Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-06-30
EYRE'S ACQUITTAL.
By Helen B. Mather1.
PART I.
Continually

there were the perilous years of the
wo young men to be watched over al
school and college, and his own duties
as landowner and magistrate to be per
formed, and the trivial round. the
common task had SO filled his days
that he had not room even for the
episodes of ambition and love that had
On two several occasions threatened
MIN. The first came when the Duke
OF Afarmiton died and Mr.. Eyre was
entreated in the Conservative interest
to stand for the country; but to such
entreaties he turned deaf ear, because
his hometies 80 closely bound him that
ambition offered no charm to him now.
The second episode came in the de
terminative siege Of him by the Dukes
widow, beautiful woman, with whom
Mr.. Eyre had flirted before his mar
r1age; and, as he would not run away
it was openly wondered that he did
not marry her, if only to free himself
from her prosecutions.
For the rest, he had without an effort
Won back that position which he had
once so entirely lost, and, in the eyes
OF his world, stood forth man who
had entirely lived down that one terri
bic, far-rCaching sin Of his youth, that
in its consequences had so nearly wreck
I'd his life.
But today in his stubborn heart the
old fierce question rose like a specter,
and demanded its reply. The time Of
peace was over, and the moment for
uprising at hand; and the ice that
during the past years had frozen hard
over one hidden volcano in his heart,
shiVered at a BREATH and in that hour
If awakening he realized that, amidst
all his duties, she had been forgotten.
Madcap saw the light flash to his eye,
the color spring to his cheek, as rising
ana making a gesture to them not to
follow, he left the church, and walked
straight to his Wife's grave, where he
stood for awhile looking down on it;
then p!ucked daisy, and placed anoth-
or that his pocket-booll held; but with
the second he laid away Il VOW
Ay; but once before, and by her
scarce cold clay, he had sworn an oath
to her. and forgotten il: he had been
happy in his homc-life, while she. who
had no share in it, lay here neglected
and alone while secure from pursuit,
her murderer walked the earth.
He had been asleep, but now he was
awake, and to the bitter end would
pursue that scheme SO abruptly broken
off by his little daughters illness.
She was strong enough now, and, be-
sides, there were others to love her
II anything happened to himself There
was Doune; the boys splendid train
Ing at his fathers hands had left few
fears as to his moral future; it was
only from an intellectual standpoint
that his father had fears for him, and
he dreaded that abuse Of application
10 the lads studies that usually result
cd in slceplesS hours, and latterly in
one or two cUniOusly prolonged attacks
of sleep-walking. But this tendency he
would ontgrow, and as to those issues
involved in Doune's future knowledge
OF the manner Of his mothers death,
Mr., Eyre never troubled himself with
conjecturos concerning them; the boy
knew him, ay, and loved him, rs the
father was very well aware
Before he left his wife's grave. and
long before that homily misnamed Il
sermon was half over, he had chalked
out his plans, arranged his campaign,
and, on reaching home in consulting
his shipping Gazette" in which, as by
n miracle, he found the very informa-
ton he most desired.
His daughters eyes had followed
him as he left the church; but Doune
had scarcely seemed to notice his
fathers exit. while Gordon thought
that the flush on her cheeks, the IN
w0nted reStneSsneSS of her movements,
were due rather to her thoughts than
Mr.. Eyre's abrupt departure.
1t was the young fellows last day
here: tomorrow he would return with
Doune to keep his last term at Oxford,
and then he would come home to set
tie down 1T the Towers
Gordon saw Madcap there as his
wife, and he meant to turn the old
place upside down before he took her
home TO ii, which would be somewhere
about next autumn. he supposed. as
then she would be full sixteen years
old
but, With one of those preSageS of true
love or fear that often we call super
natural. the young fellow lon-ed for
some sign of love from her before he
left on the morrow
He would he gone such little while:
and surely there could be no hurry:
Yet. rs her eyes travelled past him down
that gradually diminishing perspective
of aisle and churchyard that ended in
her mothers grave. he SAID to himself
that he would within the hour put his
fate to the touch without the leave of
Mr.. Eyre or any other.
As the preachers dull booming voice
sounded family from afar, Gordon (un-
consciously following Mr.. Eyre's steps,
went through a kind of retrospect of
the past twelve years, In which the
foremost figure was always-if with a
hundred yaria -Madcap.
II ut three years he had sighted
While he adored her, ut six had aSsum-
ed airs of sovereignty to which she had
submitted, while each succeeding year
gave her fresh superiority over the lads
who grew so fast, and must pass
through all those akward stages of
youth through which the girl herself
danced and played without the loss of
q single grace or charm.
Tricky rs 4 brook that laughs over
pebbles, but anon sinks into silence be
tween high banks. with depth of
character that ran hand in hand with