Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-06-09

|
o'clock, and one had seen her watkins
down the High street. The conclusion
| arrived at was that, if she had lost
her way. it must have been between
Culdale and the Hall. Lady Culdale
seriously alarmed, sent for her hus
band and told him of her distress.
What an extraordinary thing!',' ho
cried. you are quite sure that it 5
rot a jest, Nellie?" he asked
"Do you think that l am capable O:
testing on such a subject?" Lady
Culdale said Indignantly. Il tell OH
the girls lost"
"That is nonsense" declared Lord
Culdale she must be somewhere!
There are no woods between the Hall
and the town, and there is no pteco
of water"
Something must be done!'' cried
Lady Culdale. Her husband looked at
her sagaciously.
Nellie" he said, "do you think she
has eloped with anybody"
mo, do not, since there is no one
else missing" replied her ladyship.
II am truly and honestly afraid that
some accident has happened to her.
What shall we do?"
Lord Culdale consulted his male
| guests, and the mysterious disappear
ance of Gladys Rane was thoroughly
discussed. One suggested that the
chief of the local constabulary should
be sent for; others that the whole
| no I'd of oil bo
in the house should go out in search
of her. Yet that plan, though most
sensible, seemed to strike every on,
as utterly useless, for she could not
have mistaken the road as it was
known to her, and, even if she had,
she would have found her way home
long ago.
The news soon spread throughout
the Hall. 1t was found impossible
to conceal what had happened from
the ladies, who were eagerly anxious.
Could she have fallen into a stream :.
they asked; and the answer was that
there was no water between the Hall
and the town. No satisfactory reason
| could be assigned up to wild and ru-
probable conjecture.
Lady Culdale sent for Captain Wyn-
yard to her own room. She was
weeping bitterly when he entered.
| Il have never had such a trouble III
my life" she sobbed. IT am quite at
loss what to do. Of course, if moth
ing is heard of her, 1 must telegraph
for Lady Kin1och."
Where is Lady Kinloch?' asked
the captain with horror at the idea of
what Lady Kinlock would say and
think if she found him there.
"She is in Dublin, with a friend OF
| hers who is i'll. I persuaded ner TO
let Miss Rane stay at Culdale with
me during her absence. She was I'M
willing at first; and now this dread
full affair has happened. What shall
! do?"
II cannot imagine what has . be-
J come of her." said the captain.
! miss Rane is too proud and too sens1-
| BILE to do anything sensational. she
would never run away; and there are
no brigands here to carry her off, he
added, with faint attempt at smile
|
| again-a white hand stretched out of
the eddying water! He reeled against
a chair.
Lady Cu1dale," he gasped, "will
you ring for a glass of brandy? l
I feel terribly ill.,
! 81 am sure you do-you look ill.,"
! she cried, as she rose hurriedly, and
! rang the bell.
Captain Wynyard was asking aim
self what this strange event meant,
, that the women he loved should dis
appear on the very night when he hid
taken his first step toward winning
her. Angela Rooden was sleeping her
last long sleep in the depths of the
lake; but where was his darling
Gladys Rane? If he could have
/ known the truth that Angela was
! sleeping with her mind more at rest
than it had been for a long time, and
that the woman he loved was drowned
! by his own hand, what would he have
said or done?
! ut seems heartless to sit and cry
about here without doing anything;
| Nor do l." mournfully Observer
! the captain But the morning light
, is sure to bring us some news of ner."
He drank the brandy greedily, yet
i still felt deathly faint. How strange
it was that they should both disappear
, On the same night-Angela whom ne
hated and had murdered, Gladys
whom he loved and had lost! Not oe
faintest glimmer of the truth came to
/ his bewildered brain.
There was little rest in Culdale
Hall that the night. The women all
retired, but many of the men sat up,
a few going out at intervals in search
of her wnom they would never see
alive again. That beautiful Gladys
Rane should be missing, should be
perhaps in danger, and they powerless
to help her, was horrible even to
think of.