Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-07-04
CHAPTER ]

At the angry tones, she closed her
book with a sigh, and rising slowly
made her way to the step-ladder that
led from the barn to the yard.
A woman stood there-a coarse
stout woman, with arms akimbo.
where ave you been, idle vagrant
that YOU are!'' she cried loudly, as
the girl crept down the ladder.
"In the barn." Alice answered.
TN the barn, indeed! I'll have that
door lOcked-that I will, or else III
know the reason why. Do you think
I've got nothing to do but keep you
in food and erink-to let you idle
your days through as you like? If you
do. you're mistaken greatly, [ can tell
you"
Alice stood silent as the angry wo-
man scolded on; her small hands
were cIasped tight together, a mute
look was on her pale face.
What do you want me for?' she
asked at last.
The woman ceased. Never before
in her remembrance had Alice taken
her scolding SO quietly.
Get on your hat, and carry me
this basket up to Mrs. Grey at the
castle; it ought to have been there
this hour past"
"To the CASTLE" faltered Alice
shrinking back, tonight? Oh, Aunt
Martha!"
what, are you frightened?' said
Mrs. Martha Brown with an angry
laugh. What are you fit for, Alice?
your heads just stuffed with all the
nonsense you can get out of books.
Off with yout Here's the basket"
cit is so dark murmured the girl,
letting her great eyes wander from
the ward to the deserted country lane,
land then there's Madman's Drift to
pass"
We'll, what of it?" asked the other,
fastening down the basket-lid vigor-
ollsly. "a place where a mailman put
an end to his life Dead men do not
harm, you poor fool"
Alice shuddered, but there was no
sign of mercy in her aunt's face.
Give me the basket" she said
suddenly. amy message?'
mo; unless you ask Mrs. Grey
when she wants the next lot of eggs.
Now don't stay long; there's the
boys supper to get, and I'm worked to
DEATH
Alice turned away without word.
She pulled her thin cotton jacket
close round her supple young figure,
for the autumn night struck chilly,
and stained into the lane.
Her thoughts we're a tangled mass
as she hurried along; anger and
WEAKNESS of spirit, as her mind
turned to her aunt, under whose care
she had lived ever since she could
remember; disappointment at leav-
ing the beautiful story in her book,
and fright of the dark, lonely path
which grew darker at every step she
took.
ooh, if Sam we're only here!" she
said to herself as she hurried on,
not daring to glance to right or left
for fear of seeing the phantom forms
her vivid imagination supplied.
Sam was one of the farm-hands.
Under any other circumstance Alice
Stunned him, but now she would have
welcomed him with open arms.
She left the lane, and approached
an open waste of land.
It was the dreaded Madman's Drift.
A sudden break in the road at one
side showed steep incline and
chasm, down which the unfortunate
man who gave his name to the spot
had sought his death.
Alice crept towards the dreaded
place, quivering with fear.
Although grown out of her child
hood, she still lived in world of
fairies, evil spirits and phantoms.
AS she stole through the dusk, with
her pale face peeping from beneath
the mass of golden curls, her small
hand clutching the basket as if for
support, she looked almost a fairy
herself-a strange, frail flower to be-
long to so coarse and common wo-
man as the farmers wife she called
aunt.
All the village-girls regarded tn
pale, slender creature with con-
tempt. She was so white and poor
looking beside their buxom charms
fit for nothing but books.
Alice needed not their contempt.
She would have been happy with her
beloved books, but she had a hard
life-nothing but seedlings from
Martha Brown, jeers from the boys
and maids about the farm for her
quiet ways, and heavy work for her
young hands, which brought the tears
often to her beautiful eyes and a sob
from her lonely heart
When work was over and she was
alone in bed, she turned once more to
her books, and her mind was cram
med with weird stories of knights
and chivalry that pleased and ex-
cited her.
She crept past the Madman's Drift
with closed eyes, and gave sigh of
gladness when she was once safe
awav from If