Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-08-02

took 1t from the man
Who Is your correspondent. Elem
I'll have not read It yet" she an
swered, evaslyely; then, after d mo
ment's hesitation. during which she
was lingering it neryously, she left
the room with the letter still unopened
in her hand.
Mr.. Bowyer's gaze followed her in
quisitiyely.
who can have written to her:' he
asked Mrs. Priolo.
Its either from the colonel or his
son. The postmark was London, and
they're both there now. hear"
What could they have to write
about?' he persisted.
Young ladies will have their Sc
crets, which it's no use prying into"
laughed Mrs Priolo.
Opening her own letter, she became
apparently engrossed In its contents
From time to time CALCULATIONS broke
from her which were calculated to
arouse Mr.. Bowyer's. attention, and
did not fail in their intent
Have you anything very interest
ing thereY' he asked, at length.
Its shocking sorryit would only
distress you to hear it." she said.
But, when he still displayed keen
desire to know all about it, she told
him with apparent reluctance. a
woman she had known years before
had come to a violent1end
She was widowarwell tosdo; her
husband had been wholesale cheese
monger in a large way of business,
and had left her all his money free
of control to do with as she chose.
And of course she made ducks and
brakes Of 1t at once" put in Mr.. Bow
yer, with a compassionate sneer.
mo. indeed she did not; better
woman OF business / never wish to
see. She actually increased her in
come after her husbands DEATH"
"A miser! With women 1t is al.
ways one extreme or the other"
Nothing of the sort A more char
table soul never breathed; had 1t not
been so, she would have been alive
now
How was 1t them
well. it was this way. 1t was a
practice Of hers to visit the prisons
and penitentiaries and a deal of good
is done in that way. | can we'll be-
lieye: but there is such thing as
going too far, even in the right d.
rection, and to take q girl who had
already at the age of nineteen been
committed for extensive thefts and
suspected OF completely in other worse
crimes into her own house was moth
ing short of madness, | should say"
"Andand what was the end of it?'
1T only shows there's neither good
nor gratitude to be got out of these
wretches. The girl was loaded with
presents and treated like a daughter
nothing was spared In fact. for my
friend hoped TO prove by her example
that these criminals could be reclaim
ed by care and kindness. Poor soul,
she was a martyr to her faith! When
the girl had been with her about a
year, the poor lady was persuaded to
make a will. leaving all her property
to this nameless waif who had so eff
into her good graces. She was foolish
enough to tell the girl what she had
done"
An Impressive pause, which Mr..
Bower broke into by asking abrupt
ly-
4snfd van IynoYx, +I,is Iafora todo ~
II knew the beginning of it. Of
course; but the end is only told now
In this"-tapping tightly the letter in
her hand.
60 on with the story"
Its week ago since they found
the poor woman murdered in her bed.
So craftily was it managed that no
suspicion seemed to attach to the
girl. and her guilt might have never
been discovered had not her ante
cedents been known. However, it's
brought home to her now, and will be
Il warning, hope, to others"
Mr. Bowyer remained doggedly
mute. Whether the story was true or
not, it was sure it had been told for
his benefit, and naturally resented it.
He was a man who liked to go his way
unquestioned, and, having once adopt
cd course, never deyiated from IT,
What a happy thing it is" Mrs
Priolo went on. "that none of us
know the time and manner of our
death! Certainly the asst person she
would have suspected of raising a
hand against her was the outcast she
had taken to herself and treated as
her own child"
''Why do you say all this to me?
What have | to do with it?'
lit was you that insisted on my tell
ing the story! You will do me justice
to remember hesitated. knowing that
anything like that would be sure TO
shock you in your present weak state
of health. OF course, II you wish to be
treated as an invalid only, and not q
responsible person, at another time l
will refuse to grati1,y your curiosity
Il wish 10 be treated fairly and
openly"
chs