The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-08-21
CHAPTER Kill
ELSIE SURPRISES EVERYBODY.

when Jack and Elsie were brought to
the surface. Millie was there, pale as
ashes, but fearless and full of resolu-
ton. Mrs Whitford and score Of
other women were ready at hand with
their services; for, alas, frequent acci-
dent had familiarized the women folk
to sights of suffering, as the clang of
the ambulance bell was often heard in
the land.
! Elsie was carried home, where she
lay on sofa propped with pillows, un-
dergoing a cross-examination by her
foster parents, while Archibald Dodd
stood glowering in the background,
eying the unfortunate girl malevolent-
ly but with the air of one who is not
quite certain of the trend of events.
II was sitting behind rock" Elsie
began slowly, when man ap-
preached, who stood close to newly,
1 could almost have touched him."
"Did you recognize him?" Dodd
leaned forward and asked eagerly.
/ Elsie paused. Trouble was teaching
her discretion. So, looking straight
into Dodd's eyes, she said with mean
ing that he could understand:
II cannot say that 1 recognized him."
'"This man was joined by another--a
tall, slouching person, who talked with
him for several minutes"
Dodd asked gently:
"You heard what they said, dear
child?"
every word"
"Ah!"
eyes. Their conversation divulged a
plot to murder Wilders by sending him
on FOOLS errand down into the bottom
of the mine, where one of them, hired
to do it by the other, had half cut into
the rungs of the lowest ladder"
"The dastardly villains" cried the
corporal, now keenly interested. well,
what then, lass?"
''Oh, you've heard the rest. I went
down to him and 1 suppose l saved his
life"
"And brave lass thou art" the cor
poral cried, exultingly. "The whole
country will be talking O. thy pluck"
Then Dodd said very significantly:
"Brave-and what is better than brave
wise. The maiden has shown dis
cretion beyond her years."
Though she resolved as q matter Of
policy to hide Dodd's share of the crime,
Elsie made up her mind that it would
be impossible to remain under the same
roof with him. so in the course of a
couple of days she announced to her
mother an intention of visiting the
.Wilders' to take care of their little boy,
whilst Millie was nursing her sick hus-
band.
To her surprise but little objection
was made to the proposition, and even
what little there was was overruled by
Dodd, who evinced the greatest desire
to curry favor with her
Before she left home, however, she
determined to come to an understand
ing with him, and the opportunity Of
fered itself that very day.
"Mr. Dodd, one word with you," she
said, abruptly for trouble had made
Elsie more self-reliant.
with pleasure, my dear child"
This very unctuously.
II wanted to tell you that did rec
ognize the man who came first to the
spot near the rocks on Thursday"
'Oh no, my dear child, you did not.
You denied that you had done so in the
presence Of two witnesses"
"Ah"
"Now for my part, Elsie, am con-
vinced that the whole scene of the
rocks was an hallucination of a slightly
disordered mind. You see you suffered
afterwards q great mental strain
and"
'Villain!"
flush, tush! Do not profane your
- y lips by fashioning ugly words.
probably did hear two passers-by
m,A.ion the fact that they had seen
Mr.. Wilders go down the mine, and
knowing its deplorable condition, you
very heroically - as for those sawn
rungs-"
"Wen!'
"There is ample proof that they were
cut more than a month ago"
"You have prepared your defense
well, SIR"
"My defense! What are you thinking
of, child?"
But" she added, impressively, heed.
less of his mocking interruption, 'ii
that man l speak of ever molests or
annoys me by word or deed, shall
without another word of warning de.
nounce him."
"And l should think that he would
appreciate your discretion and give you
no cause to regret such an exceedingly
wise resolution"
"That will do, sir; we understand
each other"
Elsie met with a warm welcome al
the Wilders'. Millie was hysterical in
her gladness to clasp her in her arms
calling her the preserver Of her Jack
who sadly spoiled the poetry of the in
tSrview by calling from his sick room
to the young women to let him share
the Joy of Elsie's advent.
"Oh, you brave darlin'," he said, with
tear running down his bronzed cheek
II amt no great shakes on speechifyin'
but when l think that but for you
should have been now in kingdom
come, never have seen Mile nor the lit
tie kid again, never-confound it, wife
what are yer blubberin' at-why, what
mean ter say is you've got friend fel
life in Jack Wilders, who won't fai
you in the hour Of need.n