Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-17

from the house-had disappeared no
body for certain could tell how or
whittier.
She had taken nothing with her, it
was proved; she had left no clue be-
hind her. She was gOne-had van
ished-and 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 mans face. Not they indeed!
This narrow winding river, it was
true, had gotten an evil name, not
withstandirg its picturesque beauty
and bright surroundings, for its deep
invisible bed was known to be rugged
with trea cherous powders and
sunken trunks of fallen trees, beneath
which lurked holes fathomless and
horrible, with many a swift circling
eddy sweeping over its restless bosom,
as it rushed and leaped between steep
wooded banks on its course to the dis
tant sea.
One cold. dark December night.
when Ruy Penrith was boy, a ped
der had missed his way about a 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, a youngster,
playing along the bank, tripped on a
stone and vanished in a 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 at the time, the bed Of the river
could keep it's secrets well. There
fore, if Alicia Leigh, grown weary OF
living perchance. had sought a grave
deep down among the powders and
dark waving water weeds, it 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 We're
always the worst at bottom; evidently
she had manoeuvred 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 tC
marry her? wondered Garth indig,
nantly. Why, the mink ought to be
brought back and tarred and feath-
cred for her pains, as a wholesome
lesson to the other young maids who
might, perhaps, be TIGHTLY inclined
So great commotion was occasioned
in the village by the disappearance OF
Alicia Leigh.
The last thing that night Lady Pen
rith summoned the housekeeper-Mrs
Quine by name, and a native Of Garth
to her dressing-room, and spoke t.
her of Alicia Leigh. The chamber
was dim; there was but one taper
burning Oh the table; nevertheless
even in the subdued light the worthy
woman was literally dumbfOunded
at the expression of her mistress
face, at her mien altogether
''Never let me hear the girls name
mentioned again." Lady Penrith said,
in a strange, hollow voice. In my
hearing never let it be breathed again.
Do you hear do you understand?
wish you to let the servants know
that henceforward l will dismiss on
the spot the first, either man Or
woman, who speaks to me of Alicia
Leigh. You may go, Mrs. Ounce
And Mrs. Ounce, scared out of her
wits, crept down to the servants hall,
and told the men and maids as
sembled there that the disgrace which
Sir Ruy Penrith had brought upon
his house had turned her proud lady
ships luxuriant fair hair to tress es
of dismal gray.
Perhaps the only person who be-
lieved in Sir Rugs innocence was
Herman Merryweather, the agent and
friend of the family.
Hes not the lad to do so bad q
thing" he said to himself, thought
fully. He's too much like his father
to commit so base an act. The Uoy
may be careless, selfish perhaps, "a
dreamer stepped in Dreams; but some
how l cannot bring myself to think
that young Ruy Penrith would de
liberately wrong a woman. No; there
must be some other solution to the
riddle of this fitting Alicia Leigh"
Lady Penrith had become an altered
woman, and the change in her was
remarkable. She shut herself up at
Oldfriars, and would see nobody.
People called there, but she sent them
away. 1t was whispered in Garth
that Sir Rugs disgrace was breaking
the proud mothers heart; at any rate,
it was known-and the fact was
freely commented upon-that sorrow