Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-09-13


come forward, acknowledge her as his
wife, as true and honorable man
would have done, and, taking the mat
eT into his own firm, make every eff
fort to prove her innocence.
A week of sickening suspense went
by, and no answer to her telegram
| a-me to caeer her anxious heart
Thinking that her first message must
nave missed him, she sent another,
begging for but one word telling her
if he could come to her; or, If he could
not, for advice regarding what she
should do.
Then she wrote a second letter, go
Ing more fully into details, but being
very careful not to betray the secret
u their marriage, for she meant to be
loyal to her promise to him--she would
never lisp it until he came back to give
her permission to do so.
One, two weeks passed, and still
there came no word from her loved
| one.
Grazia was in despair, for the time
l NJ
dergo a public examination, and there
| had as yet been no lawyer engaged to
conduct her case.
Finally, feeling that she must delay
no longer, Grazia resolved to give the
matter into the care of Wilder & Co.
She was sure that her husband would
approve of this step, and in case he
should return, he could throw himself
into the work with the advantage of
having it somewhat prepared for him.
She found Mr.. r. NJ. Wilder, the
senior member of the firm, very
shrewd and energetic gentleman, and
experienced sense of great relief In
throwing all responsibility upon him;
for he gave himself heartily TO the
work before him, and assured her that
she need have no fear of the result
she was sure to be acquitted, for 1t
would be impossible for the state to
find evidence sufficient to convict her.
This was, OF course very encourage
ing and but for the cruel suspense
which she experienced regarding the
unaccountable silence of her husband,
Grazia would have felt reasonably Sc
rene while awaiting the trial before
her,
What could it mean? she asked ner-
self every hour in the day and brooded
over It through many sleepless night.
Surely Lloyd must have learned
through the papers, ana the cores
pondence with his firm, something OF
the terrible tragedy which was threat
ening her life and happiness, even if
her own kilograms and letters had
missed him, which she thought hardly
possible.
1t was very hard, she thought, very
unkind, very heartless, if he did know
and willfully neglected to espouse the
cause of his own wife.
At first she utterly refused to put any
such construction upon his protracted
silence. She believed him to be good
and true; she believed that he loved
her with his whole heart or he never
would have been so persistent in his
efforts to win her. She trusted him,
and hoped against hope, until at length
something occurred that suddenly
quenched every ray that had hitherto
illumined her existence.
One morning Mr. Wilder was late in
keeping an appointment with her and
finally came busting into her room two
hours after she had ceased to expect
him.
You really must excuse my tardi-
ness. Miss Kingsley" he remarked, as
be hurriedly threw off his coat and be-
gan rapidly separating some papers
from a package of legal documents;
but business presses so upon us now
that we are very much crowded for
ume-particularly as one member OIL
the firm is necessarily absent for a
while
Grazia's heart bounded into her
throat at this observation, and wave
OF color swept up to her temples, for
she knew that he referred to Lloyd,
But his remarks gave her an oppot-
tunity which she had long desired.
You mean Mr. Laugham, pre-
sumo" she remarked in quiet tone,
when she could command herself suf-
Gciently to speak
Yes" responded the gentleman,
shooting a covert glance at his client,
for It had just occurred to him that he
mad heard t limited that his junior
PARTNER had been somewhat attentive
20 the beautiful Miss Kingsley. Yes,
he was recently called west by the sud
den death of his father" he concluded,
with "a secret regret that he had re-
ferred to the gentleman in her pres
euce.
"Does Mr. Langham intend to re-
main long in the west?" Grazia in
CURED. with downcast eyes while her
slender fingers were interlocked with
spasmodic tension that left them sore
FOR hours atterward.
"Ahem, yes; his intention. at first
was 10 De absent about three months
t.,+ u ~aaapf latfar received from him