Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-06-13

boy listened as one soothed by a
angels song. Only once the blu
veined lips trembled, and he said:
you sing like my mother, too. 81
is singing among the angels now; b
am sure her voice is like yours.
will be quite still now, and think"
While he lay thinking she knelt
pray. She prayed from the We
depths of her broken heart that b
son might be spared, and that
might be taken in his place. VIII
the prayer was ended she knelt. wat
ing him. while the dead silence CT
deeper and deeper.
There was a faint murmur from
wind-a low whisper, as though it /
sotbed until it was exhausted.
other sound disturbed the profou
stiffness which reigned through
that vast mansion. The stars she
IN the depths of the blue skies;
pale moon cleaned and glistent
fieecy clouds passed over its ia
Trees and flowers were all aslet
there seemed nothing human to wa
the tragedy going on in the red roc
And still Mrs. Rivers knelt with
face bent over the boy, watching
so intently that her very soul seem
TO have passed into her eyes.
were closed in deep, restful thong
but not in sleep.
So silent, so still; not even t
creaking of a door. the sound of a
man footstep-nothing to break L
charm-not even the familiar sound
mouse behind the wainscot"
lence deep and profound as death
self
Would he sleep? Would Heave
hear her prayer, and give him back
her? Was this his last night
would the morrow's dawn find hir
beyond the SUM-" He moved hi
hand restlessly; she laid her soft fir
gers upon it, and he smiled. Looking
earnestly in his face. she fancied tn
expression of it was more natural, thu
eyelids dropped more heavily. Coulc
it be possible that after all, he was fall
ing into a natural slumber? Ruper'
murmured something; she bent down
to listen; it was but waking dream
half-delirious fancy; no sleep, no
rest yet for the active brain.
Silence again; and il seemed to the
quiet watcher that the whole worlo
must be asleep. She renewed her
prayer-she begged for her sons life;
and then she fancied-it could only be
fancyi-that in the anteroom she
heard the soft rustic of a woman's
dress. She listened intently, then
said to herself she was mistaken. She
took out her watch; it wanted then
seven minutes to twelve, and at mid
night she was to give the opiate.
Harkl surely that is the sound ofSa
woman's dress against the crimson
hangingsl Gently and noiselessly
she rose from her knees, and stood
with her eyes on the tapestry.
What could it be? For one half
moment her heart stood still with a great
nameless fear. Could it be the Angei
of Death advancing with slow foot
stops? Would those crimson hangings
fly open and disclose to her the ''angei
of the dark wings?" She covered her
face with her hands, and shuddered il
mortal fear.
1t was strange. She had watched
by many deathbeds; she had CLOSED
dying eyes, and listened to dying words
before, yet she had never felt fear
and now, for one minute, a more thar
mortal terror came over her; grea
drops stood upon her forehead, and he
limbs trembled.
What was there to fear? There la.
Rupert, calm and still, with close
eyes. Supposing even that the Ange
of Death were there, what need {
tremble? Yet-she could not tell why
she could not explain it even to he
self; she could not account for it
shuddering, deadly fear convinced he
that something was on the other sid
of the hangings.
She stood still as a marble statu
unable to move, unable to open he
white. closed lips, her hands claspe
her eyes fixed on those terrible ham
ings. ......
Then-how was it the shock did nc
kill her?-then she saw the tapestr
move slightly, as though some one ha
touched it lightly On the other side
There was no sound. no stir.
Another moment, and from betwee,
the hangings, where two pieces o
crimson tapestry met, she saw
white hand She could neither NOV,
nor stir; she was rooted to the ground
in terror too intense for any veal
words to describe.
The hand was withdrawn. then
reappeared. holding. this time. a small
vial, full Of a clear liquid like colo
/ water. That was placed noiselessly
on the stand, and the bottle containing
the opiate was withdrawn-still with
out sound. It was so gently. so noise
lessIy done, that had Mrs. Rivers
been looking another way-had she
been engaged with her patient-she