Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-10-27
George spoke in low, authoritative
tones, Bertha's brief, terrified whis-


She had always bowed implicitly to
his judgment.
Stay, | have an idea,' he said, af-
ter silence, and then ensued long,
whispered dialogue, Bertha agreeing
IN Misunderstanding tones TO all the prop
ositions. The chimes struck again
they counted the notes breathlessly.
rlediy took leave, and Bertha closed
the window, tremblingly put away
her writing materials, and returned
TO the drawing groom. But her heart
suddenly failed her when she saw the
others sitting 50 naturally at their
work, and she felt a deep pang OF re-
morse as she glanced at her father
sleeping peacefully in his armchair,
quite unconscious what was in store
for him. Should she write to George
and say that she could not keep her
promise-that while her father lived
she must stay with him? But just
then Mrs. Mortlake looked up with her
disagreeable smile.
We'll, you've had nice sociable
evening just after your own heart.
Bertha shrugged her shoulders-sne
had caught the trick from Esperance
and remembered that after ali, home
was by no means the peaceful haven 1t
looked, and besides, would they really
miss her? For a week or two, per-
haps, but not more.
Il am going to bed, she said, IN
her usual voice, to Mrs. Mortlake, Il
nave bad headache"
Esperanee looked up compassionate
ly.
Il am so sorry | wish had helped
you with that writing"
No one else spoke; and Bertha, col
oring deeply, left the room How she
longed that evening TO be alone!
Much as she loved Esperance, she felt
that her presence now would be al
most unbearable. She hurriedly made
her preparations for the night, and
lay down in the darkness thankful for
a few moments of quiet, in which she
might think over the extraordinary
and most unexpected events of the
day. In the morning she had had 10
thought Of disobeying her fathers
wishes, and before the evening was
over she had weakly yielded 10
Georges g-premeditated plan this
was to be her last night beneath her
fathers roof! She sobbed a little as
she thought of this, partly from an
odd sort of attachment to the actual
house, hardly to be called love, but a
great deal more from terror and the
sense that she was about TO do what
all the world would blame.
While she was still crying, Esper-
ance came up to bed, shading the can
die with her hand, and moving about
the room with noiseless steps for fear
she should disturb her cousin. Ber-
tina watched her in silence for some
minutes, but she could hardly bear to
look at the pure, child-like face, 1t
made her feel so guilty; at length a
great sob escaped her, and Esperance
fastened to comfort her"
as your head so bad, cherie? Let
me stroke it for you"
Bertha allowed herself to be cares
sed for minute, then with an ire
pressibe burst of tears, she sobbed
out, "Oh, Esperance, if the others hal
been like you, it would have been very
different"
What would have been different?"
asked Esperance, unable to understand
her words.
Everything life,' sobbed Bertha,
frightened to think how nearly she
had betrayed herself.
But Esperance never dreamed OF
suspecting her; she thought her
merely unhappy and oyertired, and
said she would sing her to sleep; and
Bertha lay still, listening to an ol0
French hymn, and let her eyelids fall
toward the end, but in reality she
never slept at all that night. She
only kept up the sembance OF sleep
until the candle was out; she heard
the soft "baiser du soir" as Esperance
kissed her fathers miniature, the
slight rustic of foreign paper, as Gas
pard S letter found It's place beneath
her pillow, and a few minutes later
the calm, regular breathing, which
told that her little cousin was asleep.
Then she gave the rein to her misery,
and tossed through the long, wakeful
night in an agony of suspense, terror,
and regret
The next day, however, she was
quite self-possesed; it was one of
those suddenly hot spring days when
every one feels languid She easily
persuaded Esperance to stay indoors,
and they read together a great part
OF the afternoon At dnner-time a
note arrived for Bertha, her color
came and went but no one observed
her, She opened it. and said it was
from Mrs. Passmore
NO one has been to see grannie for
the last week" observed Cornelid.
What does she want, Bertha?'
She wants me to go down with
Esperance to spend the evening with
her; she says she is feeling very lone
ly and depressed if we could stay the
night so much the better; she has
heard that the carriage Is being
painted, and we might not care to