The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-02-22

ELsiE SURPRISES EVERYBODY.

| ashes, but fearless and fulr of rcsolu-
| ton. Mrs. Whitford and n score OF
other women were ready at hand with
their services; for, alas, frequent acct
| dent had familiarized the women folk
70 sights of suffering, as the ciang of
the ambulance bell was often heard In
| the land.
Elsie was carried home, where she
lay on q sofa propped with pillows, I'M
dcrgoing cross-examination by her
foster parents, while Archibald Dodd
stood glowering In the background,
eying the unfortunate girl malcvolent-
ly but with the mir OF one who Is not
quite certain OF the trend OF events.
~ was sitting behind rock" Elsie
began slowly, when man APP
preached, who stood close to newly,
could almost have touched him"
Ibid you recognize him?" Dodd
leaned forward and asked eagerly.
Elsie paused. Trouble was teaching
her discretion. So. looking straight
into Dodd's eyes, she said with a mean
ing that he could understand:
II cannot say that recognized him. !"
This man was joined by another-a
tall, slouching person, who talked with
him for several minutes"
Dodd asked gently:
"You heard what they said, dear
child?"
Every word"
"Ahl"
Eyes. Their conversation divulged
plot TO murder WiIders by sending him
on fools errand down into the bottom
of the mine, where one of them, hired
TO do it by the other, had half cut into
the rungs of the lowest ladder"
THE dastardly villainsr" cried the
corporal, now lseenly interested. We'll,
what then, lass?"
.'Oh, you've heard the rest. / went
down to him and suppose / saved his
life"
"And brave lass thou art" tho cor
poral cried, exultingly. 'The whole
country win be talking o. thy pluck"
Then Dodd said very significantly:
"Brave-and what Is better than brave
wise. The maiden has shown dis
erection beyond her years"
Though she resolved as a matter of
policy to hide Dodd's share OF the crime,
Elsie made up her mind that IL would
be impossible To remain under the same
roof with him; so in the course of
couple of days she announced to her
mother an intention of visiting the
Wilders' TO take care OF their little boy,
whilst Mile was nursing her sick hus-
band.
To her surprise but little objection
was made To the proposition, and even
what little there was was overruled by
Dodd who evinced the greatest desire
to curry favor with her
Before she left home, however, she
determined TO come To an understand
ing with him, and the opportunity of
fered itself that very day.
''Mr. Dodd, one word with you,n she
said, abruptly, for trouble had made
Elsie more self-reliant.
"With pleasure, my dear child"
This very unctuously.
II wanted TO tell you that / did rec
ognize the man who came first TO the
spot near the rocks on Thursday"
''Oh no, my dear child. you did not.
You denied that you had done SO in the
presence of two witnesses"
"Ahin
"Now for my part, Elsie. am con-
vinced that the whole scene of the
rocks was an hallucination Of a slightly
disordered mind. You see you suffered
afterwards q great mental strain
and"
"villainl"
"Tush, tushi Do not profane your
pretty lips by fashioning ugly words.
You probably did hear two passers-by
mention the fact that they had seen
Mr.. Wildcrs 90 down tho mine, and
knowing its deplorable condition, you
very heroically - as for those sawn
rungs-"
"Wellp
"There Is ample proof that they were
cut more than a month ago"
"You have prepared your defense
well, SIR"
"My defensel What are you thinking
of, child?"
But" she added, impressively, heed
less OF his moclxing interruption, ''if
that man / speak OF ever molests or
annoys me by word or deed, shall
without another word of warning de-
nounce him"
"And should think that he would
appreciate your discretion and give you
no cause 20 regret such an exceedingly
wise resolution"
"That will do, sir; we understand
each other"
Elsie met with n warm welcome aS
the Wilders' Millic was hystcrical In
her gladneas TO clasp her in her arms,
calling her tho presorvcr of her Jack.
who sadly spoiled the poetry Of the in
tervicw by calling from his sick room
90 tho young women 10 let him share
the Joy OF Elsic's advent.
ooh, you brave darlin'," he said. with
tear running down his bronzed check.
81 amt no great shakes ON specchifyin',
but when / think that but for you
should have been now In kingdom
come. never have seen Mile nor the lit
tic kid again, never-cunfound IL. wife,
what are yer hlubbcrin' at-xvhv what