Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-10-17

trust, as il We're, until SIR Ruy should
return FROM Normandy to claim her
at his mothers hands.
At sunrise the next day, well
stocked with the artists chattels that
his soul delighted in. and with heart
as light as ,.he beautiful morning air.
Sir Ruy Penritn set out from Old
ars-albeit the shadow of dreadful
blight was lowering already about the
grand old home.
Sir Ruy penrlth's departure, Alicia
Leigh was found TO be missing.
Somebody one of the domestlcs had
seen her wandering listlessly In the
park as the sun was setting, and she
had taken the path toward the river
! Lady Penrith, who had walked ont
after dinner and who had likewise
taken the river path in the evening
twilight, returned when 1t was quite
dark to inquire for Alicia Leigh
Then 1t was that she could not be
found
The news spread like wild-fire. Be
fore ten o'clock that night the whole
nelghborhood had got hold of the
startling tale. Alicia Leigh, the beau
tiful young maid at Oldfriars, who
had been in her ladyship's service so
short a time, and concerning whose
fair fame the tongues of country Cos
sips had been busy enough of late,
had most mysteriously disappeared
from the house-had disappeared no
body for certain could tell how or
whittier
She had taken nothing with her, 1t
was proved; she had left no clue be-
hind her. She was gone-had van
shetland the rest must be con-
jectured.
Then something was whispered
about the dangerous stream which
bordered the billy park and rushed
| through the village of Garth; but the
dark suggestion was scoffed at
laughed to scorn, because Garth folks
were not so obtuse that they could
not among them all put two and two
together especially when the facts Of
the matter were as plain as the nose
on a mans face. Not they indeedl
This narrow winding river 1t was
true, had gotten an evil name, not
withstanding its picturesque beauty
and bright surroundings, for its deep
invisible bed was known to be rugged
with trcaoherous powders and
sunken trunks Of fallen trees, beneath
which lurked holes fathomless and
horrible, with many swift circling
eddy sweeping over Its restless bosom,
rs it rushed and leaped between steep
wooded banks on its course to the dis
tant sea-
One cold. dark December night
when Ruy Penrlth was a boy, ped
dler had missed his way about hun
dred yards out of the village, and
fallen headlong into the water. His
hat was picked up some miles beyond
Garth, but the body was never seen
again.
Three years later on, youngster,
playing along the bank tripped on
stone and vanished in moment.
The eddies closed round the white lit
tie face, the noisy leaping water
dashed down the poor little fighting
hands and drowned the puny cries.
The search for the corpse extended
over many days; but it was aban-
doned at last in sheer despair, and
the world logged on again as usual.
AS the village cronies said to each
other ut the time, the bed Of the river
could keep its secrets well. There
fore. If Alicia Leigh, grown weary Of
living perehance, had sought grave
deep down among the powders and
dark waving water weeds, 1t was
more than probable that the simple
folk of Garth had seen the last of her,
either alive or dead.
But this, of course, was nonsense
utter nonsense Had not Sir Ruy
Penrith himself departed only that
very morning? Pray, what more
likely, then, than that the girl, acting
on some previous understanding,
should follow and join him in the
evening? Those sly quiet girls were
always The worst at bottom; evidently
she had manoeuyred to catch the
fancy of the young master OF Old
friars with her pretty face and slen-
der shape And pray, would she be
fool enough to expect Sir Ruy to
marry herr wondered Garth indig-
nantly. Why, the mink ought to be
brought back and tarred and feath-
cred for her pains, as wholesome
lesson to the other young maids who
might. perhaps. be tlightily inclined?
SO great eommohon was occasioned
in the village by the disappearance of
Alicia Leigh.
The last thing that night Lady Pen
rith summoned the housekeepcr.-N Mrs.
Quine by name, and n native of Garth
TO her dressing room, and spoke to
her of Alicia Leigh The chamber
..a, 1tnN. {l,,,.A ,,r4,S INIT pyn fnnnr