOY to know that In
stead OF having deserted her he was
coming to DIN her as they had arranged,
and that he had acted bravciy and nobly
in those his last hours on earth. was
matter that drew forth my deepest SYM
pathy at the time, and dwclls pathetic
ically in my recolicct on yet, bat that is
private affair and belongs only as
mere mention to this story. Her
sutferngs during all those years or
bereavement, when she had thought
tina tho man who had fascinated
and won her maiden heart had de-
serted her and left that heart to eat
itsl away in the canker, the bitter
ness, the ashes of unreluited love and
broken these, too, will pass over,
leaving tee / int nations to impress the
kind reader as thes may,
slumbering sorrow when once really