Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-10-08

anger WREN she made the discovery; but
faI better would that be than for her
fair young body to be found mangled on
the road below. On that side Wraagzyvn
Chase abutted on the searp of n pre-
cipitous drop of fifty feet from the fouu
dations to the highway.
From the first | had hated her usiar
a room haunted by not the least Of ,nv
many sad memories; but had been able
to give her so few pleasures that | could
not deny her this choice of lofty evrie
Wi,51ce she could view the world forbid
| den. Never tall the last month had
reason TO regret the concession. An
through her colorless childhood. and in
the later years when she had been much
TO me, her occupation of the turret cham
Der had rot caused me a single papo
But for those wild eyes OF hers and the
wlIim she had taken for staying up there
alone, it would not have disquieted me
nov.
What form would her madness take.
| wondered as | sat brooding in the fire
| light Would she turn upon me and hate
me, her best loved one, as her father had
done. on would she mediate inbirv To
herself? Would the mania take an acute
! ~ violent form, or would she sink into a
morose apathy, relieved by outbreaks of
wild excitement? Col. Wrangwyn had
suffered from both these phases during
that awful year All, me! that it should
be my lot to bear that cruel burden over
again.
Suddenly, as if in answer to my ques-
tions, a sound fell on my straining ears
and caused me to rush out into the hall.
1t was the sound of distant laughter,
Celia's laughter, waited and magni.ed
as by a speaking trumpet down the wind
ing funnel of the turret stair. There it
was again, rising and falling. peal after
peal of high pitched mirth that turned
my heart to stone.
1t continued all the time / was run
ming up the stairs, but ceased as sud
denly as it had begun just as | got &c
Celia's door. TO my frantic knock, to my
fervent appeal for admission, there was
10 reply. Behind the locked door there
rd9ned silence more suggestive to me
OF untold horror than even those reso-
nant sfrieks of laughter.
There was a he'll at the top of the
stairs, and my first impulse was to pull
IT. But this was mans work. and there
were only female servants in the house.
my butler being away on his holiday To
summon pack of silly maids would be
futile. and, moreover. the shame of it
stayed my hand. Ii my daughter was
llnad, rs she must be If she were still
alive, the tragedy of :; lad best be got
over quickly without the mouthings and
lgestieulations of impotent women folk
God help ne! How impotent l felt my
self
So / ran down the stairs, and. snatch
Iing a wrap III Tie hail, hurried ont Of
the front door and round to the stable
yard, where | found the coachman pot
tcring in the harness room. babe him
take the dogcart and drive like the wind
into the illage for Dr. Merriam
Tell him that Miss Celia is ILL.," ! ex-
planned. "How soon can you be back
with him. DAM"
The old man laid aside the snafIlc he
was polishing and eyed me curiously. If
the doctors in he shall be here in half
an hour, maam," he said 'It's-lt's
] never the old sad trouble over again?''
- Dan had been with me in my hug
bands time, and | could not trust my
self to speak. But | think he under
stood, and left him to his preparations.
On going from the yard something
house and 50 round it to a wicket gate
that led out to the road that ran i'm
medlatcly under the back Of the chase
before cuwing round to the main en-
trance gates. quarter of mile further
on. From this side alone was it posi-
ble to gain a view OF Celia's window,
high up in the corner tltrret. As I have
said. the mansion was pcrehed upon the
oF l. al.
the foundations there was a steep rocky
slope of some fifty feet. 1t was nearly
dark now and as | emerged onto the
silent highway nay eager eyes sought the
window III the tuuet in the hope OF
catching some reassuring sign. | had
gust been able to make out that the bars
| had ordered We're i'll position, when the
ring of metal on the hard road close 1T
hand caused me to drop my gaze from
the height, 4 h0rSeman was approach
ing through the gathering dusk, and my
fears Were renewed at once. | was posi-
tive that he had only just set his horse
in motion. When ! appeared he must
have been stationary, almost under
Ceha's window
Pardon me- | said, as he came up Mt
walk, did YOU. in passing, notice any
tilnS wrong. anything strange, up
there" and | pointed to tie summit Of
the tower.
1T is Mrs. Wrangwyn, of the Chase.
is it not? No, | certainly saw nothing
wrong or strange at that window" cane
the reply, in pleasant voice. which, has
ing something of constraiut in it, caused
me to look more closely at its owner.
The horseman was . well set up young
fellow Of military b., ing and, although
had never seen him before, | guessed
that II was Sir Alured Cranston, who
six months previously had inherited a
neighboring estate from a distant cousin
True to my usual custom, had not left
cards at Cranston hall
"Ies, | am RS. Wrangwyn" | an
swcred. Il am afraid that my daughter
is i'll. At any rate, her door is locked,
and | can Get no reply, l have sent my