Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-09-26
CHAPTER XI.
THE AWAKENING OF LOIS.

provement of the patient Lois attended
to her school duties as regularly and eff
ficiently as ever as she took pleas
ure in them. for she saw their results in
the children Her afternoons were
spent in the sick room. For few days
she disguised the feeling that drew her
thither under the garb Of duty She
had taken upon herself, she told her
self, the task of nursing the smuggler
back to strength and having assumed
her burden it was her obligation to
bear it TO the end. This served well
enough for little while. The sub
sequent discovery that she was happy
only when near the man and restless
and disquieted when away from him
came to her almost as a shock.
Che had never been in love and she
was at loss at first to identify the
new feeling. For at least twenty-four
hours its classification eluded her,
Finally the truth came to her and, as
was her nature, she faced it bravely.
In her own apartment the rudy tide
mounting to her forehead, she dived
into herself and brought up the fact
that she was madly enamored of man
of whom she knew nothing good and
feared everything evil, a man who was
certainly, in some degree, criminal
and might easily be a villain Of supreme
villainany. a man of whose blood and
training she knew nothing, one whose
former life was hidden from her, one
whose regard was a disgrace to any
rightminded young woman, a night
rider. a lawbreaker, a fearless, reck-
1.,,N II, tsN 10
grasp of one government and very pos
sibly with price upon his head set by
another government. Yet she loved
him
Shrinking, half ashamed, yet feeling
a secret guilty thrill of pleasure so
keen that it amounted almost to agony,
she told herself so again and again.
Every glance OF his gray eyes, every
expression that fitted across the face
that was to her as beautiful as any
dream of a Greek sculptor, every ten
drill of his clinging golden hair was
with her lonely hours and she Rugged
the visions even while striving des-
perately to Danish them. Her brows
drawn together in a heavy frown and
her lips curved in tender smile, her
bosom passionately rising and falling
and her tiny foot beating an unceasing
tattoo upon the floor. she fought her
battle with none to see or aid. Each
drop OF the wild blood in her was
aflame every instinct of her warm.
strong nature told her that love was
love, that Eros was Eros no matter
who or what the object enshrined; ey-
cry desire of hers was to go to him
and give herself to him and with him
to face woe and ignominy. the laughter
of enemies, the tears Of friends, to dash
madly down before that altar every
cherished ambition and. amid the shat
tered fragments, to stand scorned but
happy And against this swelling tide
of emotion which so rose that she half
choked fought every hour of her earlier
life, every maxim implanted in the
days of her childhood every influence
for good and right that had worked In
old times in gray New England and
the strong common sense and adher-
ence to duty that were as much part
of her ancestry as the singing blood OF
Provence For long night these con-
tending forces warred within her and
when she rose at dawn and made ready
for the duties of the day she was pale
but calm Her better nature had won
The course she had mapped for her
self was plain and direct He must
never know no one must ever KNOW
She would go through her life as she
found 1t TO the end, hiding her hurt
wishing only good to him in whatever
troublous places his lines might be
cast, but sternly repressed, self-con-
| tanned mistress Of herself. She sworC
TO herself that not a tremor OF liz
should betray her and she know that
the task was likeler 10 be the easier
because of the shortness of II. For al
most only a few days could elapse ere
the officers came to take him from hei
| 10 a doom Of which she dared not think
| Only Yesterday. so rapid had been his
| recovery he had sat up for littl'
while and taken his nourishment IRON
/ her hand and thanked her. not only
/ in words simple and well chosen, bu
! with eyes that would look upon he
| she knew in the night hours OF many
! year to come. SO she braced herself anS
went to Ter work on that day and car
! ried 1t through as thoroughly as us
/ nat
/ WIPU Iili fitiIt 81 WI PAH'A''Af-h
for the afternoon she fingered in tn
school room postponing the momen
when she should see him. though sh
knew that he waited for her impatient
ly. She had grown used to seeing hi
face light up when she came. II wa
| no evidence OF any weakening OF ne
resolution that she hesitated and stag
gered slightly, as II from WEAKNESS
ere she raised her hand and knocke'
lightly upon the door. as was her Gus
tom. His deep voice told her 10 come ]
and she entered AS she did go sh
started for an unexpected sight me
her gaze. Pale and somewhat thin, ou
| fully clad. Weston sat in chair BY IN
window. with his head turned expect
antly. She made three rapid steps &c
ward him and paused as be rose easii!
II slowly, and bowed To her In NOS
| courteous respect He stood before ne'
six feet and an inch In height def
chested and thin-fanked, long-lim oet
a.vs rkul and graceful. ais head proud