River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-07-22

Barlow was not badly of for a work
ing young fellow Of p. lie had over
sos. week. with prospect Of more TO
come later or; his character had al
WAYS been exceedingly good; and his
master. whom he had been with from
boyhood. thought highly Of him Elsie
Bennett was pretty girl, whose good
looks had drawn more than one likely
sutton to ask her hand and favor. but
she had refused them all till Reginald
Harlow appeared. though many of
them seemed much more eligible than
did the grOcer's assistant.
And her father had approved her
choice. All had gone well till the day
before the wedding should have come
off. And then a strange thing hap
pened. Reginald Barlow disappeared!
Disappeared as completely and total
ly as if the earth had opened and swal-
lowed him up. His landlady said he
had left home for the shop, as usual, at
eight a. M. in excellent spirits. and had
ioked about going next morning on a
different business. That was the last
she had seen of him. His master testi-
fed that Barlow had never been near
the shop that day at all. And that
Was all the case. Where he had gone,
what he had done, nobody knew, aud
despite all efforts, both of detectives
and everybody else, nobody could find
out.
From that day to this none of his
friends, at any rate, had set eyes on
him, or knew why he had gone away.
II nearly killed Elsie Bennett. She
doubted not at all that he had been muir
dered. Just as she doubted not a. all in
his truth and loyalty to her, whilst liv-
ing. For weeks she had lain in a fever,
brought on by the she. k, and the state
Of Inconsistencies into which she had
fallen was a blessed relief from the
everlasting puzzle that had haunted
her mind. and the grief, the poignant
grief. that had assailed il. And now,
though the long lapse of time. more
than six years, has served, as time al
ways does. TO blunt the keen edge of
the sorrow that had come to her. ye.
Elsie Benefits existence was one long
life of quiet sadness and of sly retire
ment. She devoted herself entirely to
the task of caring for her dear father,
now growing so old and every day more
feeble. and beyond that she took little
interest in what passed in the world
around her. Only now and then some
great deed. some particular event,
aroused her out of her half-lethargic
state. Just as this account of heroism
in Burmah had done. But she soon re-
lapsed again. as she did here, into her
dreamy sadness, and into wondering
several times n day what had been the
,ate of her lOng-lost lover.
II was some two months after the
vents narrated above in connection
tn the heroic act had taken place
that Robert Connell, private in the
til lancers, returned TO England-to
London-with his regiment, at the close
OF the struggle in the far east. News of
the Homecoming of the regiment had
circulated far - wide, and after he
Decentralization at the docks the regi-
ment was TO proceed to HOunslow, this
being its destination for some time
Those who had friends or relatives
amongst the men came down in troops
10 meet and welcome them. as the Ian
GERS. preceded by their own and other
bands, passed through the city on their
way e. me camp. But that great crowd
of cheering thousands was not come
only 10 see the brave men who had
fought in Bermah, though il 'hoOraed'
and applauded them vigorously and en-
Enthusiastically as they rode travel