Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-02-13
Mrs. Knox, full Of yelled reproaches at

Mrs. Knox, full of yelled reproaches at
the disappointment she had experienced,
and openly expressing discomfort with the
life she was leading now at home alone.
Jenny determined to visit her home,
and told Mrs. Dene of her intention. Dur
ing the forenoon she started.
Come again, Jenny" Mrs. Dene said,
wistfully, as she pressed her lips to the
girls fresh face at parting.
Indeed, indeed, I WILL" was the eager
reply, and waiting to say no more than
a ''good-by," lest she should betray how
loath she was to leave, Jane went quickly
from her presence and the house.
She met no one on her homeward way;
and even when she entered their own
drawing-room she found it empty. But
just as she had concluded that every one
was out Mrs. knox's voice in an adjoin-
ing room undeceived her.
Fortunately Mrs. Knox was too much
taken up with her grievances to notice
her daughters appearance when they
met Jenny was leaning back in the
chair she had taken a moment or two
before, and was gazing with distended
eyes on boot that her mother had
thrown angrily to the floor. The sole was
uppermost, and she had ample leisure to
see that it had just such triangular
mark as she alone had noticed on the
footprint near Jacob Lynn when he lay
dead that day in the deserted compound.
1t might be only coincidence, it is true;
but the mere suspicion was enough to
make her blood run cold and her heart
almost stop it's beating.
The magnitude of her discovery so
overwhelmed Jane that for moment all
capability of thought deserted her. Then
slowly, as one recovering from an illness,
digests first the simplest food, regret
stole across her still half-paralyZed mind,
that she should have done Stephen Prin-
sep such a cruel injustice. She even felt
a faint thrill Of pleasure at the thought
of his innocence; but almost Immediately
the remembrance of who it was that she
now knew to be guilty rendered all other
feelings weak and vague. Brain and be-
ing alike seemed saturated with the
knowledge that her father-her father
who had held her SO often in his arms,
soothed her childish SORROWS, and shared
her joys, and whom she had honored as
the best man she had ever known, or be-
lieved could be-he, her father, was a
murderer.
She could have shrieked aloud to have
relieved herself from the burden of her
restrained emotion, yet so silent, and so
often unguessed at, are the tragedies in
real life, that she sat still, making no
sign to betray the horror that had come
upon her. and her mother, all unknowing
of what through her agency had been re-
vealed, went on scolding in the same
high-pitched key. How soon, thought
Jane, would all these trifing worries
that now beset her vanish in thin air
were she to know the truth! But she
never must-she never must! The secret
should be between herself and heaven.
So strangely, often unwittingly, are all
our ideas tinged with thoughts of self
that, after the first shock had subsidized,
she remembered to be glad that she had
refused Major Larron.
"Now, Jenny, am ready" said Mrs.
Knox, leading the way from the room,
while silently Jane rose and followed.
''Well, and so you refused Major I4arron.
I can't tell you how disappointed was
when I got the letter, and your father
looked quite as if some one had struck
him, so dumfounded. He had been more
like what he used to be, since told him
that I thought, was almost sure, in fact
you would marry Major Larron. And
this morning he was unbearable. First
one thing and then another was wrong,
uutil loSI Lily leAhpeA wv anu 0ii0 " 49,
back. Then he grew furious, and said
had been to blame for alias though
had not been as eager as he could be to
see you happily settled-and that your
life would be ruined, with lot more
which seemed to have no sense. l sup
pose it is these letters in the papers,
though nobody takes any notice OF them,
am sure. Every one knows, and we can
nrove that we were in the house all day,
even if it were possible or probable that
a little thing like you could kill strong
man like Jacob Lynn"
II wish we had never known him. He
has been the cause of all our trouble"
cried Jane, with an anger she felt I'M
reasonable, yet could not restrain.