Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-05-16
STRANGE ADVENTURE
To Be Continued.

,,t.r,uehout those houts VI! oit VI
tI. lay ID my pocket. turned
aS D" n.y al.a then with my hand.
\ u's prol oundly calm day; the
= ahlh,e ii t4e pens over the paper.
sc'" aann,llr Of i blind the examina-
y" ~, Stiffness persading the place, had
sonordc effee once Mr.. Marston
I'll Nh, throat rather loudly;
90 -, ouiltik. my nerves being quite
SUI ,,.,,nd nv suspense. AT dinner | ate
r and afterNard finding myself in
oy,mination-ln making prepara-
~ for the last time, j was in an
orony between hesitation and resolve.
rhe pupils came in, and with more
i,n ran uScal settled 30 their
places. . 49,
rbo last moment of my opportunity
ta1 arrived: once this was past, l
Ensw unfailin=.g that could and
should do nothing.
door slammed, and well-hnowD
-.,ad was heard in the passage. My
I'M rose in last effort; | seized my
lot,ar rot to his table, placed 1t upon
IN papers, and had reached my own
ia before his leisurely step paused at
the door.
After that. something like an ague
t,ok me. There l sat at my table
ual'ing for my bomb to explode. And
there sat Mr.. Marston at his with his
offcial air, every now and then glanc-
inc over the rows of girls. Had he
Seen nv letter? | calculated that his
elbow rested upon it at this moment.
His manner affected me cruelty; eX-
nprenccd violent heart palpitation, and
bolding on 10 the table with both
hands, began to watch him frankly,
disguise and pretence being no longer
possibe. He moved; yes! his elbow
had been on it; he saw it for the first
time and took it UP with L,fancied, a
slight look of surprise Then he
pushed it aside unopened and set to
work to write. This writing of. his
used up three quarters of the time; he
kept to it with assiduity. Meanwhile
experienced torments. At length
he pressed the blotting-paper over the
writing, at the same time looking
around the room with his usual aloof
air. 1t was the last time | was ever
TO see that expression on his face; the
next instant his hand was again upon
my letter.
The same slight air of doubt which
he had worn before came into his face;
he Scrutnized the cover, opened it,
took out the old registered envelope,
and-dropped it on the table, snatching
back his hands and staring as though
it bad been live serpent!
As for myself so intense was my
sympathy with my fellow-creature in
this horrible moment that my breath
would scarcely come, and forced my
self to watch by sheer strength of will.
Have YOU seen Il snowdrift gradually
change and dispense under the suns
power? Something Of that kind began
to happen to Mr.. Marston's face. The
muscles, the fine compact texture, APP
pearel to be passing from his control
the strength and GOODNESS forsook it,:
slowly cruelty, the color altered-first
blight, and then flush deeper and
deeper every moment dyed it from
chin to brow. He seemed to have lost
Consciousness of his surroundings, to
forget that lie was watched. Slowly
lifting the envelope again, he drew
out the four ten-pound notes and
spread them before him. Then his
head dropped, and an aspect of humil-
iaton against which he made no effort
10 contend. settled upon him.
For how many minutes he kept this
attitude do not know At last he be-
gan to raise his head but tllis | could
uoi bear. lnstinetively | knew f1Iat
AUS eyes would seek mine, and | Gould
hoi WaiC 70 feel those Inundated rays
IoucA me- Rising, made for the door
y blnd haste and rushed away from
iae scene | had created.
Ill
vas fortunately preserved from the
remarks my sudden and quite unsys-
eNatle exit from the examina ton
room would in ordinary times have
brought upon me by an event which
'lFe" Miss Murray into so much agi-
@Uon that She failed to notice the de-
'd.iS NJ amy ones conduct.
oae VI THE girls had been ailing FOR
Sll'e iaW days, and during the hours
.Als iinal examination the doctor
"0d called ana pronounced the disease
=! pe Srariatina. Therefore when Miss
NN'FaF met me flying down the pass
age before the examination was over
s'' forgot the irregulaIity of the pro-
yolhs IN relief at finding me free to
iNe Jhog 70 be accomplished al
,A't WA The clearance OF the house
'"n pupil, - That the rest Of the
9aE Nas necessarily occupied in
P.aI them to pack and making
44S l2t hurried departures. Miss
'-.''| upefintended the isolation of
' s'h pupil and the arrangements
' .'e nursing, and by dint of the or
'''e's and efficiency of the estab-
's-.Ieu' we settled everything. and
t'rl he house before the afternoon
e following day.
h"S thlthef planned that Miss
W3n greatly needed d change,
proceed n once for her holiday;