Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-10-30
y j S A p p r AR r D

Her character was beyond reproach.
On questioning those most intimate
with her we learned that much un-
kindness Of feeling had arisen between
her various suitors. Such girl would
naturally inspire Jealousy, but there
was one person in particular whose
feelings had once found expression in
the most bitter and intense animosity
toward the rest, but it was only once
that he suffered himself to become so
far forgetful Of his interests.
Naturally he was taciturn and re.
PEELED familiarity. Although young
and strikingly handsome, it was said
the girl had conceived for this man the
most intense repugnance. He had
dark, sinister look sort Of subtle
secret intelligence about him. strangely
at variance with her free and open
character. She had rejected his suit
but he had sworn yet to possess her,
He left her presence with half utter
ed threat and a look that froze her
blood.
THAT night she disappeared. OF
course our suspicious fell upon the
man. The facts, however, here detailed
were not ascertained without patient
research and careful investigation, but
by slow degrees we did discover them
and watched our man from that hour
with incessant scrutiny. At certain
hours, however, in the day he left his
place of business, and. although we in
yariably attempted to follow him, we
were as invariably baff1ed. In some of
the numerous streets that shoot out in
every direction In that part of the city
we lost him. Sometimes it was in an
| alleyWay, sometimes by ascending a
fight of stairs, sometimes by entering
private residence, that we lost him,
but in some way he invariably eluded
our vigilance. You may reasonably
conclude that this neither suited Mr.. l.
nor myself. We determined we would
not be cheated the next time. One Of
these absences occurred about 10
o'clock every night.
ut was near that time then, and we
watched the Italian with an eagerness
and intensity doubly whetted by re-
peated disappointment. A drizzling'rain
was falling and the lamps shone along
the dark streets feebly. 1t suited us ex-
actly The man came out soon and
started in the direction he invariably
took. We hung on his path like shad-
ows. His iron heel rang on the pave
ment. Our feet fell softly and lightly
Up one street and down another the
chase led for more than an hour. At
last he paused before a large brick
building. 1t was an old Spanish house
and looked dark and grand enough to
be castle or bastile Its shutters were
closed, and no ray Of light shone from
the heavily draped windows. The man
paused and looked around before he in
serted the key and turned the lock. We
crOuched low, to the walls as he did So,
but the door had barely swung on it's
hinges before we sprang upon him.
The struggle was fierce, but brief. He
could not contend with two men, either
of whom was stronger than himself.
1--WE believed we should find the girl
here, and our suspicious were correct.
We did find her, prisoner, guarded by
an old quadroon woman.
= "When she saw us and knew we had
come to release her, there was sud
den lighting up of her face, vivid
CLEAN of pleasure, a scream of delight,
but as suddenly it darkened in look
of terror, wild with pain. She implored
us to>leave her. She talked wildly, her
eyes fixed fearfully on the man, while
he looked on her with cold, sullen
sheer. told her it was impossible to
leave her; that we must take her to her
parents. told their grief and despair.
1t was plain to see that each word
pierced her with a pang keener than
the thrust Of a dagger. Her face was
deathly pale, her very lips writhed in
agony. She tried to speak, and as she
did 50 the man raised his finger and
shook it at her warningly. The pres
ence of the archtiend could not have
alarmed her more. She pleaded again
! with wild, passionate entreaty, full
of terror, full Of anguish, we could nei-
ther appreciate nor understand.
''She struggled as lifted her into the
carriage Mr.. 1. had called, but sudden
ly became quiet and still l drove rap
idly to her home. while Mr.. l. carried
the prisoner to the station.
Gall the way she did not stir. She
had tainted and lay pallid and still on
the cushions. AS we lifted her from the
carriage and conveyed her into the
house she opened her eyes, but there
was no light in their glance. Her rea-
son had fed. The girl was maniac.
Months rolled. by, d year had come
and gone, but the mystery Of the
! strange Concurrence only deepened.
DAY by day the hectic flush crept
upon the young girls cheek, and day
by day her footsteps pressed closer to
the brink of the still waters whose icy
currents lave the shadowy land. Her
reason wrecked, her hopes in life had
fed, but no word ever passed her lips
to tell the secret that was wearing soul
and brain away.