The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-02-13


Rachie; pleasant dreams to youn
He raised his hat iauntily from hi:
| light curls. and disappeared into the
woods where the fire flies were glow
/ ing through the purple dusk, and the
full moon, round and beautiful as {
shield Of quivering fire, was rising be
hind the tree-tops.
1t was nearly a half an hour after.
wards, and Rachel Piercy was still
sitting on the curved trunk Of the
gnarled weeping birch tree. when a
1 tender hand fell on her.
Hebert."
Then it is yourself, Rachel. and nc
wrath Ny dearest what are yOu
doing here?"
Il have been walking" said Rachel.
with a guilty tinge in her cheek.
Walking, and alone? But that re
minds me. Rachel. to warn you against
crossing the bridge over the river in
your various wanderings. Yesterdays
/ violent storm washed away the sup
ports, the boards are all displaced and
for day or two it will be quite i'm
passable. My love, how pale you arer'
Pale, am [? Nay, Herbert, it Is
nothing more than the effect Of the
moonlight"
Then the moonlight is very ca
priciOus artist, for you are rosy enough
now," laughed Montpensier, Shall
we return to the house now my moth
er will wonder what has become of Won
Arcyou not surprised to see me here TO
night, instead of TO morrow morning?"
lie had to repeat the question twice
before Rachel seemed to comprehend
the meaning: and even then her an
swer was Vague and wide of the poirt.
She has over tired herself. my poor
little Rachel" thought Herbert Mont
pensier. Il must not let her take such
long walks in future"
Ii he could have known the wild
triumphant throbbing Of her heart.
the exultant hope that was springing
mp within her.
He was to cross that bridge. she
thought; he was to cross it in the dusk
and shadow, Il see the end Of nv
long, long trials near at hand,'
Ali that evening Rachel's laugh was
sweetest and most musical her eve
bright and her cheeks flushed with
feverish bloom. And when. towards
midnight, she retired to her room.
Mrs. Montpensier turned to her son
and exclaimed, admlringly:
How beautiful she is,'
Nice lOinr.r-s- 1 I
asleep, by the shaded lamp as her mis-
tress entered; she started up at the
click Of the latch.
You need not sit up any longer.
Mason" said the young lady pleasant
ly. Il have letters to write and when
they are finished I will brush my own
hair"
Thank you, Miss" said the s,eepv
handmaiden, very heartily, and Rach-
el Piercy was LEFT alone.
But she never opened her inlaid
writing desk. For nearly an hour she
sat in silence, waiting for every sound
to die ont within the house Then.
when all was husband and still. she
rose and shrouding her silk draperies
once more in the dark folds of the
black clock, she stole down stairs and
out a garden door, as nOiselesslv and
light as floating vapor.
The full moon still rode high in the
violent dark heavens. and the pathway
down to the woods was nearly as light
as day. La the copse, however, it was
much darker, except where the white
radiance tiickered down through NOV
ing leaves and densely foliated branch
es, all sparkling and dripping with
dew. Still she kept on, until the sill
yer CLEAN of the river flashed between
the tree trunks kept on until she
stood close to the treacherous bridge.
1t was as she had thought. One or
two boards had fallen from the floor
ING the rail was gone And leaning
over the steep bank. Rachel's eager
eye caught the white, ghastly CLEAN
Of something far below, which was
neither white rock, nor group of wat
er flowers.
\ narrow foot-path wound down the
abrupt declivity Rachel hurried over
the wet grass and sharp stones. heed
less of her trailing dress and light kid
slippers, until she reached the very
shore of the river
She was prepared for the ghastly
sight, she had known what she was to
behold yet a chill of icy horror seem
ed to grasp her heart as Malcolm
Wayne's dead face stared up into
hers, white and rigid as if carved in
in stone. He had been immediately
killed by the fall, she knew if by the
way his arm was doubled up under
him, and the cruel rocks against
which his head had f8llen.
With hand that trembled like the
quivering aspen leaves, Rachel stop
ped and drew the fatal letters from his
breast pocket, where she had seen
them placed the evening before.
Il am not robhing the dead-I am
but recovery my ownr' she repeated
shudderingly to herself, as with one
last look at the evil, handsome face
that had once been so dear to her
face where the sneer seemed vet TO
linger in its rigidty she fitted away.
with the letters clasped closely to her
heart,
The light burned quietly beneath
/ the shade as she once more entered
her own room. She walked stIaight
to the lamp, removed its globe. and
held the yellow letters above the white
spire of flame held them until the
last burning fragment scorched hel
/ lovely slender finUprS And thp0
when all that was of them was a few
feathery tufts of ashes. Rachel threw
herself on the sofa with a wild burst
Of tears and sobs-the first tears she
I had shed for weeks.
Free, free at last she walled
with her face buried in the pillows
and her heart throbbing with mex
pressible thankfulness.
She was very pale the next morn
ing, when they told her at the break
fast table, of the dreadful fate tha