Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-08-23
Continued.


go out, and no one must know it.
shall be absent some short time, VIII
you sit in my room here and wait for
me, and let me in when ! return"
Il will do all you wish, miss" she re-
piled. "No one shall know that you
are out, and no one shall enter your
room while you are away will wait
for you. l can let you in by one Of the
side doors. | will get the key"
Whatever Lisette may have thought,
she said nothing.
Il suppose" said Ethel, that the
poor man who was wounded today lies
in the cottage?"
Eyes; he has a woman from the
village to nurse him. If you are going
she saw his face, all white and cold in
on a large cloak and thick vail, so
that you may not be recognized?"
Ethel thought the suggestion a good
one. She had not removed the rich
Jewels, nor the silk dinner-dress.
There was no time to be lost in chang
ing them now. She wrapped herself
in large dark travelling cloak, and hid
her white. beautiful face with a thick
vail
You will be careful" she said to
Lisette; and then, unpreceived and I'M
noticed, she quilted the house.
The clock over the stables was strik .
ing ten. She did not feel quite sure
whether she knew the way to the
cottage, yet it could not be far distant
from the house. 1t was at theentrance
to the woods, she remembered, and the
walk to the woods had not seemed to
her a long one She hurried on.
Presently the deep baying of hound
startled her. She said to herself
Il must not lose courage. | must go.
He is dying. | must see him, or he
win not rest in his grave"
But the night was dark, and the way
was strange-she took the wrong path.
She grew confused and frightened.
More than once she fancied that she
heard her husbands voice crying,
out, miss, would it not be better to put
"Ethel, Ethel" and she imagined that
death floating before her
1T is only fancy" she said to her
self; but her nervous fears increased.
every whisper of the wind, every
rustic of the leaves, thrilled her heart
with a new and strange fear. She was
confused, frightened, bewildered. She
stood still, hesitating for one minute
whether she would cry out or not and
then. to her infinite relief, she saw a
tall figure just before her-the figure of
a man. He was evidently smoking, for
the fragrance of cigar reached her.
It was wonderful how quickly her
fears were dispelled
who is it?" she asked herself.
let it be who it may I must not be
seen"
She turned away, hoping not to be
seen; but quick footsteps followed her,
and presently Sir Oscars voice said,
calmly:
Ethel. | know you. l saw you some
minutes since and came to meet you.
should recognize your figure and
your walk anywhere. You could never
hide yourself from me"
She stood quite still at the first
sound of his voice; all her strength
seemed to desert her.
Il came out. as l do every night" he
said, ito smoke a cigar The night is
50 calm, and sweet, and STILL that |
have wandered father than | intended.
But you, Ethel what are you doing In
the woods alone at this hour Of night?'
You must not ask me, she replied,
family.
But l shall do so, Ethel Your
voice is faint, your hands are cold, and
your face, your beautiful face, is so
white. dear You are in trouble. Let
me help you"
It was a great relief to her. The
kind words of the sympathizing voice
were so welcome that she broke down.
She chung to his strong arm, and wept
aloud
Ethel, my darling" he said, you
are in trouble Thust me; let me help
YOU. What is love worth II the one
who loves cannot be trusted? l VIII
keep all you say to me as sacred az
though il were my own secret, and my
life depended on it. Trust me, Ethel.
She stood silent for a few minutes,
while the uight-wind moaned around
her. and the great branches Of the
trees swayed above her. What ought
She 10 do? II she refused to trust him
then he would not let her so any
farther. and poor Laurie-Laurie who
had loved her so dearly-must die
without her pardon. II she wished 10
see him. she must trust Sir Oscar, and
II she trusted him, and told him all
then he would never love her again,
she would lose his respect and esteem
with his love.
Il must see Laurie she thought
Living. | might hate him; dying,
must forgive him"
Ethel. said Sir Oscar try to think
that | am your brother. II you had
brother of your own, you know how
YOU would trust him. DO the same
with me"