Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-12-08

uncle?"
The dean looked up, aud she was
touched by uhe sight of his silent
grief.
You saw him yourself. my dear,
did you not?"
Yes said Esperance: "and he
told me the truth"
lie fears the worst my poor child
- but here the deans voice sud
denly failed him, He turned away,
and burying his face in his hands.
soDbed unresTainedly.
Cornelia, afraid that this would
agitate Esperance, entreated him to
control himself, but the disappoint-
ment OF this last hope seemed to
have crushed him, and he only
| moaned out sad words of self-accusa-
ton, and vain regrets, repeating
again that despairing sentence THE
worst--he fears the worst"
Esperance stood for moment
apart, as If gathering her strength
then she bent down gently and put
her arm round the deans neck, and
laid her soft cheek against his
wrinkled one.
1T will be Gods best for all OF
us, she whispered.
The dean could not but be com
forted by her words. he pressed her
hand in silence. Just then there
was a quick knock at the door
Cornelia opened 1t and received a
| telegram for her father. Mith trembl-
ing fingers the dean tore open the
envelope and read the brief lines. II
was from Mr.. Seymour Gaspard
had already started. and in accord
ance with the deans wish would come
! by the overland route they might
expect him the last week in Novem-
| ben.
They told Esperance quietly, and
her thankful happiness gladdened the
| deans heart. 1t seemed a ray OF
comfort in that dark day of disap-
/ pointment; yet none of them dared to
look forward to the end Of those three
weeks.
Day after day the deans voice,
husky and trembling, asked the
prayers OF the congregation in the
cathedral for Claude Magnay; day
after day Esperance watched and
waited beside her husbands sick bed
watched with an intensity OF hope,
waited trlstfully for that which
should be sent.
Cornelia tried not 10 be anxious
| about her, but she longed UNI
speakably for Gaspard's arrival,
knowing that his presence would be
greater comfort and help to Esper-
ahce than anything else. 1t was with
feeling OF unspeakable relief that
she received the telegram which he
sent from London. She herself
went to the Rilchester station to meet
him. longing for his arrival and yet
dreading 1t, and as she paced up and
down the platform, waiting for the
train, recalling sadly her first in
PRODUCTION to her cousin years ago at
| the great London terminus.
| He was not so greatly changed as
she had expected 1t was the same
grave face. clear, brown eyes, and
dropping mustache. only that the
healthy, bonzed complexion made
him look younger and handsomer
than when she had last seen him.
She hela out her hand, welcoming
him with the answer To the question
which she knew was on his hips
Claude is still living. still UNI
conscious.
And Dsperance?
AS well as we can expect She
| thought it better not to come To
meet you; she is bearing up wonder
fully"
Gaspard asked anxiously for de-
tails of Claudes accident and illness
for the telegram had been necessarily
brief, and had only furnished him
with the leading facts and the trgen
need of his presence. He listened
sadly 10 Cornelia's account, she could
not conceal from him the hopeless
ness OF the case. Very sadly he
walked up the steps at the entrance OF
the hotel Cornelia led the way to
the sitting room, and he followed her
down the long. dark corridor. AT
| the sound of their footsteps, how
ever, door at the end was quickly
opened, the light streamed down the
passage, and looking up, he saw Es-
perance in the doorway
"Cherie!' he cried
|
'Gaspardl" 1t was the only word
which would pass her lips; she let
| him fold her in his arms. while her
tears rained down silently.
Cornelia left them together, and
after few minutes Esperance was
| better able TO feel the full comfort
OF Gaspards presence, and yet TO
both OF them there was something
lneypressibly sad about this return !;
the meeting which they had so often
talked over, and had planned so joy
fully, was indeed different TO their
expectations. II was not till Noel 8
baby voice was upraised that Bs-
perance dried her tears and Gaspard' .
sorrowful face frightened
a