Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-03-12

| coH"locIdtlOn Tor MS daughter
mot his Wlfe) prompted him to substitute
she was mistaken"
mere was some talk of it. father"
confessed Jane, quietly; ''but it will never
be-"
Il am sorry for that. l had hoped-
hoped should like to see YOU settled
before"
Il know what you would say. father
have known it all for some time, and I
want TO help to conceal it. if I can"
Tic peefed at her through the gloom
with dllated eyes, afraid of mistaking her
meaning, through his guilty conscience
always dwelling on the one dreadful sub
Ject, yet her awe-struck tones might have
removed all doubt.
About Jacob Lynn" she went on, in a
whisper, and would have continued, but
his head dropped upon his hands, and he
groaned so deeply that she knew he had
| understood.
Yet he dare not raise his eyes toward
the daughter whose life, by his mad i'm
pulsive act, he had ruined
-'ot until Jane stole over to her fathers
side and drew his head on to her breast
did he venture to look I'D.
Then little by little the whole story was
drawn from his lips; how he had Met
Jacob Lynn that afternoon, intoxicated,
and stayed to demonstrate with him.
Give me your daughter and I will new
er drink again. had been the reply, with
a drunken laugh.
L would sooner see he's dead at my feet
than married to such a one as you,' the
Quartermaster had retorted warmly.
Then in his fury, scarcely knowing,
scarcely responsible for what he said, the
trooper had poured out such torrent of
abuse that it was with difficulty the other
| refralned from q reply. lie accused
Jane Of having schemed his removal from
Alipore that she might in the end marry
the Colonel; in his drunken rage he rallied
at her and called her names At last as
one foul epithet escaped his lips, the
Quartermaster could restrain himself no
longer. The fatal blow was given-only
one, vet so terrible in its results, and like
ly to be the undoing of them all.
" hen her mother entered the room to
keep her father company, Jane closed the
door softly and stole away, and at once
wrote Il note to Colonel Prinsep.
Dear Colonel Prinsep''-she began,
though she thought with a faint smile of
his suggestion, that as a penance she
should use his Christian name, she did
not do so then-"You said that when I
need it now. Will you come tomorrow
morning as early as you can? Yours sin
cerely. JANE kNON."
She dispatched it at once, and an hour
later received the reply:
Dear Jenny: l shall be with you to-
morrow morning at ten o'clock, without
fail. Be very sure that l will do for you
all that is i'll my power. Always your
friend, STEPHEN PRINSEP."
The following morning Jane was walk
ing on the road in front of the house soon
after nine o'clock. After further consid-
GRAFTON she thought it wiser not to wait
for Colonel Prinsep inside. Walls have
ears, and it would never do to risk the
danger Of any one oyerhearing their con-
versation Tired and overWrought by the
excitement through which she had gone,
it seemed an endless time before he came,
though really he was q little before the
appointed hour.
"You have been waiting for me-" he
exclaimed. 'Child, how tired you look!'
He had made a movement to lead her
back to the house, but she drew back.
Not there. Some place where there
is no chance of our being overheard. 1t
is something important l have to say,
or | should not have asked YOU to come
nothing. She was tired-in trouble-and
he had come to help her.
They turned into the compound of the
next bungalow which they remembered
was empty, yet for the moment, IN their
abstraction. had forgotten how 1T was
Jacob Lynn had been found dead there.
simultaneously they recollected, and
Colonel Prinsep would have taken her
away, but she resisted.
mThis place is as we'll as another; what
does il matter?' she said, YEARLY.
AT least. come into the sun and sit
down" he said, authoritativcly; and hav-
ing found her a seat that looked away
from the spot they had all such good
reason to remember, he waited patiently
for her to say more.
did you know" she began, abruptly
that my father had applied tor leave
homer
es. I knew it," he acknowledged
"And that it had been refused!
CAN such papers pass through my
bonds Yes. | knew it had been refused.
"And can't-will you tell NE why =
anxiously.
81 had a private letter this morning
ta,lino me- that all leave in the regiment
wonld be refused until the inquiry into
Ivnn,s death was completed he an
swered, slowly.
She gave a faint gasping cry tntll
now she had chung to the hope that there
might have been some trivial cause Tor
that ominous refusal, and it cost her
something to relinquish It. .,
rs that all you wanted to know ne
asked her presently, and for few mo-
ments received no reply. ~
LET me tell you quickly, then, it will
no less difficult to talk about. 1t Is
she spoke as though the words were pc pc
ine forced one by one from her lips-1t
is NV father who is guilty of that murder;
md I want you to tell me how best TO
screen him?''
81 have guessed that 1t was So ne re-
marked gravely; then as she turned SUI
denly pale and started 70 nei iee' ;a,.,,-.
rified by new fear Ne auuea' auie H.