Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-16

dents, and at the end of our school
career the head-maSter sent Us I'D to
OXbridge to compete for Scholarships
there. We were both successful I
won the first scholarship at St.
ThomaS'S; he won the second. But
then arose a difficulty. While Mr.. Won
Halle was glad enough to have OBJ
tanned the chance of a university edu-
, cation for his son, my Uncle Albert
saw the matter in 4 very different
light He destined me for a partner
ship with himself Che had no son. bur
only two daughters, and was averse
to my spending further time in educa-
ton or throwing myself away upnn
literary career 1t ended in a quar-
rel between us. I left home and. three
or four months before my university
career could begin. found myself in the
world alone and with scarcely a pound
that | could call my own. Just at this
point Mr.. Won Halle heard Of a pro-
spectiye enga cement at NJ. the
town that it. where [ had the-pleas
ure., if | may so describe it. of meet
ing with you. Miss Keith and hearing
Of my position. he very kindly sug-
gested my accompanying them there.
sharing their house. and seeking some
sort of employment for the short time
that remained before we went to Ok
bridge. Rudolf was to do the same.
This offer I accepted. We all moved
to NJ together, and after tramp
ing the town for a few days I eventu-
ally found work as accountant in one
of the departments of the stores This
[ only obtained because the real-ac-
countant was i'll at the time. NV
wages We're to be sixteen shillings a
week. Rudolf got situation at ten
shillings. 1t was very meagre, but we
saw ourselves in a fair way to exist
until the university terms began. But
just then an unlOoked-for calamity oc-
CURED. Mr.. Won Halle missed getting
the work which he had calculated
upon. and found himself in a strange
town, without a friend, and without
the prospect of an income. With my
wages and Rudolph's, our weekly in
come now only amounted to one pound
and six shillings. Won Halle had a
little, a very little, money in hand
Somehow we could manage to keep
the wolf from the door. All might vet
have been well-all might have come
right in time, had it not been for that
indefinable something.
zone day, shortly after our arrival
at NJ, a stranger called at the house,;
u +Iln 1a+ 70 To
shown at once into the small back
room; but l CHARGED to come along the
passage at the moment of his arrival
and noticed that he started and put
his hand to his face, as though not
wishing to be seen, Yet I received a
clear impression Of what he was like
He was q short, slight. but muscular
looking man, very dark, and of that
exceedingly foreign cast of feature
which we associate with the Tartartc
or Monaghan tribes.
Il proceeded into the front room and
sat down with a book. Throughout
the evening [ heard the sound of
voices in earnest conversation in the
next room. Now and then Nine. Won
Halle came in. but otherwise 1 was
left to myself. She, [ noticed,
looked toubled. I had before
gathered that the mystery, what
ever it was, was distasteful to her,
nay, even a serious distress. When
night came | retired at my usual hour.
Rudolf and [ shared the same bed
room. He came upstairs very late, his
entrance into the room partly waken-
ing me- 1 opened my eyes sleepily, to
find him standing in the middle of the
floor. his hands clenched, his face
white, and his eyes flaming with ex-
element. | was too sleepy to see this
more clearly than as in a dream. !
Next morning l thought it was a
dream. Now. know it was nothing
Of the kind.