Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-08-11
The day. a. all DAYS must, wore


away ut last. The happy anticipa.
tions born in the bright, beautiful
morning were never realized. The
exercises were painfully tedious. The
pupils, during intermissions, were
gathered in excited little knots, dis.
cussing the last sensation. / was
glad to get through with it all and &c
back to my boarding place. 1t is
curious how the heart qeIels at times
against the strongest array Of facts.
My faith in Caroline was stronger
than the most damaging evidence that
could be brought against her. BY
the time l had reached my boarding
place was persuaded that Caroline
was the helpless victim of the villain
Ike. That she was his mesmeric in.
fiuence, being either drugged or hyp.
Noticed, and had allowed herself to be
welded to him while not responsible
for her actions.
"Mcrciful heavensv' I thought,
what must be her mental torture
when she regains her right mind"
About dinner time Jim put in an
appearance.
"Hcllo I" he cried, when he caught
sight Of me, likes come back"
nearly fell of the rail fence, where I
had perched myself with hatful OF
peaches, in the desperate effort to
arouse myself from my miserable
broodings. He could not have
stunned me more completely with q
sand bag.
Here's a tragedy now surely"
thought. won't any one put Ike
on his guard?"
Jim again disappeared Immediately
after dinner. The afternoon found
me in a worse state Of mind than in
the morning. what could I do to
avert this certain calamity?" was the
burden OF my thoughts.
Hello, Mr.. Wilkinson, won't you
go to the shivaree (charivari)P" cried
Jim; we're goin' to shivnree Ike and
Car'line."
So absorbed was with my miscr.
able forebodings that did not see
Jim until he thus aroused me.
Good gracious!" said I, "he isn't
going to stay to be murdered, Is he?"
NO" said Jim, evidently aston
ished ut my state Of mind; we're
goin' to make powerful lot OF noise
though. 1t might kill him II he
hadn't been married before"
But, Mater" / exclaimed, in a tone
OF anxious inquiry.
''Oh, Mates got cooled of, so
reckon he'll know enough to look out
for his own neck"
BY the time that Jim was ready to
start, had decided to 90 with him,
fearing Mute, on learning what was
going on, might work himself into q
passion.
At the old log church we found a
crowd of men and boys with horns,
COW bells, guns and every conceivable
instrument for producing discordant,
terrifying and torturing noises. The
motley company, some OH foot and
some on horseback, presented weird
and mysterious appearance in the
gathering gloom, and reminded mo
unpleasantly Of the stories Of the
ku-klux, so familiar to ones ears In
the early days succeeding the war OF
the Rebellion, As We left tho clear
ing about tho church the dark.
ness Of the forest became intense,
and the prvailing heavy silence,
but for the steady tramp OF men
and horses, and the occasional snap.
ping Of y twig, seemed to ILL.
my very soul with most portentous
foreboding. After a time the heavy
darkness, enshrouded and pressing
down upon us like q sufYocating pail,
seemed to lift little, and the thick
darkness was succeeded by q COM
parative light. The dim outlines OF
those who were ahead doomed up In
the gray gloom now surrounding us
with exaggerated proportions. We
were approaching 1ke's clearing.
Cautiously and silently We advanced
toward the cabin whose dim outlines
we now discerned. The old log house
was dark and silent as the grave. I
could not enter into sympathy with
the rest OF the crowd. A presentiment
or intuition Of impending evil seized
me. Not dog parked. No sign OF
life seemed to exist about the place.
Suddenly, at a signal from the leader,
the most unearthly, hideous noise
filled the air and re-echocd far into
the forest, seeming to my over.
wrought Imagination to possess the
very universe.
just rs ! began to wonder II I had
really met the eternal doom OF the
unconverted through some imperfec.
ton of creed, u door suddenly opened,
a flood OF light poured forth and the
noise ceased.
"Come in, boys" Ike's good.
natured voice exclaimed. as he
slouched into the doorway. They
were prepared for us. The dogs were
still whining from fright inside,
where they had been secured for the
OCCASION.
As entered, ] beheld Nate in the
foreground seated in n high-backed
armchair, the seat of honor accorded
the favored guest, holding u young
Joslyn on each knee, the young step.
mother standing modestly behind
him, blushing and happy.-[Orange