Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-10-16

The cause OF Bradbury's ill-Iuck was
undoubtedly Erskine himself. Was it
possible to remove him?
Perhaps he had not yet told the tale.
Would he refrain now at the eleventh
hour if he knew the circumstances, if he
knew that FIVE hundred pounds was wait
ing at the bank for him? Here again
past experience whispered that it would
be useless to hope for mercy from one
who had so relentlessly carried out the
purpose of revenge in former years. No,
there was only one way-the cause
must be removed!
Through sleepless night the furies of
conscience and memory torEented the
mind of John Bradbury, till, when morn
ing gl0wed upon the bare peak above the
gully and he departed for the mines to
meet the sub manager and his visitors,
he was a mere wreck of the man he had
been on the previous evening. 1t was
with no definite plan of action, but only
a vague terror of impending trouble That
he set out
The managers house stood on a high
promontory round which the river swirled
and tossed on its way down the valley.
ErslSine, coming up the narrow path
from his morning dip, saw girl prepar-
ing breakfast on the veranda. She came
forward and introduced herself with
pleasant iaformality holding out a well
formed hand of the useful type and look
ing him frankly in the face.
Il think it Is Dr. Erskine, isn't it,
Mrs. Lynn has gone up the Trig with the
Others, SO she asked me to give you your
breakfast / am Bessie Forester"
Her rosy cheeks dimpled with a smile.
and there was mirth in the sparkle Of
her brown eyes. Erskine thought CT
Bradbury's dull. vacillating face, and he
felt twinge of regret as he took her
hand.
'.0h, Yes, of course! I'm glad to meet
you, Miss Forester. Allow me to con
graduate the new overseer on his good
fortune"
The girl blushed. uncertain whether OF
not to appropriate the compliment. Then,
turning away, she busted herself in
bringing eggs and tea from the kitchen
with scenes of her own baking, and while
the doctor enjoyed his meal she seated
herself on the step with some knitting
and chatted gaily about the gully and
its beauties the perils of the mine, and
at length of her future prospects as wife
of the new overseer.
I'VE are to live at the flat, only half
a mile from the Lynns," she told him.
ut viii do John good to be more with
other people. He is such a good fellow
DT. Erskine but far too reserved and
melancholy. Please don't think me very
strange to speak so, but the fact is Mrs
lynn advised me to have talk with YOU
while / had the chance. You saw John
last night so you know how dreadfully
shy he is. / would like you to think
well of him, because when you under
stand him perhaps you will be able to
give him some relief from the fits of low
spirits that he falls into. The men saw
shocking things about pretending
that he has some wicked deed on his
mind, or is hiding from justice and I
can't bear to hear such things said of
John. Will you have a talk with him
and see what You can do? Please for
give me for troubling you, but mayn't
have another opportunity"
"Fn do my best to prescribe for him,
Miss Forester, though / should think
your society win be the most likely cure
for his malady," Erskine responded with
n laugh
He strolled thoughtfuily along the
bush track to the place OF meeting,
where Lynn and Ford presently joined
him
As the three walked on towards the
mine the doctor mentioned Bessie and
her anxieties LYNN 1auphed
She's q nice little girl-just the sort
TO wake Bradbury up He's thorough
iy decent fellow-honest and long head
ed, too, but simply abiect in his want of
self Prospect. It's queer, for there, moth
ing wrong with him but in meroid fan
cies. By the way, my wife snugg'cd
Bessie over from the township for
feast in homer of Bra lbury promotion
today, and he is not to know that she is
here till dinner time All, there he comes
"a punctual, trustwor Inv man as eger
stepped! But, bless me, how i'll he
aooks!''
Bradbury was pale and agitated
Avoiding Erskilse, he addressed himself
chiefly to tue other two, until Lynn
turned into the laboratory, after which
he talked only 20 Ford
HADb a1sCC1t1csA bt8C uiAisAaG. d4sd,
having ertered one % the horizontal ber-
sngs, explored tile recesses OF the minc
for mile o. more pTo,ec0iiag through
1airylike tunnels ltt 40 by myriads Of
glow worms, whicn darted their tiny
sparklets hithnr and thitaer on arehins
roof and dripping wells
From the shaft they went on to the
place where the huge quartz boulders
were reduced for the after crushing
process. Bradbury spared no pains to
explain the successive Ita;sas of the work,
but his tone was strangely aloof, like
that of a man under hypnotic influence,
and with the sound of his own speech
there rang ever in his ears an underrone
Of suggestiveness that nearly maidened
him. One half 81 LIS brain seemed to
be on fire, while the other was cool and
clear.
This is the rock breaker" he said.
You see the quartz is delivered I,cre di-
rect from the mine, broken into small
pieces, run off in those trucks, and
dumped into the bins yonder at the back
or the STAINING has terry -