Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-03-28

not, he thought, clear EveNd without
bctrayiuS him,
AMI then he considered lis position
in the church, his elcva;' on in mems
mines, the influence he had upon his
generation an influences depending en-
rirely on moral SpotlexSSncSS, and asked
what sin could equal that Of running
his own career Of exceptional useful
ness? To comfort the morbid ternDrS
Of 4 dying reprohate was he ~ bring
disgrace upon the national church, OF
which he WAS a chief ornament; nay,
upon the very Christianity Of which he
had been SO famous teacher? Was
he To blast the prospects Of his inno-
cent children; to bring ruin on them
and disgrace upon his aged father and
upon the honored name that even his
base born son reverei? The thing was
the moro monstnous it appeared.
Then he rcmomhertd how cruel Fate
had been 10 him. how good his iu-
tentionS ever We're, how far he had
been from dreaming one Of the con-
sequences which wrapped him round
now in net Of such complicated
meShing. As to Alma, it turned him
sick to think Of Il sin which his in.
most soul loathed; he must have been
mad. possessed, suffering from some
supernatural assault of the powers of
darknesSS-and he had repented.
Heaven alone knew how bitterly
He thought Of the fatal hour when
he disguised himself In his friends
dress, with no thought but the desire
Of escaping recognition and dread Of
bringing scandal upon his cloth, never
dreaming that he would be mistaken
for Evcard, who wits singularly I'M
Ike him in face and manner, He
Thought of the heavy stick he had
taken. simply because a man likes to
have something in his hand, and which
he had thrown away before the Strug
gle; on Ben Lees unexpected appear
ancc, Of his own wish TO appcasc the
anger Of the man he had So cruelty
wronged; of Lees rufbridled fury; Of
the violence of his assault upon him:
and Of the fatal blow which had been
dealt with no i'll intention, but was
merely the rebound Of that which Lee
was dealing him.
In all this he felt that he had been
the sport of cruel destiny, the fool
of Fortune. And had he not suffered
enough to atone for more than men
could ever impute to him. He thought
Of the wife of his youth. first estrangcd
and then fading before him; of the
sweet faces Of his children, and the
graves which closed over them in their
loveliest bloom, just rs each had twin
Ell itself round his heart. He thought
Of his son and his hopeless atillction,
and his heart blcd
Yet he intended to 90 to the dying
woman. But not Immediately, he had
pressing duties to perform first, and
who knew what might turn up in the
meantime? Besides, he needed time
for thought before meeting her.
In the afternoon there came second
message from the sick woman, bidding
him come that day, as she might not
live to see another. He could not
come at the moment, having just then
an engagement that could not be post
poned; he promised, with sick heart
to come in an hours time.
The hour passed He took his hat
and yet fingered, going back to give
some message to Marion, then again
to look into Everard's study and see
how he was getting on; then at last he
issued from beneath the light colon
made before his door, and set his face
toward the hospital. He had not left
the close when messenger from the
hoS. jtal met him, and gave the dean
Il note, which he opened with trembling
fingers. 1t was to inform him that
Alma was dead.
He turned swiftly back, and did not
stop till he reached home, entered his
study, and locked the door: then he
threw himself into a chair, laid his
arms on the table, and. letting his face
fan upon them, burst into tears and
sObbed heavily for some time. Some
thing had turned up, after all and he
was spared the horror Of that dreaded
interview, and could only hope that
Alma's secret had died with her.
He did not leave his study until 1t
was time to go to the cathedral. which
he did with sense of unspeakable
relief. The reaction after last nights
agony and to-day's conflict made him
see everything in the brightest colors,
and a delicious languor fell upon his
wcarled brain, laDguor so deep that
he felt incapable of rousing himself to
the effort Of preaching His was, how
ever, one of those finely strung, ner-
vous natures which respond to the will
as thoroughbred horse does to the
whip, and do what Is required Of them
In sniin Of ha1lstian IN to tho Lat