Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-08-30
nder tGe Cloud.
BY 6. 8. WILLIAMSON.
Continued


come. yet felt It would iook ungracio'ls
were she 70 stay away.
Where have you been, Eiieng
have missed you" he said. gently.
"If j had only known, l could have
come before. was doing nothing
that is, nothing u consequence"
Come and sit beside me Hos cold
your hands are. Hare you no fire ID
your bedroom
"she never asked for a fire, pun 70
the ha,.eekceI er tartly.
Then give her one without the ask
ing. | shall b. seriously angry II IL
Ia not kept up regularly"
II did no, feel the cold at all. II il
only nog when come into the warm
room that realize 1t was perhaps =
title chilly said Elaine
SIR. Bower watched her aiih sons
hing Of the old tenderness and con.
Ngrn.
Would be doubt her and disbeiieye
a he had beforei He thought not.
aud yet even In his thoughts he did
not feel quite sure of himself He felt
that he was breaking up, and thar ~
a year cr two all this turmoil would
be at an end. At his age nothing need
matter much What fool he was To
SHALL / fetch you cup Of tea
asked Mrs Priolo. breaking into bis
reyerie.
sarei
ELLEN will bring it to me to-day
won't you. childT'
STE sprung E eagerly To do his bid
ding. but Mrs. Priolo blocked the door.
way and prevented her from going
out.
"You have forgotten she sail,
meanIngly IT Ii who prepare every.
thing for Mr. Bowyer now"
Ellen flushed up and hesitated, but
the invalid enforced his wish with a
testimony which neither could disce
gard.
Mra. Priolo sat apart and watched
the girls preparation In st0lid quiet
ude declining the tea that was offered
10 her with a hastincss that Ellen felt
to be Insulting, although she would
not appear to notice II. Mr.. Bowyers
cup and saucer we're placed on small
table near him.
Ellen resumed her seat, and began
10 talk OF a book that they had been
lately reading; but Mr Howyer's an.
swers we're strangely brief. and not
always 10 the point. His resolution
was wayerlng indeed had entirely
given way. Again and again he told
himself that II was more than improb-
able that second attempt would be
made on his life 50 soon, and 10 such
circumstances yet he could not bring
himself 10 drink what she had given
him.
Mrs Priolos keen eyes took IN the
situation AZ d glance, and grim
smile Or satisfaction oyerspread her
thin iil.tempercd face; but Elaine was
slower 70 discover how things We're.
II was getting dark ana III Il the MS
uaI time for bringing in the lamps
when size rose 70 put the ted-ihnss
By. She VAS tikins Nj Bowers
cup with the rest, when suddenly she
discovered that 1t WINS untastcd-un-
touched even.
Why" she began, then She sud
denly stopped
II came Cpon her in mo ntnt With
terrible stunning force, what II oil
meant: and, utterly despairIng, ircapa-
bic of self-defense or even indignation,
she stood there powerless.
Then Jane entered with the Lights
and the spell was broken, Hastily put
ting down the cup. which half uncon
sciously she held still she escaped
from the room. and did not appear
again that night
Various motives had kept Severn
from the Dover House during the fort.
night which had elapsed since Mr.
Bowyef's misadyentnre For one thing
Ne thought visitors would be unwel-
come in the present strained relations
Of lis inmates; for another. he was
busy trying To discover who was At
TIC bottom ~ THAT strange mistake
for he could not believe at first that
what bad been done had been done
with murderous intent
Know ng that his own iuexperienec
might lajure rather than serve Miss
Wardo's Interest, hc had teiegraphed
Tor professional aid and n very smart
detective was sent down Ia answer to
thu summons He SGT 10 work At once,
but Il was only after several false
scents that at last a report was sub
mitted 10 the colonel which showed
that he was on the right track
Colonel severn sat down III once 10
Impart the cheering news 10 Elaine.
or her illness he had heard nothing,
or no thought as 70 what was ex.
pedient could have kcpt him away;
yet, though be did not know all, he
could guess something OF what she
had had 10 endure, and the letter he
wrote was full Of sympathy implied
rather than expressed Some intutlve
presentment 81 what was even then
occurring prompted him to add II post
script
ION No account take any decisive
step without Informing mo know
your position must be a very painful
y -