Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-01-04

Ell by Cne pltSfilag Sc 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 holiness, the rich
carnation of sensual vigorous beauty
had faded from the cheek A pale
grave face. with serious mournful
eyes, looked at Kathleen, and. recog-
nlzing her instantly. blanched to the
aShy whiteness of 2 corpse.
The women looked at each other in
silence, and then each passed slowly
upon her way. They met and parted
without a word
Two minutes afterwards, before she
reached the corner of the street. Kath-
leen turned suddenly, and looked back,
wanting to speak to SuZon Michel.
10 question her. she hardly knew
wherefore or to what end She thought
of Suzon with horror and detesta-
ton; and vet 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 flung, be-
meath what clay his bones were mould
ering
She turned. and the street was emp
ty. There was not a sign of Suzon
in the distance. Had she run ever
so fast she could not have reached
the end of the street. It was clear,
hot hn ho s-+n 6
the houses.
But which house? Kathleen loitered
in the street for some time, contem-
plating thoe 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 a per-
son.
The woman was only lodger on
the fourth story, and had not long
lived there. She worked in a mattress
mandatory a little way off, was out
all day, and knew nothing of her
neighbors.
There was no one else in the way
to answer an inquiry. And, after all
what good could come of any meeting
between Kathleen and Suzonn?
''SEe hates me, and L do not love
her." thought Kathleen. But she is
strangely altered. l thought Rose was
right when she called her a creature
altogether evil, 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 by 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 a cauldron Seething and
bubbling over subterranean fires. The
white YapOrS Of summer t1Oated away
from the streets and quays, from river
and woods and gardens. 1t was DC
tober, and the leaves were falling from
lated Bots, that lovely wood which haG
been heWn down and converted into
an aDattiS. Autumn had come, and
Nathleen'S work was still uncompleted
still went on; the worker, patient
secret, logged, never for one mGmen
abandoning her purpose never lQSins
faith, Not till she had seen every
in ariS oh
faIter or WAIVER in her work Then i
would be time 10 say, Il have deceived
myself; Serizier has left Paris" an(
then it would be time to think of fol
lowing and hunting him down in thu
place of his exile, be it far or near
in the Old World or the New Sea o.
Land should be as nothing to her il
that search-distance and time as
| nothing. She felt as if she were thu
, spirit of vengeance, a GisembodieG
: soul, free from those letters which
) make humanity feeble.
Day after day she Went to her tasl
-monotonous, dreary, full of weari
hess for mind and body; and yet sh'
: knew not WEAKNESS. That iron pur
pose within her buoyed her up ant
: sustained her. The spirit conquered
the flesh.
There We're days when she felt i'll
very iH-sick to death almost; but sh
flung her illness aside, as if it hat
been 3 garment that embarrassed he
, movements, and went cut to her work
Her white face in those days evoked
the pity of strangers.
, a poor creature that ought to b,
l III the hospital rather than in thu
Streets" thought the passers-by. No
long for this world" said one There
, is death in that face" said another.
Other days there were when ali he
limbs seemed one great aching pain
l yet she crawled down the steep ole
staircase and into the dim morning
streets; and, like an old horse Whicl
begins his day stiffiy and feebly, ant
shuffies himself into u tr0t under thu
: goad Of the whip, she gathered III
her strength foE the journey, and
Quickened her pace as she neared hec
: goal.
Not one day did she miss in all those
; toilsome weeks. Happily there were
the Sundays, blessed intervals of res
pite and rest, which gave her new
strength for the coming six days.
On those oIIint ga abba this Gha raStpf