The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-12-03
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
"My eyes are so heavy, Mrs. Rivers"
| said the faint voice. II wish you could
| talk me to Sleep"
They were alone now. and the fight for
life or death was to be lost or won that
night; alone with the grim angel whose
shadow lay on the fair, boyish face.
'You will tell me the truth, l know" he
said. Papa cried this evening when he
kissed me. Am in danger, Mrs. Rivers?
Am going TO de?'
There was such wondering awe on the
young face-such light and fear in the
large, bright eyes. she knew not how to
answer; yet she had been by too many
deathbeds to hesitate long.
I'VE hope not" she said, quietly. Life
and death are in Gods hands. If He
wants you. Rupert-if He calls you, you
will be willing to go:'
yes" he replied at is not that. | do
not think l am frightened. Heaven, they
say, is very fair, and God so good. L
wanted to know the truth. because of poor
| papa"
She knelt down by his side, and drew
the hot, tired head on to her breast; she
pillowed him in her tender arms, and
bending over him, whispered such words
as might have been spoken by angel lips
words so full of love, of mercy. of hope
SO glowing in their grand descriptions or
the land where there is no sorrow ana no
wrong that the boy listened as one en-
chanted.
You speak just as my mother did he
whispered, quietly; 'she always told me
every night about God, and the angels
and heaven. She used to sing pretty ut
| tie hymn. Do you know it?-'Paradse. ;"
Il know it, dear; l will sing it, if you
will try TO go to sleep. Shut your eyes
and iisten.''
The burning eyeltds closed slowly, and
Rupert lay still and motionless. There
was deep unbrokcn silence; then the sweet
voice. still hushed aud low, rose, singing
the beautiful hymn. The boy listened as
| one soothed by an angels song. Only
| once the blue-veine6 lips trembled, and he
said:
"You sing like my mother, too. She is
| singing among the angels now; but am
sure her voice IS like yours. l VIII be
quite still now, and think
! While he lay thinking she knelt 70 pray.
| She prayed from the very depths Of her
| broken heart that her son might be spared,
and that she might De taken in his place.
| When the prayer was ended she knelt,
watching him, while tie dead silence grew
! deeper and deeper.
There was q faint murmur from the
| winG-a low whisper. a. though it had
sobbed until it was exhausted. No other
sound disturbed the profound stiffness
which reigned throughout that vast man
sion. The stars ghone IN the depths Of the
blue skies; the pale moon cleaned ana
| clistcned; dcscy clouds passed over is
| face Trees and flowers were all asleep;
there seemed nothing living, nothing hu-
man to watch the tragedy going OF in the
! Red Room.
/ And still Mrs. Rivers knait with her
/ face bent over the boy, watching him so
| ;ntently that her ye.y soul seemed to have
/ oassed into her eyes. His were closed in
| deep, restful thought, but not in sleep,
SO silent, so atli: not even the creaking
Of door, the sound of a footstep-noth-
ing 10 break the charm-not even the IA
/ ailar sound of n "monse behind the vain
scot" Silence deep and profound as
death itself.
/ uark. surely thai is the sound of Il
! woman'S dress against the crimson hang
| ings. Gently and noiselessly she rose
from her knees, and stood with her eyes
/ on the tapestry.
Thcn-how IVES it the shock did not kill
I her?-then she saw the tapestry move
I siightly, as though some one had touched
I /: lightly on TIE other side. There was no
I sound, no stir.
! Another moment, and from between the
/ ';angingS, where two pieces Of crimson
/ tapestry met. she saw a white hand. She
/ Guild neither move nor stir; she was ,oot-
! II TO the ground in terror too intense ,or
/ eny weak words to describe.
The hand was withdrawn, then il -pap-
/ pCared. holding this time a email viai full
/ Of q clear liquid Xix" cold water. That
was placed noisecssly on the stand. and
/ the bottle containing the opate was with
( drawn-stlil without sound. II was 90
gently; so nOiseessly done, that had Mrs
Rivers been looking another vay-had
she been engaged with her patients she
i could not possibly have krcvn whct had
been done.
In ono moment II flashed across her
! Who mad taken the oNiate that was 10
] save the life OF her son? Without Il. he
/ must die Who had taken il? What was
pr IN its place: Only a moment. then
j :ne mothers mighty love that wns in her
| me to her aid.
Casting one glance at the calm, .ranquil
/ face Of her sou. she opened The hansinCs
Just III time 10 see 4 figure OF some KIND
disappear n the outer door. 4 nervous.
ness al fear dtcd FROM her. Swiftcr t}an
the wind sne made one noIsciess, randi
rush after the retrgatine figure, end
/ caught / ~ tbs corridor outside the Rcd
! Room.
Caught II. ard held It Fast with a grasp
whose force came from her mighty love.
/ \ tall, stately figure. yet II writhcd in her
grasp. II seemed 10 shudder. to shrink,
AMI then che said In low. hushed voice.
Give me- back tha! oniaIc, Whoever
/ y0u are. NGow not, give ne hack tire
/ '.1edicinc!
There was no repiy. ana in the darkness
rf n" silent corridor the two women could
no: see each other. The one was strug-
Cling with fierce force 10 get away. the
I ether, with force even greater still stru--
Eied 70 hold hc-.
Down tho broad corridor thay went the
prisoner sn: the gentle woman whose
m0thc--iove gave to hcr soft hands the
strength Of a riantcss. Down, struggling
bard in tie quiet darkness. until they
came 10 a room where. for thc Conven-
jencc of those whom Mrs. Rivers might
, summon. IRE and light both burned.
Silently and desperately Mis-. Hivrrs
dragged rather than led her captive ;her-,
t'Nn turned and locked the door
'Sov,' she cried. Beatrice Leigh.
iH'.h theie-down or your knees, and
In r. heaven that you have been spared
;.se sin OF Inurder,"
CHAPTER NXIE.
i was Beatrice LADY Selwyn who had
haen caught and forced into the room. her