Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-01

pushing the door to behind him. Tn
man was visibly disconnected at vo
Helder's presence, but he tried to rail-
himself, and boldly stated his de
mandS.
| When you came to me before, wa
an ignorant, credulouS child" sail
Bess in answer, land 1 believed YOU
horrible story, and to keep you from
blackening the name of my guardian
l bought your silence But now, l d.
not fear you'll never again will Civ
you money! do not Believe that Vol
are my uncle's son.
She arose and faced him proudly
and the man Quailed and shrank be
fore her, though he muttered some
thing about 1.-The proofs
Bring me the proofs" she replied
quietly, ''but even they will not avail
l inherited nothing from my uncle;
am penniless girl, and even if your
vile story were true, what good would
it do you to blacken the name of the
dead?"
The man turned. abashed. and
Slouched toward the door, but he
sprang back in sudden fright as he
was confronted by an officer in uni.
form, and the well-krcwn chief Of the
detective bureau.
Hello, so it's your' exclaimed the
detective.
MY friend. you are wanted" the of
ficer said quietly.
The man cast look of rage at Won
Helder
Il make no charge against him."
Bess said quickly.
mo need to, Miss" said the OFFICER.
though it would be another telling
point against him, for we have charges
enough already to keep him under lock
and key for 20 years. at least. But he
has been a hard one to catch: and as
for being your uncle'S son-llnleSs your
uncle is Caleb Brown, the shoe
maker, he can't be that Both his par
ents are living; respectable poor folks.
and nigh broken-hearted AT the dis
grace he's brought upon them. But
this time he overreached himself: you
see, he didn't reckon on your coming
to him: nor did he reckon on your
bringing a friend who had cut his eye
teeth. Good evening. Miss, and ALL"
The door closed and Bess sank down
into her chair, pressing her hands
firmly together; Won Helder was now
at her side, and as he bent over her
the old colored woman in the adjoin-
ing room discreetly turned her back
upon them.
"How can l thank your said Bess.
"By listening to the story of the
OPAL" he said, smiling, as he opened
the little box and put the gem into her
hand. Her color changed, but she
turned her face up toward him 81
lently.
"You were surprised that l should
appear so moved when I saw it upon
your neck he said. "but that stone
was in the Won Helder family for
many years; and one of my earliest
recollections is of it cleaning upon my
mothers breast. She was an "Octo-
Der child" and she had a fancy that
the stone brought her good luck.
'After her death my elder brother
had it. He was a fine, noble fellow,
but he had a bad fall from his horse
while hunting, and was never the
same after it. He had struck his head,
md though his injuries were not con-
sidered serious at the time, he gradu-
ally fell into a morbidly nervous state,
which grew worse as time went on.
October's Child 2.
He fancied that this opal had been the
cause of his misfortune, yet he could
not be prevailed UPON to part with it.
The physician ordered change of
scene, and, accompanied by his faith
Jul servant, he wandered through Eu-
'ope for a year, growing more and
went on.
'"Then suddenly his idea about the
opal changed, and he thought that if
he could bestow it upon some October
child it would do good instead Of
harm, and free him from its curse
and full of this fancy,
which I did not then understand. The
same mail brought me a letter from
lis man, begging me to come to Ma
1les at once. l was a student at Hell
Iceberg at the time, but although I
,beyed the summons Immediately my
arrival was too late.
''It was then that learned from his
attendant of his strange fancies about
he opal, and how upon overhearing
IN American lady say that her birth
lay was in October, he had sealed up
he gem and caused it to be given to
ler.
'That is it's history, and until you
spoke of the young countess never
even heard of her,-that 1 will swear"
In sudden bewilderment Bess seemed
to see herself again at the crowded
table d'hote in Naples, surrounded by
of many nations; and
plainly the melancholy young Ger
man, whose eyes had never left her
face, reappeared among the others. 1t
was, then, from him that she had re-
ceived the gem, which, all along she
had supposed to be a keepsake from
the garrulous little countess.
IL have been mistaken, Them"
she faltered, ''and 1 have been unjust
to you! But it belongs in your family,
and you must take it back"
'Neverr' Won Helder said, UNLESS"
he smiled, and Bess smiled too.
1T has indeed proved talisman to
me- she said softly.
For a moment there was silence, then