Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-09-03

COySbe arrived; he was a Tall young
man. with hair cut very short, very
large light whiskers, prominent eyes,
and big protruding ears.
He is suffering from congestion or
the BRAIN said the surgeon; If ne
does not awake tomorrow. order his
grave to be dug.
Can you do nothing for him?' asked
Miss Jordan.
Nothing better than leave him IN
your hands,, said Coyshe with bow.
This was all that had passed be-
| tween Barbara and the doctor. Now
the third day was gone, and the man S
brain had recovered from the pres
sure on it.
As Barbara knitted, she stole many
a glance at Jasper's face; presently,
finding that she had dropped stitches
and made false counts, she laid her
knitting in her lap, and watched the
sleeper with undivided attention and
with face full Of perplexity, as
though trying to read the answer to
question which puzzled her, and not
! finding the answer where she sought
it, or finding it different from what
she anticipated
In appearance Barbara was very diff
Iferent from her sister. Her face WAS
round, her complexion olive, her eyes
very dark. She was strongly built,
without grace of form, a sound, hearty
girl, hale to her hearts core. She
was not beautiful her features were
without chiselIing, but her abundant
hair, her dark eyes, and the sensible,
honest expression of her face re-
deemed it from plainness She hao
practical common sense; Eve had
beauty. Barbara was content with
the distribution; perfectly satisfied to
believe herself destitute of personal
charms, and ready to excuse every act
of thOughtlessness committed by her
sister. Barbara rose from her seat,
laid aside the knitting, and went to a
| carved oak box that stood against the
wall, ornamented with the figure or
man in trunk hose, with pair OF
eagles heads in the place of a human
face. She raised the liz and looked
in. There lay, neatly folded, the con-
tents Of Jasper's bundle, a coarse grey
and yellow suit--a suit so peculiar IN
cut and color that there was no mis-
taking whence it had come, and what
The was who had worn it. Barbara
Ishut the chest and returned to her
place, and her look was troubled. Her
eyes were again fixed on the sleeper.
His face was noble. 1t was pale from
loss of blood. The hair was black,
the eyes were closed, but the Iashes
were long and dark. His nose was
aquiline without being oVerstrongly
characterised, his lips were thin ana
we'll moulded. The face, even in
sleep, bore an expression of gravity,
dignity and integrity. Barbara found
it hard to associate such a face with
crime, and yet how else could she &C
count for that convict garb she had
found rolled up and strapped to his
saddle, and which she had laid in the
trunk?
Prisoners escaped now and again
from the great jail on Dartmoor. This !
was one Of them. AS she sat watch
ing him, puzzIing her mind over this, |
his eyes opened, and he smiled. The
smile was remarkably sweet. His |
eyes were large, dark and soft, and |
from being sunken through sickness, |
appeared to fill his face. Barbara
rose hastily, and, going to the fire !
place, brought from it some beef-tea |
that had been warming at the small |
fire. She put it to his lips; he
thanked her, sighed and lay back. !
She said not word, but resumed her
knitting. i
From this moment their positions
were reversed. 1t was now she who |
was watched by him. When she |
looked up, she encountered his dark !
eyes. She colored a little and impa- |
tiently turned her chair on one side, |
so as to conceal her face. A couple OF
minutes after, sensible in every nerve |
that she was being observed, unable |
to keep her eyes away, spell-drawI, |
she glanced at him again. He was |
still watching her. Then she moved |
to her former position, bit her lip, !
frowned, and said, Are you in want
of anything?'
He shook his head.
You are sufficiently yourself ID re-
main alone for a few minutes she
said, stood up, and left the room |
She had the management of the house, |
and, indeed, of the farm on her hands; |
her usual assistant in setting the la |
borers their work, old Christopher |
Davy, was i'll with rheumatism. This |
affair had happened at an untoWard |
moment, but is it not always so? A !
full hour had elapsed before Miss |
Jordan returned. Then she saw that |
the convalescent's eyes were closed. |
He was probably again asleep, and |
sleep was the best thing for him. !
She reseated herself by his bedside, |
and resumed her knitting. A moment
after she was again aware that his |
eyes were on her She had herself
watched him so intently whilst he was
asleep that a smile came inyoluntariiy |
to her lips. She was being repaid in
her own coin. The smile encouraged |
him to speak,
How long have l been here?
-Four days
Have / been very ill.,
Yes, insensihle, sometimes ramb-
ling