Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-12-22

arm. 'Now, then, Eve, there must be no
secrets with me. You have no mother; I
stand to you in the place of mother and
sister in one. Was that Jasper?'
Ewes hand Quivered on her sisters arm;
in faint voice she answered, Eyes, it was
Mr.. Babb, Barbara" Had Miss Jordan
looked round she would have seen her sis
ter's face crimson with shame. But Bar
bara turned her eyes away to the far-off
pearly range Of Cornish mountains, sighed
and said nothing.
Miss Jordan's bosom was heaving. Per-
haps she could not speak. She was angry,
troubled, distracted. Before she reached
home she had made up her mind and on
reaching Morwell she acted on it with
promptitude, leaving Eve to go to her
room or stay below as suited her best.
She went direct to her father. He had
been i'll with scythe wound for several
days, and looked distressed; his pale fore
head was beaded with perspiration.
Dear papa" said Barbara, II have
something very unpleasant to commune
cate Father, am afraid for Eve"
"What?" His face was full Of terror.
'What of her? What is there to fear?
Is she ill?"
''It is, dearest papa, as foresaw. She
has set her heart on Mr.. Jasper. and she
meets him secretly. He asked leave of
you yesterday to go home to Buckfast-
leigh; but he has not gone there. He has
not left this neighborhood. He is secret
ing himself somewhere, and this evening
he met darling Eve on the Raven Rock,
when he knew you were here i'll, and L
was in the house with you
II cannot believe it." said Mr.. Jordan,
with every token of distress, wiping his
wet brow with his thin hands, clasping
his hands, plucking at his waistcoat, bit
his quiyering lips.
"It is true, dearest papa. Eve took
Jane with her as far as the gate, and there
an ugly boy, who, Eve tells me, is JAS
per's brother, scared the girl away. l
hurried off to the Rock as soon as told of
this, and I saw through an opening Of
the trees someone with Eve, and heard
voice like that of Mr.. Jasper. When L
charged Eve with having met him, she
could not deny it,
what does he want? Why did he ask
to leave?'
81 can put but one Interpretation on his
conduct. I have for some time suspected
a growing attachment between him and
Eve. I suppose he knows that you never
would consent"
Never, neverv' He clenched his hands,
raised them over his head, uttered a cry,
and dropped them.
"Do be careful, dear papa" said Bar
bara. 'You forget your wound; you must
not raise your right arm"
at cannot be! 1t cannot be! Never,
reyer!'
| "No, papa, as you say, it never, never
! can be. There is an impossible barrier
between them. 1 know more than you
suppose, dear papa. Knowing what [ do
1 have wondered at your permitting his
presence in this house."
"You know?' He looked at her, and
pressed his brow. "And Eve, does she
know"
"She knows nothing" answered Bar
bara; II alone-that is, you and l to-
gether-alone know all about him. l
found, out when he first came here, and
was ill.,"
'Erom anything he said?'
"No-I found bundle of his clothesf'
Il do not understand"
cit came about this way. There was
roll on the saddle Of his horse, and when
| came to undo it, that 1 might put it
away, found that it was convict suit"
Mr.. Jordan stared. "Yesr' continued Bar
bara. speaking quickly, anxious to get
the miserable tale told. Eyes, papa, I
found the garments which betrayed him.
When he came to himself l showed them
to him. and asked if they were his. After
ward | heard all the particulars; how he
had robbed his own father of the money
laid by to repay you an old loan, how his
father had prosecuted him, and how he
had been sent to prison; how also he had
escaped from prison. 1t was as he was
fying to the lamar to cross it, and get as
far as he could from pursuit, that he met
with his accident, and remained here"
"Merciful heavenv exclaimed Mr.. Jor-
dan: you knew all this, and never told
me!''
II told no one" answered BarbaEa, ''be-
cause l promised him that L would not
betray him, and even now l would have
said nothing about it but that you tell me
that you know it as well as l. No." she
added, after having drawn a long breath,
"no not even after all the provocation he
has given would | betray him"
Where, then, are these clothes-this
convict suit? Let me see them. / cannot
yet understand.
BarDaEH lett Tie IOOul, anu lily re-
turned with the bundle. She unfolded it,
and spread the garments before her faith
| err. he rubbed his eyes, pressed his
knuckles against his temples, and stared
at them with astonishment.
$50, then, it was he-Jaser Babb-who
stole Eyes money: and he was taken and
locked up for doing SO in Princes iowa
PRISON.
"Yes, papa AS l was on my way to
AshbIcton, I passed through Princes
Town. and thus heard OF it.
Barbara, why did YOU keep this secret
from me? If l had known it, l would
have run and taken the news myself to
the police and the warders, and have had
him recaptured while he was i'll in bed,
unable to escape"
1t was now Barbara's turn to express
surprise.
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