Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-04-06

He has been sick at home for week
and he wanted to see me at once on
urgent business. So | sent the mes
sage to Mrs Pendexter and went up
on the o'clock train. This morning
for some unknown reason his news
papers did notcome. left there at nine
o'clock and on reaching the Office an
hour later | was greeted as one risen
from the dead. Then | learned of the
error in the papers, and knowing that
you must believe that account to be
true 1 fastened up to the house-only
to find that Mrs. Pendexter had gone
out-no one knew where,-and that
you'll thank Marie for her kind in
formation! were walking here-alone.
Now you know all"
Il know that Della is suffering in
tensely," Florence said slowly And
she will not get over the shock and
the horror of it so soon as |. Oh, Per-
cival, you do not know how warm and
tender her heart is! 1t seems to me-
had | been a man like vou-I would
never have looked at the small pale
flower by the side of that beautiful
queenly rose!"
Il have always admired the rose"
said Percival CALAMITY, but darling,
the small pale flower is my lily-my
only love-my bride that is to be-
say when? All, soon,-say very
soonl"
Della Pendexter had fastened
straight from her house to the large
! bachelor apartment down town where
Percival Haven had his rooms. And
| there she had Learned that the name
given in the morning paper was a mis-
take, and the man she had asked for
so anxiously was alive and well, and
| had gone out of town the night be-
! fore-after the accident had occurred
and had not yet been back to his
rooms.
Slowly then. almost overcome with
| the sudden revulsion of feeling, and
| striving with her varied emotions, she
returned to her home to find that Per-
cival Haven had been there during her
absence, and upon learning that she
was out and that mademoiselle was
walking over yonder in the park, had
gone there to find her-at least, so
Marie thought.
Della entered her beautiful recep-
ton room and dropped in the near
est chair. So-she had broken through
her woman's reserve and pride and
had gone to seek him-ready to tell
him that living, dying, her heart was
his and his alone and yet he
alive and well-was so careless of
her that upon finding she was out he
could not wait one minute for her re-
turn-but must go seek Florence in
the park! Was she, then, his choice?
or was he playing with them both
and did he care for neither? Better
even that-than
A stray CLINT of sunlight, finding its
way through the heavy curtains,
cleaned curiously for a moment upon
the crystal ball and attracted her at
tention..
She arose and slowly crossing the
room bent dreamily over it,. 1T was in
this that she saw him first" she muir
INJURED. Her own face, she said, then
mine,-and his-coming between us to
separate us-as it has so surely done!
And then last night-it was strange.
She saw the accident-but fear for him
blinded her eyes and she could not see
that he was the brave rescuer-not the
victim. Come, are your revelations
all for her? Have you no magic pic
ture to reveal to me?"
She saw her own reflected face,-a
weary, sad-eyed woman, so she
thought, faded and one in contrast to
Florence's youth and girlish grace.
But what was this cloudlike film
that gathered, burst, and as it cleared
away left vista of woodland, barred
by fallen tree, where stood slender,
| familiar figure with bowed head rest
| ing upon her hands. And now-an-
other form appears beside her, and
she turns. 1t is Percival and Florence,
and they stand under the shadowing
canopy of tall, overarching trees
locked in one anothers arms!
1T shall not bel" Della cries shrilly,
and seizing the crystal ball-not
knowing what she does-she filings it
from her in sudden fury.
1t crashes down upon the wrought
iron fenden of the CRATE and shivers
away before her into thousand shin
ing fragments. She gaZes moment
at them in dazed silence, then
throws herself face downward among
the cushions on the lounge.
Has Mrs. Pendexter yet returned?'
| 1t is Percival Ravens voice that
rouses her at last, and she rises,
| hastily, but before she can make her
| escape he has entered the room. Flor
ence is beside him, and one look at
their faces tells. her that the vision
she saw but now in the crystal ball
was true
so we are not TO be hidden to your
funeral just yet, after all?" she says
quickly, with forced attempt at
bravery.
ION the contrary, | am here TO ask
your consent to my marriage" he re-
plies with happy audacity, as he raises
| L,iornpoa'c u,hita hand m his Inns