Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-08-04
CHAPTER x.

CHAPTER X.
Let us hasten from the gloomy at
mosnhere of Hurst Leigh, and, leaving
1.-The presence of the thwarted cid man
lying upstairs, and the no less thWarted
Young man writhing in torturing dread
in the darkened library, return to
Warden Forest
With fleet feet Una fed from the
lake, the voices of the woodman and
Jack Newcombe ringing in her ears,
thousand tumultuGus emotions surging
wildly in her heart.
Until the preceding night Gideon
Rolfc had seemed the calmest and most
Ipacabo of fathers; nothing had oc-
Cured to rultle his almost studied i'm
.passabilty New and strange ex.
Hpe1iences seemed to crowd upon her so
suddenly that she scarcely accepted
them as real Had she been dream
ing. and would she wake presently to
find the handsome young stranger, with
his deep musical voice, and his dark,
eloquent eyes, the phantom of vi
sion?
As she came in sight of the cottage
she turned aside and plunging into the
depths of the wood, sank down upon a
bank of moss and strove to recall every
word. every look, every slight incident,
4 which had passed since the arrival OF
the stranger; and, as she did so, she
seemed vaguely conscious that a
,.h, t,,I nHnitn 1nlnninl.1n had
fallen upon her life. The very trees,
4 the atmosphere itself seemed changed,
and in place of that perfect, unbroken
calm which had hitherto enwrapped her
! life, a spirit of unrest, of vague long
! ing, took possession Of her.
A meteor had crossed the calm,
serene sky of her existence, vanishing
as quickly as 1t had come and Great
ing a strange. aching void.
Still it was not at all painful, this
novel feeling of usefulness and III,
rest faint echo of some mysterious
delight rang in the inner chambers of
I her young soul, the newly awakened
heart stirred within her like an inn
prisoned bird, and turned t. The Lerr
/ light which had dawned upon her, That
/ it was the celestial light of love she
was completely ignorant. She only
knew and felt, with all the power of
mind and soul. that spiri had fallen
upon her life, that she had half-blind-
ed, left the road of gray uubroken
calm never to .eturn-neNrl o return.
Step by sep she recalled III tl.at had
passed anu sal revolving TIC S, ange
scene with ever-increasing W. Nder
What did II mean? Why should her
father be angry with the youth? Why
should he accuse and insult him, and
drive her away as il from the presence
of some wild animal who was seeking
to deyour her.
Wild animal, smile, sad ard
Ntsttt|, lifted over her beautiful face
as she called up the handsome face and
graceful form of the youth Was II
Erossihle that one s. base as her father
IdCClared him 10 ne could look as this
youth had booked. speak as he had
spoken With faint. tremulous, yet
unconscious blush she remembered
how graceful he looked lying at her
feet his lips hall parted ii a smile, his
bloN frank and open a. a ciitd's.
And yet he himself had said, half
sal lily. that he was wild and wicked.
I what could 1t moan@
Ianoeeut as nun, ignorant Of all
/ that belonged 70 the real living world,
she sat vainly striving to sotva this, the
first enigma Of her inner life
Once. as she sat thinking and pom,
dering. her eyes cast dcwa. her hrows
knit her fingers strayed 10 her right
arm with 4 gentle almost caressing
touch II was the arm upon which
i Jacks hand had rested, even now
she seemed to feel the pressure OF the
strulg fingers Just AZ she heari the
ring Of his deep. musical vote. and
could feel the gaze 0f his dark flash
ing eyes. they had locked fierce and
savage when she had first seen them
At the open door of the cottage last
might hut this morning they had worn
different expression, which soften
ea them II VAS thus she liked To