Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-09-23
CHAPTER XVII.

l against the flesh and the devil!"-The
, Maid of Honor.
The horror stricken spectators of the
!, catastrophe stood for minute inert
} and speechless, -stupefied by it's sud
denness and awful rapidity. Then
with one accord they hurried down to
the level shore of the torrent, moved
by the unanimous idea that they might
possibly succeed in rescuing Sigurd's
frail corpse from the sharp teeth of
the Jagged rocks, that, piercing up
wards through the foam of the roar
ing rapids, were certain to bruise,
tear, and disfigure it beyond all recog-
milton. But even this small satisfac-
ton was denied them. There was no
sign of floating or struggling body
anywhere visible. And while they
kept an eager lookout, the light in the
heavens slowly changed. From burn
ing crimson 1t softened to a tender
amethyst hue, as smooth and delicate
as the glossy pale tint of the purple
clematis,-and with it the rosy foam of
the Fall graduated to varying tints
of pink, from pink to tender green, and
lastly, it became as a shower of amber
wine. Gudmar spoke first in a voice
broken by deep emotion.
"'Tis all over with him, poor lad!"
he said, and tears glittered thickly in
his keen old eyes. "And-though the
gods, of a surety, know best--this is
an end | locked not for! A mournful
home-returning shall we have-for
how to break the news to Thelma is
more than | can tell"
And he shook his head sorrowfully
while returning the warm and SYM
pathizing pressure of Errington' s
! hand.
you see," he went on, with a visit
full look at the grave and compassion
ate face Of his accepted son-in-law-
1.-The boy was no boy of mine. it's true
and the winds had more than their
share of his wits-yet-we knew him
from a baby-and my wife loved him
for his sad estate, which he was not to
blame for. Thelma, too--he was her
first playmate"
no more, but turned abruptly away,
brushing one hand across his eyes, and
was silent for many minutes. The
young men, too, were silent,-Sigurds
determined suicide had chilled and
slckened them. Slowly they returned
to the hut to pass the remaining hours
Of the night-though sleep was, of
course, after what they had witnessed
impossible. They remained awake,
therefore, talking in low tones of the
fatal event. and listening to the SOL
emn sigh of the wind through the
pines, that sounded to Errington's ears
like a monotonous forest dirge. He
seen the unhappy creature whose wan
dering days had just ended,-of that
scene in the mysterious shell-cavern,-
of the wild words he had then uttered
how strangely they came back to
Philips memory now!
you have come as thief in the
golden midnight, and the thing you
seek is the life of Sgurd! Yes-yes!
it is true-the spirit cannot die! You
must kill, you must steal-see how the
blood drips, drop by drop, from the
heart of Sigurd! and the jewel you
steal, -ah! what a jewel! You shall
not find such another in Norway"
], Was not the hidden meaning of these
incoherent phrases rendered somewhat
J, clear now? though how the poor lads
disordered imagination had been able
thus promptly 10 conjure up with such
} correctness an idea of Errington's flu
i. ture relations with Thelma, was a rid
die impossible of explanation. He
: thought too. with 4 sort of generous
remorse, of that occasion when Sigurd
had visited him on board the yacht to
implore him to leave the Altenfiord
He realized everything inchoate
desires Of the resolute being, who
though intensely capable of loving,
! felt himself in dim, sad way, un-
worthy of love.--the struggling pas
sions In him that clamored for utter
ance-the instructive dread and jeal-
cusy of rival, while knowing that he
was both physically and mentally I'M
fitted to compete with one,--all these
things passed through Philips mind,
and filled him with most profound
pity for the hidden sufferings, the tor
lures and inexplicable emotions which
had racked Sigurds 6arkened soul.
And still busy with these reflections,
he turned on his arm as he lay, and
whispered softly to his friend who was
!, close by him
, Il say, Lorimer,--I feel as If had
{ been to blame somehow in this affair."
: II | had never ccme on the scene Sig
/ urd would still have been happy in his
+ own way
) Lorimer was silent After a pause
ErriI gton wen. on still in the sane
| low tone
I Ito be Continued.)