Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-01-06

EIAndSe 10 grave 4 ne sAtSA was
dull and SOLITARY street Of shabby
houses, shabbily occupied by the work
ing classes. 1t was a new street
which had never attained prosperity.
and three or four of the houses We're
empty, staring at the sky with curtain
less windows, and boards announcing
that they We're to let Here and there
appeared a shop, but a shop which
looked as if customers We're the ex-
iception rather than the rule.
On this September evening the street
was empty, save for a couple of wo-
men standing talking at 4 street-door,
Ia little way from the lamp-poSt by
which Castor fell The house facing
this fatal spot was empty, had been
empty ever since Kathleen had known
/ the street. The windows were cloud
ed with dust; the board announcing
fits yac:ncy had fallen on one side,
AKA hung disconsolate. The proprietor
/ had, doubtless abandoned all hope
Of finding a tenant until the evil days
/ had passed and new birth of pros.
/ perity had come about for this fair
land of France. 1t was a dreary-
looking house in a dreary street. new
house which had grown old and shah
+ by without ever having been occupied
Kathleen walked slowly up and
down the street two or three times,
coming back to the fatal spot. and
standing beside it for a few minutes
/ with bent head and clasped hands
land lips moving dumbly in prayer for
the beloved dead. ON the last time she
saw woman coming towards the
same spot-coming as if to meet her.
a woman who looked to her like a
ghost Yes, like one dead, who had
come back to life purified and chasten-
ed by the pilgrimage through the
valley of the shadow of death
1t was Suzon Michel, but not the
Suzon Of old, The fire in the large
black eyes was quenched, the face
/ had lost its brazen boIdness, the rich
carnation of sensual vigorous beauty
I had faded from the cheek A pale
grave face. with serious mounful
eyes, looked at Kathleen, and recog-
nizing her instantly, blanched to the
aShy whiteness Of a corpse
The women looked ut each other in
/ silence, and then each passed slowly
upon her way. They met and parted
without Il word.
Two minutes afterwards before she
reached the corner of the street Kath-
lecn turned suddenly, and looked back,
wanting to speak TO Suzon Michel,
/ to question her, she hardly knew
/ wherefore or to what end She thought
Of Suzon with horror and detesta-
/ tom ana yet they two had loved the
same man: Suzon might know more of
the details of GaSton's death than she,
his wife, had been able to discover.
She might know into what common
grave his corpse had been ting be-
meath what clay his bones were mould
ering
She turned, and the street was emp
/ ~, There was not a sign of Suzon
/ in the distance Had she run ever
50 fast She could not have reached
the end of the street. 1t was clear.
then, that she had gone into one of
the houses
But which house? Kathleen loitered
in the street for some time, contem-
plating thoc dreary looking houses, try
ing to divine which Of them had swal-
lowed up Suzon Michel. Presently a
woman came and stood at her door
on the opposite side of the street.
Kathleen went over to her and ques-
toned her, decribing Madame Michel,
and asking If she knew Of such Il per-
son.
The woman was only ledger on
the fourth story, and had not long
lived there. She worked in mattress
mandatory a little way off, was ont
AL day, and knew nothing of her
neighbors.
I There was no one else in the way
to answer IN inquiry And after all
what good could come of any meeting
between Kathleen and Suzonn?
she hates me, and l do not love
her. thought Kathleen but she is
IsuGngely altered ! thought Rose was
right when she called her 4 creature
altogether evil, a soul given over TO
wickedness Yet tonight her face had
a softer look the unholy fire seemed
to have gone out Of it, as If the face
and the soul had been alike bleached
and chastened 10y suffering"
The days and weeks wore ON and
the mornings and evenings grew brisk
and cold That curtain Of sultry heat
was lifted; the dome of white-hot iron
was taken off the city, which no longer
seemed like q cauldron seething and
lbubbling over subterranean fires The
white yaporS Of summer hoatcd away
from the streets and quays. from river
and woods and gardens 1t was Oc-
tobcr, and the leaves were falling from
the poor remnants of trees in the mutt
lated Bots, that lovely wood which had
been hewn down and converted into
an abattis Autumn had come, and
Kathleen's work was still uncompie,ed
still went on; the worker, patient
secret logged, never for one moment
abandoning her DUrDuSp, never losing