Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-12-01
Won by w aiting.
EDNA LYALL.

Continued.


no doubt"
Dinner was announced just then
Esperance sat next to Cornelia, and
uad so much to tell her that she got
through the tediously long infection
better than she had expected. The
gentlemen did not stay downstairs
long; directly after tea they adjourned
TO the observatory, and Miss Grace
Lowdell having expressed a wish to
90 up too, Cornelia and Esperance
followed with her.
Esperance was glad to peep into her
old attic room, now filled with Bella S
paythings, and she could not repress
a little SILVER as she remembered how
much she had gone through there
She held Conelia's hand more closely
ana crossed the landing quickly to
the observatory, where Claude was
working away at the great cog wheel
which turned the domed roof, so as to
open it for the telescope, which was
not yet adjusted.
Miss Lowdell was enchanted; she
had never been in the observatory
before, and had no idea ingenious
machinery existed there. The dean
had called Cornelia to the adjoining
room, and Esperance and Miss Low
dell had just climbed up the fight of
steps on to the little wooden stage,
when sudden and very vivid flash of
lightning startled them both,
"Oh, pray let us get down" said
Miss Lowdell, nervously. I'VE seem so
terribly near to it up here. 1t must
be the beginning of storm"
YES" said Esperance, with a slight
shiver, as another flash succeeded,
quickly followed by tremendous clap
of thunder.
She had a great horror of thunder
storms, and as Claude came halfway
up the steps to help her down, her
hand felt cold and tremulous.
you must come downstairs, darl-
ing" he said decisively. There is no
use in our being up here till the storm
has passed"
Noel will be so frightened" she
said, pleadingly, don't you think
might go home to him?"
What! in the middle of the Storm"
1T has not begun to rain yet; and
it is not far; besides, the lightning
will not be worse out-of-doors than it
is here. Cornelia will understand
how it is-will you not?" she said,
turning to her cousin, who had just
rejoined them.
Quite" said Cornelia, kindly, you
must do just what you like, dear
Then l will go, please, Claude, for
shall not feel happy about Noel;
you know Marie is very young"
Considerably older than her small
mistress" said Claude with a comical
look.
Cornelia and Miss Lowdell both
laughed, while Esperance drew her
self up with an expression of mock
dignity.
II was twenty last birthday; and
you've no business to laugh at me
now | am out OF my teens"
They laughed all the more, however,
and it was not until another still vivid
fash startled them all, that they left
the observatory. Cornelia and Miss
Lowdell joining Christabel in the
drawing room, and Claude and Es-
perance returned TO their hotel.
There was heavy oppressiveness
about the atmosphere-not single
star was visible-and as they crossed
the open square which led from the
deanery to the Wears Court the
darkness seemed to press almost pain
fully on their sight. They had scarcely
reached the old gateway when
flash-if flash it could be called
which seemed to them like mass of
golden-red fire, blazed past them, While
simultaneously came the most appall-
ing thunderclap.
Esperance was half deafened by it
for moment, but her terror was con-
quered by her amaze. She had never
seen or heard anything so grandly
awful. Claude put his arm round her.
do not be frightened, darling, that
is most likely the worst we shall
have"
Did the cathedral tower fall?' she
asked. Surely something fell In that
great crash-something Is falling now
Oh, listen!"
Claude turned back toward the
deanery-the direction from which the
noise came. The lamp-light was too
dim to reveal much, but the next mo-
ment the lightning illumined the old
house, and in that brief glance they
could see that the observatory mad
been altogether wrecked. The jagged
and irregular outline stood out darhiy
against the bright sky, then in an In
slant the black darkness yelled IT
from their sight.
"Cornelia, my uncle! Oh, Claude,
they must be killed." cried Esperance.
in an agony of grief. Let US go back! "
Claude was struck dumb by that
revelation; he could not refuse her,
and they hurried back to the house,
where all was confusion. By the
time they had reached the door Mrs.
Mortlake, with poor little terrified
Bella. had rushed out, Mrs. and Miss
Lowdell hurried after her, while the