The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-09-01
By THE YER

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ton OF Susan wycherIy TO make her
daughter, the only object upon which
the pride and affection OF her selfish
heart were placed. the wife OF a man
OF wealth and influence, and such
one she pronounced Percy Efiingham.
whose visits at the house had com.
menced soon after its occupancy by
the Wycherlys And Kate Wycherly
loyed him from the first not with
constrained affection wrung from her
I nv the commands OF her parent. but
withAa passionate zeal which melted
the hehrt OF the proud beauty.
DuHng the first weeks Of his visits
az tie house Percy Bingham had
! BEEN always received and entertained
by the daughter. ana so sedulously
was the niece excluded from his soci
/ ETY. that he hardly knew OF her exist.
ence. Happening 10 call one day, the
young man first saw Ellen Wychery
and was ut once deeply impressed
with the remarkable loneliness OF her
mind and person. Thenceforth his Wis
\ its were made for the sole purpose OF
seeing her and enjoying her society.
II was dusky twilight hour upon a
summer evening when Ellen Wycherly
i sat alone IN one OF the apartments of
the house overlooking the river She
was seated 10y the window. absenty
watching the eddies In the current as
they whirled and crcled past-ab
sentIy. for there was a quiet. dreamy
smile upon her handsome face and the
word Percy" unconsciously fell from
her lips The next instant she started
aud blushcd In unfeigned confusion as
she looked up and discovered Etiing
ham himself standing by her, his
features radiant with a glowing graft
fcation which her audible whisper had
produced
The time, the place aud the discovery
all favored and encouraged the ardent
lover. and his warm avowal, there IN
solemn hush OF the night. came sweet
IL 10 the ears Of Ellen Wychcrly, all
Ing her sweet blue eyes with tears OF
JOY.
The twilight hour had long passed
and the darkness Of cloudy night
drew on before Percy Efingham re-
luctantly tore himself from the scene
OF his newly found happiness. The
next day when Percy Etlngham called
he was informed that Ellen had mys-
teriously disappeared.
The fate OF Ellen wycherly was en-
veloped in mystery. dark and mex
plIcable Unsparfng efforts were used
by her lover as well as by her relatives
20 discover and reclaim her, but each
attempt was vain.
Search was finally abandoned as ut
terry useless The warmest sym
pathies or the neighborhood were given
10 Susan Wycherly Tnd her daughter,
whose dcmonstrative grief none could
suspect OF being any other than an un-
feigned one. as well as 10 Percy Effing
ham. now a broken hearted, prema-
turely aged man. He seemed, In truth.
dead 10 aught else than "reminiscences
or his great bereavement. and the eff
forts OF Kate Wycherly 10 secure his
affections anew were met with indlffer-
ence or a passive smile which should
have assured her that he had no heart
TO give IL was strange. withal, thar
the passionate beauty could still love
him and yearn for his affections for
the lapse OF thirty years could not have
so whitened his hair. withered his
cheek. bowed his form and stolen the
luster from his eye as this one over
towering sorrow. Yet her longings for
him were. IL possible, never more in
tense, and year barely passed since
the disappearance OF Ellen when the
approaching nuptials OF Percy Efing-
ham and Kate Wychcrly were an
nounced through the ncighborhood
The light from the chandeliers Of the
dining room streamed out upon the
river on the night appointed for the
marriage. II was a dreary. heartless
weddIng-thp cold apathetic absence
Of mind and eorpselilye appearance OF
Eiingham contrasting So sngularly
with the eager restlcssness and flush
OF beauty OF the bride.
But as the last words Of the cere-
mony were pronounced and the clergy
man WIS In the act OF invoking n
blessing upon the bridal pair deathly
Wilderness oyersprend the face OF Kate
NgNutllys licI mOlneT tTemDlcd WIN
agitation. and. hastily moving to her
side. whispered In her ear.
mo. no; | cannot be calmw burst
from the lips OF the frenzled bride In
accents OF fear and despair. There
there! For heavens sake. keep her
from me-
Whom do you meant" Percy sternIy
demanded, as suspicion or the truth
broke upon his mind.
ELLEN Ellen Wycherly! See her.
how she stands there now, by the win
dow, from which my mother flung herl
Her hair 10 wet and tangled with the
weeds OF the river, and her eyes o
God. how they stare on me! Can you
not see herr And there she stands,
even now. whispering or her wrong
and beckonlng me 10 follow her Into
the cold river Nay Ellen. do not gaze
upon me SO coldly! DO not-do"
With prolonged and thrilling
scream the speaker fell lnsensible TO
the floor.
Search was made for the hodv ~