Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-02-27

ger.
Ihis secre: interview lasted for about
an hour, at the end of which Charles
heard the footsteps coming down the
room toward the door, and deemed it
proper TO withdraw from his pest of
observation. But Mr.. Charles limbs
Were so stiff and numb from long
kneeling that it was no easy matter
to rise, .while at the same time there
was imminent danger of his being dis
covered in the act of listening when
his master should open the door.
With a last desperate effort he strug-
gled upon his feet; and then. as for
tune crowns us when we least expect
her TO do SO, he had the satisfaction OF
oyerhearing something. 1t was the
voice of his master, saying in a tone
Of anguish:
You are a fiend, a fiend! H never
cast forth n blacker one to blast this
fair earth!"
And the moment after Mr.. Elverton
pulled open the door, and hurried
forth-alone! He crossed the hall. en-.
tered the drawing room and shut the
door after him.
Charles stared after his master. and
then looked to the right and to the
left, before and behind, above and be-
low and everywhere else, to see with
err the stranger had vanished, but in
vain, for the earth seemed to have
swallowed her.
Then he entered the library, and
turned on the full light of the gas,
and searched every nook and Granny,
stlii in vain. Finally, he came to the
conclusion that the stranger had been
let out through n of the French
windows that opened from the library
upon the lawn.
And having fully settled that
part of the mystery to his salts.
faction, Charles turned off the gas,
shut uD the library, and came back to
the hall, just in time to hear a wild
shrek and a very heavy fall from the
drawing room, and to see Mr.. Elverton
rush forth and run up stairs.
In a~stonishment and terror, Charles
hurried into the drawing room, where
to his farther CONSERVATION, he found
Mrs. Elverton extended upon the floor
in a dead Swoon. He fastened to sum-
mon the housekeeper and the iady's
maid, who came in great alarm TO the
assistance of their mistress.
Mrs. Elverton was carried to her
room, where every means was used to
restore her to consciousness. But when
she came to her senses it was only TO
fall into the most fearful rawlings, in
which was darby Swallowed forth a
calamity so direful, a grief so deep, a
shame so intense, as raised the hair
from the heads of the listeners with
horror.
The housekeeper ordered everyone
from the ROOM, that none should hear
these awful revelations. She also sent
to summon Mr.. Elyerton to tie bed
side of his wife, but the master OF the
house was nowhere to be found. In
her desperation, she dispatched Charles
for the medical attendant of the fam
lily; but it was lear morning bcf, re DR..
Watkins could reach Edenlawn.
On his arrival he repaired immedi-
ately to the chamber of the suffering
lady, but on hearing the appalling ma
ture of her rawlings. he warned the
housekeeper to permit NO one but her.
self to approach Mrs. Eiverton until
the latter should coy her senses.
During that morning the illness of
the lady assumed another phase, and
before noon an infant daughter was
prematurely ushered info life
But Mr.. Elverton was not there to
bless his first born; and though mes
sengers were dispatched in all direc-
tons to seek him, yet no ! could be
found to the whereabouts of the miss
ing master of the house.
Since the birth Of her child. Mrs. Ell
verton had fallen into no more rawlings,
but lay in a sort Of dull despair. To
rouse her from this state the infant, a
fine and healthy one, beautifully
I.I ~, ,,;nl - I.o. DIT t1,A
great black eyes of the mother dilated
with horror at the sight of her child,
and shuddering with excessive emo
ton, she turned away.
Seeing how terribly the mother was
agitated by the presence of the child,
the doctor ordered it to be carried to
the nursery, where a nurse was en-
gagged to take charge of it,
Meanwhile the visitors assembled at
Edenlawn had learned, from the con
fusion of the household, the illness of
the mistress. and the absence of the
master, that some great event, some
crushing calamity, had suddenly fallen
upon the family. Learning from the
physician that Mrs. Elverton was in no
condition even to receive their adieus,
they left with him their parting COM
pliments for her, and set out for town.
The convalescence OF Mrs. Elyerton
was very long protracted, but though,
during the rawlings Of her delirium, she
had shrieked forth the names Of her
husband and child in connection with
some u~nimagined horror. yet, from the
moment Of her return to reason, she
never once required TO the existence of
either. Her attendants wondered that
she never inquired after her husband;
but her physician warned them not to
force the subject upon her attention.
The babe was doing well in the nurs-
cry, but Mr.. Elverton had not yet re-
turned, nor had any clue been found
to his disappearance.
1t was a period Of three months dura-
ton before Mrs. Elverton was suffi-
GENTLY recovered from her severe ill
ness to make her appearance In the
drawing room, ard oh. how changed
from the naughty and beautiful wom-
an. who. some little time before, had
been brought. a loved and happy bride,
to Edenlawn.
The majestic form was indeed
the same, but every vestige of
color had fled from the classic
face, leaving it as white as
the chiselled marble il rescmbled. The