Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-07-23

| had been in the neighborhood OF the
Black Pool, far back in past happy
/ days, before any other had come be-
tween us One day I had wandered
with him through the grounds, and we
| had come to this very part. He had
stopped and told me about the Black
Pool. and had said that many people
believed there was subterranean
communication between the pool and
/ the river. That conversation re-
Cured to my mind now with terrible
force.
But he had not fallen into the
Black Pool. I could see it now, far
away under the trees, smooth and
dark. Then 1 remembered how Sir
Karl had also talked of an old coal
mine, with it's long-disused, open
shafts pitfalls of danger, he had
called them-and, more than that, he
had declared his intention to me Of
making the place safe when he had
time to attend to it.
81 began to understand now. We
| had both been unconscious of our
whereabouts l had no idea that we
were near the Black Pool, and he had
| evidently forgotten it also, and, it was
plain, had fallen down the deep, long
disused shaft. I speak quickly now;
but, as l lay there with wildly beating
heart, thinking deeply, these ideas
were some time shaping themselves
clearly in my mind. 1 had had a ter
rible shock, and my thoughts moved
| slowly A moment before Sir Karl
had been walking by my side, strong
and healthy, the next he had vanished
from my sight; and I knew that for
him there was nothing but death in
the deep dark pit, and terrible death
too. Stronger nerves than mine would
have given way. l crawled round to
the pit. The whole of it's wide mouth
was covered with rank, interlacing
creepers. To all appearance there was
no difference between it and the
ground contiguous to it. There was
gap on one side. | knelt down and
peered through it, but I could see
nothing. I called aloud; no answer
came Then 1 took stone and drop
ped it into the pit, with the idea of
discovering if it were deep. 1t seemed
to me an age before l distinguished
faint splash; the stone had fallen
into water. Of course Sir Karl was dead
by this time. No help could reach
him; 1 knew that, even as I knelt
rible chasm. And then I must have
tainted.
when I came to myself the air was
cold; all the summers warmth and
beauty had departed, the wind was
waiIing cheerlessly through the trees,
and the moon was shining. AS the
recollection of all that had occurred
came back to my mind, my whole
frame trembled. I tore up the grass,
cried aloud, and more than once
went to the mouth of that terrible pit
with the intention Of throwing myself
into it after him; but my courage
failed me. l would have gone down
to save him; but I dared not die. So
far, except in asking for an interview
with him, I had done no wrong.
"Now came my temptation. He was
dead whom I loved better than all the
world; but my hated and jealousy OF
Dolores still lived But for her, he
would have been mine. AS | lay
writhing with pain of body and
anguish of mind, an ideal grant that
it was diabolical one-came into my
mind. 1t was this-that I would never
reveal the truth of Sir Karl's terrible
death, but would lead this woman
to believe that he had abandoned
her and gone away with me. felt
sure that the old Squire, whom | had
met driving home, had recognized me.
| felt equally sure that the groom had
also recognized me, so that in all
probability every one would know that
Sir Karl had come out to meet me. Ii
| could but get away, and then from
distance write to Dolores and say that
my revenge was complete, that she
would never see her husband again! |
would not say that he had gone away
with me. l would leave it to her
jealousy to form what conclusion she
might, feeling sure she would put but
one construction on my letter.
81 bent over the pit and babe him
who lay there a last farewell. Then,
under cover Of the darkness and in
silence of night, limped from the park
and reached the high-road I walked
during the whole of the following day.
Il hid myself in Paris. From there
wrote that letter to Dolores which
made her believe in her husbands
guilt Ten thousand such letters
would not have destroyed my faith in
Sir Karl read in the English news
papers that Sir Karl was supposed to
have eloped with me; and my revenge,
felt. was accomplished The sneers
and satire that this rumor provoked
only amused me. I can declare one
thing most SOlemnlv 7 never thought