Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-02-17

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her aid, and by means of which they
had all reached home much before
Agnes, who waited up for them, had
expected.
1t was her turn now to aid her I'M
happy friend in her distress; and
when Tom had been reassured-for,
poor lad, he had been in a terrible
highland had taken his departure,
and little Ida, having heard her
mother voice once more, had gone
off into deep sleep, the girl sat by
the bed where the woman lay. utterly
Frustrated, by the memory Of the
terrible vision. that had sent the
blood back to her heart, like q sum
mons from the dead.
YES, it was him. she faltered. lit
must have been sent to warn me-oht
had no business there--it was no
place indeed for me, with such grief as
mine, with such q fault to atone for
oh! it was fearful warning-I shall
never cease to see it, never"
Her friend, in the possession OF her
clearer reason, attempted to reason
with her; but Mrs. Franklen repulsed
the arguments the other urged.
"My husband was not lost at sea, :"
she said, shudderingly, che was muir
dered-murdered, crullly and by a
horrible man; he could not have been
saved, as you say; you don't know,
! Agnes, you don't know. Oh!' she
moaned, Il shall never cease to see it,
never!'
But the younger woman full well
knew the Importance OF at once dis
persing, if possible, this phantom OF
the brain, as she believed it, ere it had
taken too firm a hold upon the mind.
She persevered.
''Did the face seem to look at you?"
asked she; edo speak, dear, and tell
me ALL it will ease You, am sure. and
everything seems so much worse with
brooding over. Was what you saw
like a living everyday man, and did
he look at your"
NO." said Nelly, fearfuIly, her voice
sinking to a whisper, "no, it's eyes
were looking far above my head, up
to the sky, it's face was turned to
wards me, but it would not look at
me. Oh, let me pray, Agnes let me
pray" and She slid trenlb-
ling down upon her knees by
| UuG OGilSlQO, uGlNC liOb pLet yTN
enough. [ had no business in that
place, God forgive me-
Then she poured out the servent pc
tition for forgiveness and strength to
bear her punishment, which had be
come familiar to her lips, and the girl,
with bent head and reverent ears,
listened to the strange, urgent, pas
sionate words, and from her heart re-
sponded.
II ought not to spare myself" she
said, when they had sat some little
time together; II did not tell you all =
And she related the whole OF her his
tory from the first error OF her
maiden days to it's fatal result-omit-
ting only the finding OF that gastly
witness; she could not bring herself to
speak of what seemed ever q dread
secret confided only to herself
1t was we'll indeed for the little Ida
that Tom Greious, from that night
henceforth transferring his attention
by the altitude of two flights OF stairs,
became by degrees the constant visitor
of the third floor back, which Nelly
and her child inhabited.
The fact is, in spite Of T0m's deyo-
ton to his first friends, he had been
SO constantly met by objections and
resistance on the part OF Agnes, her
independence had SO frequently CALLED
him, even in the accepting OF his servi-
ces, that the transfer of his friendship
was by no means the difficult matter
it might otherwise have been.
Nelly had achieved the purpose so
long looked forward to, had emanci-
pated the pledged ring, and felt once
more as if she had some holdupont the
ho+ter portion OF her life by this frail
link.
.one answered Ida's pretty chatter,
and gave her opinion on variety OF
subjects, chiefly relating to Tom, and
books, and book-making, in amanMer
very satisfactory to the little one. till
she pFattled herself off to sleep, and
the mother was left to her own
thoughts, to her prayers, and to the
sad luxury OF revlsiting those vigilant-
ly-hoafded relies OF mystery, and Of
she scarcely knew what crime and
horror
AS She laid the old-fashionedi RING
beside the skeleton hand OF Whlclh It
seemed almost to form a part, she
vowed within herself that nothing
should ever part them while she liMad.
1t. might be some ten days afterthis,
when, sitting with her child beside her
i'm tine waning twilight, she was startled
by knocking at the door, and all
most ere she could answer, by bidkaing
the visitor ''come iD,' a man entered,
apparently aged and slightly bent; by
that uncertain light he seemed cleanly
but very poorly dressed, and hisNhite
ha5r somewhat profusely hung almost
upon his shoulders from beneath the
Lat, which heremoved, as he advanced
into the room with hasty and some
what uncertain steps.
Pardon me, dear Mrs Franklen, y
he began. ''forgive me if Iseem agitated:,
YOU are Mrs. Franklen?"
Nelly, in surprise assentedl.
II heard it, | was told So. OH,
dear, the surprise has taken AWAY the
little strength have; oh, to, find lit at