Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-05-19
Chapter Y.

door upon the SearcherS, then returned
to his Wife'S bedroom, and, closing tho
WondoW, drew the curtains before it
Here the murderer had StoOd-What
Digges? From here he must have seer
her asleep in the chair that stood mid
way between bed and window, beside
it the diamonds whose wicked shine
III q dullard's eyes might have lit the
way to an unprincipled, covetous Wom
an beyond .. but the gardener Dig
ges?
Dropping the curtain, Mr.. Eyre al
yanced as though he We're acting 4
part how easy to aim one blow al
yon sleeping shape-to seize the dia
monds and escape by the open window
to hide them and return, dragged by
tie miserable power Of the victim
over its dcStrOycr-to encounter Hes
ter Clarke hurrying from the sight
upon which she had priyily looked
to seize, and fasten the guilt upon her
she keeping silence throughout her
trial, knowing that a word would save
her, DiggeS, the murderer. ;. .mechani-
cally he turned to q cabinet that stood
near him, and opened a certain draw
er-then brought the light, and stood
looking down tiXcdly on 4 dim outline
traced upon the wood within.
Here the knife had lain that was
aftcrward found in Hester Clrke's pos
session; but who had placed it there
and did the same hand remove it?
He lifted his own, and, as one who
makes an experiment, stretched it to
ward the cabinet; his will making i'm
pcTious question Of his mind, rs though
he would WreSt from it some secret
that had been acquired against his
knowledge, and must be forced to yield
up to his command.
But force Of will would not unhal
that hidden chamber Of his soul, locked
even against himself, whose keys he
had lost, and his friend found.
God forgive you." Frank had writ
ten he had left Mr.. Eyre's sick bed
TO set out on his journey. Il know the
truth"
The truth. :. unless brain, "ar, and
eye Knocked Mr.. Eyre tonight he knew
that the clew held in Franks dead
hand, out yondCr was worthless; that
the mystery of Madcap's death was
forever solved, and himself the sport
of an illusion that had made the oppor-
tunity OF a clown.
Hester innoccnt-for the gardeners
overheard words cleared her of guilt
and he, that poor worm, that clod,
guilty A fierce sense Of the meanneSS
Of the instrument that had compassed
SO great Il crime moved Mr.. Eyre's soul
as in that silent chamber, he realized
his own bitter mistake.
Come with them now to the stormine
Of the trenches before SevastopOl-
see sunny-haired young fellow lead
ing ms men on. 49,. see nm struck by
IL cannon-ball and reel from his saddle
while his followers trample him be
Meath their feet as they rush onward
to victory see how, amid a storm
Of shot and shell, Il man rushes for
ward, and, lifting that yet warm body
up, bears it away to a place of safety
where he tears aside the scarlet coat
only to find that the heart is still
the heart that holds the lost clew tC
A1ddcdp uedlH.
silent, with closed lips, unconscious
of bravery" so young that his mother
i'll heaven could not have forgotten his
likeness, yet, the soldier lay-beaten
in the fight, but with a CLEAN of vic
tory shining athwart his wide open
blue eyes and shattered features that
to one who loved him, might have
t1or he
glance that had been his in life. Yet
rs an enemy rather than friend, Mr.
Eyre lifted that 1ifeleSs body, and gent,
ly laid it down. He and the man be
fore him had been comrades, sworn
to one cause, and it had been no part
of Mr.. Eyre's scheme that either should
die before it was won. No pity for that
gallant fate stirred him-no memory
of how he had loved his friend, and
stolen his Madcap from him soft
ened his heart; only a bleak and bit
ter rage filled his heart; only a bleak
aud 4 bitter rage filled his soul that
after three long years of pursuit, III
which he had wasted the whole forces
of his brain and body, he had at last
come up with the pursued to find him
dead.
He should have been shot through
the heart as a deserter, not buried as
hero" Mr.. Eyre thought as he folded
his cloak across Frank and left hin
alone in the rude hut, while he himself
went to search for proofs of Lord Io
vel's identity that he must take witt
him to Lowell when he bore the body
home for burial.
He carried his life in his hand tina
night, but, as if he had been Belials
/ self, no harm touched him. and day
was breaking when he found Frank:
/ Colonel-dying-but able to recognize
Mr.. Eyre as an old friend, and to ans
wer his questions about Frank.
/ Lord Lovel had joined recently, AMI
| seemed TO court death. He had con
fided to him, a few days previously
a packet of papers that he desired
might be sent to Mr.. Eyre if he fell
These papers We're on the dying man!
body at that moment above his heart
a fierce throb of hope animated him
for here, perhaps, Frank, though dead
spoke to him the truth.
As he tore them open the dying maj
suddenly cried out, HAS any one seel
Methuen? Take care there's no mis-
take. -. their own mothers couldn'