Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-03-24

Continued.
Jasper did not catch what he said,
and thinking it was something adj
dressed to him, he stopped over Mr..
Jordan and said, What became of
her? How did she die. Where Is she
buried?'
The old man raised himself on one
arm and tried to sit up, and looked at
Jasper with quivering lips; then held
his arm over the rock as, pointing to
the abyss, 'Here!' he whispered, and
fell back on the moss.
Jasper saw that he had again be-
come unconscious. He feared lest life
or reason-should desert him be-
fore he had told the whole story.
It was some time before the squire
was able to speak. When conscious
ness returned he bent his face to Jas
per, and there was not that flicker
and Witness in his eyes which Jas
per had observed at other times, and
which had made him uneasy Mr..
Jordan looked intently and steadily
at Jasper.
She did not run away from me.
did not drive her from my house as
you think. 1t can avail nothing to
conceal the truth longer. did not
wish that Eve, my child, should know
It; but now-it matters no more. My
fears are over. / have nothing more
10 disturb me. l care for no one
else. / saw my wife on this rock meet
the actor. 1 watched them. They did
not know that I was spying I could
not hear much of what they said; 1
caught only snatches of sentences
and stray words. I thought he was
urging her to go with him.
No. interrupted Jasper, it was not
so. He advised her not to return
with her father, but to remain with
you
Was it so? I was fevered with
love and jealousy. I heard his last
words-she was to be there on the
morrow. Midsummer Day, and then
to give the final decision. If had had
my gun would have shot him there,
but was unarmed. All that night I
was restless. I could not sleep: 1
was as one in death agony. I
thought that Eve was going to desert
me for another. And when on the
morrow, Midsummer Day, she went
at the appointed hour to the Raven
Rock, l followed her. She had taken
her child-she had made up her mind
she was going. Then I took down
my gun and loaded it.
Jasper's heart stood still. Now for
the first time he began to see and
fear what was coming. This was
worse than he had anticipated.
crept along behind a ledge, till
l reached the wood. Then I stole
through the gate under the trees. I
came beneath the great Scotch pine,
he pointed in the direction. She
had her child with her. She had
made UP her mind-so l thought-to
leave me. Now I see she took 1t only
that she might show the little thing
to her father. l watched her on the
rock. She kissed the babe and soothed
it. She had a sweet voice. was
watching-there-a l had my gun
in my hands. The man was no.
come. 1 saw rise up before me
the life my Eve would lead; l saw
how she would sink, how the man
would desert her, and she would fall
lower; and my child, what would be-
come of my child? Then she turned
and looked in my direction. She was
listening for the step of her lover.
She stopped. and laid the child OF
the moss, where l lie now. l supposed
it opened its eyes, and she began to
sing and dance to it, swapping her fin
gers as though playing castanets. My
heart aared within me, my hand
shook, and God knows how it was
| do not. | cannot say how it came
about, but in one moment the gun
was discharged and she fell. did not
mean to kill her when l loaded it, but
l did mean to kill the man, the Sc
Queer. But whether I did it purpose
ly then, or any finger acted without
my will, l cannot say. All is dark to
me when / look back-dark as is the
darkness over the edge of this rock
Jasper could not speak. He stood
and looked with horror on the wound
ed, wretched man.
1 buried her, said Mr.. Jordan, n
the old copper mine-long deserted,
and only known to me-and there she
lies. That is the whole
Then he covered his eyes and said
no more.
CHAPTER LII.