Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-05-12

IKE d reeu., Od you Kill him as YOU
killed your wife, he shriekeJ.
he was killed in battle abroad"
said Mr.. Eyre, and his voice, hollow
and worn, might have been ghosts.
He had been an hour dead when l
found him. laid him in his coffin
and brought him straight home. The
message must have Numbered on its
away"
If he'd been poor man he'd lie
at the cross roads with a stake through
his heart said Nancy of the Mill, who
stood with arms a-kimbo. Lord, 10
think that she died as happy-iike a
baby in its mothers arns-'tis said
she felt so SafC-like, she didn't even
KISS him before. 49,. and he'll never
get near enough for her to kiss him
noW-God Almighty I'D never stand
it."
But Job did not hear. -. by the side
OF that empty grave his faithful old
heart broke, and, palsied and tottering,
he had crept away home to where.
for the first, last time, his little Master
Frank was waiting to receive him.
Chapter III.
And so You dug my grave with Il
will. my friend' said Mr.. Eyre, look
ing keenly at the gravedigger, and
I've disappointed you: but it shan't be
loves labor lost. Lord Lowell loved
my wife-and She loved him-and
there's room for me on the other side.
And they shall have no monument.
and no stained glass yol<der: but only
the flowers they both loved. with the
sun shining through thenl-and thereT
be no brier to grow out of either
breast, but only rose And so YOU
thought l killed my wife," he added.
turning abruptly to the terrified vii
layers, who began to smart under a
more wholesome fear of him in the
flesh than in the spirit.
Nay, SIR said the sections wife.
courtesing, "ts not for poor folks like
we to judge our master; the old man
did but prate out What he had caught
up from his betters'
Good God!' cried Mr.. Eyre, like a
man violently awakened from dream.
rs it possible:' then stopped and
plucked a daisy from her grave. Poor.
poor, Madcap." he said so low that
none might hear him, land is that all
my love hath brough thee?" Then
shrouding himself in his black cloak,
the mist swallowed him up from the
frightened gaZer's eyes, and was gone.
''Tis well that Frank lies yonder.
not T. he said aloud as he crossed the
churchyard. ''since that's the popular
70 -
for her sake as if the sweet soul
could have loved her murderer-and
though I've thought of most things
1 never thought of that. though clear
ly some fool did-most likely Busby-
and set the country farm-yard in a
cackle, because it's chief goose had
laid another egg. But she can't hear
them. and she's happy; and Franks
found her by now; and he loves her
too well to tell her the secret he would
not tell ne. What was it?" he cried
aloud, and standing still in the dark
ness. Three years I've lost in hunt
ing for it, and meanwhile the womans
escaped me. But II find her yet"
AS he climbed the familiar hill to
those two bright young creatures now
sound in death below had trod it beside
him; and once he drew back, as though
physically unable to face the empty
house, across whose threshold his Mad
cap would never dance to meet him
any more. He entered the courtyard,
and mechanically turned to that wing
of the house in which her chamber
lay, and from the force of habit looked
her window through the darkness.
But what was this? A clear light burn
ed within and rs he paused below, his
foot struck against a ladder placed
against the wall. God God. he thought
has it stood here since that night?
And then he remembered that it was
the very day and month of the year
upon which she had been murdered.
He had thought it unnatural that
Hester should climb the ladder unless
with sinister intent; yet he found his
foot ON the first rung before he was
aware; and rs he rose, step by step,
put himself in her place, and in the
lighted room above seemed to see
Madcap, asleep and unconscious Of
her doom.
AS his head and shoulders rose above
the sill, filling the window from Intel
to Intel, he saw that it was unshut
tered and ajar, while through the
clouded pane before him he once more
beheld the diamonds that he had last
seen on his wife's neck when he left
her in the draWing-room below with
Lord Lovel.
I'D rather have the right to wear
these openly than own the finest farm
in Canada" said a woman whose pet
ticoat of linsey- wolsey, drab stays,
and coarse white bodice cOn1asted as
curiously with the jewels she wore,
as did her personal beauty with the
sordid plainness of the man who stood
at some little distance from her, his
features expressing a stupid admira-
ton that struggled with an almost
abject terror.
You are just dotted to deck your
self WI en- he said sullenly. M'appen
but they hang the two on US yet"
There's only we two i'll the house,
she said; 1.-The child's asleep, and every
door locked, and masters body's at the
Towers by now. There's none likely to
come nigh us tonight. Sit down, you
fool" she added, as she turned herself
this way and that before the mirror,
did you ever see firef1ics give out such
a shine as you?"
''Sit down-here|' he said, looking
not at his soiled fustian, but at the