Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-07-30

! wonder ana SOIIOW AL ILLS LILLE
while the world had judged him guilty,
while people had sneered at him. while
his nearest friends, and even his own
wife, had believed the accusations
against him, he had been perfectly in
nocent and lying dead.
sLet us retire somewhere, Gertrude, =
she nnoaned, where you can tell me
all, and no one can witness my re-
morse"
So Gertrude led her mother into Lady
Fieldens boudior. She made her lie
down to rest and take some refresh
ment before she told her the story.
/ Dolores listened with dazed senses I'M
til Gertrude clearly proved her fathers
Innocence. It seemed almost incredi-
BILE that Sir Karl had been lying dead
all these years-lying so near his old
home-while she had believed him to
be guilty alive.
It was some hours before Dolores re-
covered herself, or was able to calm
her quivering nerves and fairly realize
the truth Then, when she fully grasp
ed it and had grown accustomed to 1t,
ner thoughts reverted to Lola. She
asked innumerable questions concern
ing her. and by turns pitied and blamed
her.
ssWhat a revenge to take upon me, 4
she said, wonderingly, when. have
never injured her! But she am sure,
has suffered most. How Wretched she
must have been!"-
When Gertrude described how Miss
de Ferras had knelt on the ground TO
ask her forgiveness, and how she had
craved for kiss and a kindly good-by,
Dolores wept; yet, at the same time,
she felt slightly jealous. Why should
this woman who had wrought such
terrible mischief love Sir Karl's daugh-
| ter?
.You do not know then where she
has gomez" asked Dolores.
.sNo, mamma, dearest. She has gone
out of our lives forever. Let her rest
in peace.
Dead all the time" murmured
Dolores "dead-and I believed him
happy with her! Oh, my true and
faithful love, how have misjudged
you! How foolish I was to think Of
! that old shaft! Oh, Gertrude, if I
could undo the past, if I could live my
life over again, would act very differ
emily! I was too quick in my judgment.
I allowed my jealousy, and not my
reason, to influence me. Oh, Karl, for
/ give me-forgive me, my dear lost love,
for shall never forgive myself"
Presently she grew calmer. Kath.
leen, Lady Fielden, and Harry, came to
see her, and they talked until nightfall
of what had happened.
Gertrude" said Lady Allanmore, L
shall always call you Golden Heart;
but for you, your fathers memory
would never have been cleared
1t was day full of emotion for Lady
Allanmore. It became known al
| though they tried hard to keep it
secret, that she had returned, and old
| friends flocked to see her. They
would see her; they crowded round her
with warm and glad greeting. At
| Deeping the church bells pealed
merrily. Everybody rejoiced that
| Lady .Allanmore had returned; but as
yet the terrible story concerning Sir
Karl was unknown. There was no
sleep that night either for Dolores or
her daughters; over and over again the
young girl had to repeat every detail,
| and Lady Allanmore never wearied of
asking about the treacherous pit.
She had no eager desire to see it, but
Gertrude said she must not. 1t would
haunt her in her dreams for evermore.
The whole place was to undergo altera-
ton. Lady Fielden would attend to it,
and then she might visit the spot, but
not until then.
"Why should you add even one more
dismal recollection to the sad memories
of your life?" Gertrude asked; and
Dolores gave UP the wish.
They did not know, either mother
or daughter, of the sad work that was
being done that night 1t was as
though half the town of Deeping were
awake. Lord Fielden had given orders
that every preparation for funeral
should be made at Fielden Manor. He
asked Gertrude to promise that Lady
Allanmore should not leave her room
until the next day, when he would ask
to see her. Never did man work with
such energy-indeed he worked so hard
that he almost lost sight of the reward
in view.
When the shadows of evening fell, he
went with picked body of brave men.
They had ropes and ladders, and
littel, in case there search was sue
cessful. Three of the men had volun-
teered to descend the disused shaft.
They formed a weird group-the
little crowd of men standing round the
long forgotten pit. The first thing
Lord Fielder ordered was that the
mass of dead wood and creepers should
be removed. and the mouth of the pit
laid bare It took some time to do
this; and when it was effected, the men
cried out in horror. A great, gaping
chasm, black as night, yaWned before