Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-08-19
CHAPTER XIV,

brought from dreamland by the attitude
which the young master chose to take.
George Redruth had made up his mind
TO WOO Madeline Graham, and he honor
ed me so far as to fear that my presence
In st. Gurlott's might be the means of
preventing him winning his cousins
hand. A marriage with Madeline would
be advantageous to him, principally be
cause his W position was becoming
very Insecure, he having gambled and
bet away most of his fortune. and so be-
ing in danger of losing the position which
her money would restore to him. Thus
it was that he watched the growing
friendship between myself and his cousin
with ever-increasing anger; and finding
he could not openly control her, he de-
termined, | afterward learned, to gain
his ends by treachery.
At hOme things were going very badly
with us. My uncle remained in the same
Responding state, while every day fresh
wrinkles appeared in my aunt's face. 1t
seemed a sin for me to be happy while
so much grief remained at home; and |
sometimes felt inclined to go right away
and not return till l could bring our lost
oue dlonB WIFI me.
l began to wonder, too, if my uncle
could be right when he said that the new
overseer had a hand in poor Annie's
flight. This idea had r~esolutely fixed it.
self in his mind. 1t was strange, but
since the night of Annie's disappearance
Johnson's face had not been seen in st.
Gurlott's. | was bordering over a solu-
ton of all these mysteries when one
day an event happened which threatened
to bring matters to a climax indeed.
l had come up from the mine after a
prolonged inspection of it, when sudden
ly l heard a wild sound of voices, and
looking round l saw two men facing
each other, and looking as if they were
about to close In a deadly grip. One of
the men was my uncle, the other was
johnson, the overseer.
At sight Of the man whom he believed
to be his bitterest foe, all my uncle's
feebleness seemed to fall miraculously
from him. He lowered above the other,
and raised his clenched fist as If to strike.
"YOu villain!" he cried. you coward
ly, treacherous villain! Tell me, whar Is
my lass? Tell me, or 1 strike zee dead
before me-"
In another moment the arm would
have descended, for Johnson was par
alyzed with fear; but L sprang forward
and caught it with a cry. My uncle tried
to wrench himself free.
"Let gaw, Hugh" he cried, f~ercely.
81 told zee what I'd do If | met the
villain, and III do it. Look at 'un, the
white-faced cur; he brought trouble to
my lass! And nav, while she's wander
in about the earth in misery maybe, he
cooms var to laugh at u.s."
l still held him firmly; and johnson,
cur that he was, seeing that the danger
was passed, recovered his presence of
mind.
Perhaps, now you're n little calmer,"
he said, you'll tell me what you're raw
ing about?"
81 will answer for him." I replied.
where is Annie Pendragon?"
He shrugged his shoulders, and raised
his brows.
st seems to me you are all having lu-
natics together. VIII do you ask me these
thingsf What do | know of the girl?"
You were seen with her In Fal-
mouth"
My uncle had learned that this was
true.
81 don't know where she Is. I met
her in Falmouth, it's true, and spoke to
her; but her being away from home was
no concern O. mine"
"It's a lie!" cried my uncle, %fiercely;
and again he tried to free himself from
my grasp, but | held him firmly.
'It's no USE" l said; 1--WE shan't mend
matters with him. We must find out by
some other means whether or not he is
speaking the truth
The result of all this was n serious i'll
ness, which laid my uncle low, and for
some weeks threatened his life. During
this time Madeline came frequently to
the cottage, accompanied by Anita, who
carried little tempting things for the poor
old man to eat. At last, the terrible
time passed, and he rose from his bed
the feeble, wornout wreck of his old self.
From that day forth his intellect SEEM
ed shaken, but he chung with strange per-
sistence to the one idea that Johnson was
In some way responsible for all that had
taken place. | had my own reasons for
refusing to share this belief; neverthe-
less, | saw the overseer again, and after
the Interview with him, l became more
firmly convinced than ever that my uncle
was wrong in his surmises.
Meantime, having seen my uncle on
the high road to recovery, l was COM
PEELED once more to turn my attention to
the mine, which grew every day more
dangerous. l had spoken to the master
Of these dangers again and again, and he
had taken no heed. Nevertheless, l knew
that something must be done; l resolved
TO make one last appeal to him. l had
fully made up my mind to seek him at
home, when l was spared the pains. He
strolled down to the counting house one
morning in company with Johnson.
"Mr. Redruth," l said, approaching
him, 81 should like to speak a few words
with you, SIR"
He looked at me from head to foot
with a cold, supercilious sneer which sent
my blood up to boiling heat, as he re-