Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-02-17

the wicket gate.
Another minute and he was through
it, and standing like stone but for
1 the heavy moan Of appointment and
despair which burst from the bottom
| of his heart as his eyes rested upon
i the lifeless house and the deserted
garden.
Empty he moaned. Gone. Oh,
Snow Snowi"
In his helplessness his head sank
upon his breast and he walked on
toward the house as If in dream.
The child put out his little hand
and made peephole for itself.
Pretty! pretty" he murmured,
looking up at the house, upon which
the moon was shining brightly.
i "Oh, father, stop here with Snow!n
Old Sam looked down at him with
a trembling lip.
The night was warm, the child well
wrapped up. There was no near shell
ter that he knew of; he might ander
all night and find no place for him.
He looked around, undecided stfr.
until his eyes fell upon a little summer
house in the corner Of the shrubbery.
and then he decided.
Limping up to it--for he was foot.
sore and famed by the hot roadside
Icrawled in, uncovered the child, while
he gave it draught Of milk from a
bottle. and then, covering 1t up again,
sat silent and motionless With Its
warm, fragile form pressed TO him
While he sat. looking up at the
moon with an inaudible prayer for the
child ever forming itself on his iips.
he heard noise near him. and, look
4 ing out, saw a figure closely muffled
stealing through the neglected garden.
CHAPTER XIV.
A Haunted Man.
Guilt ever at his footsteps paced
And kept his conscience horrible,
A shadow moved him to the soul
And fear claimed him for its own.
Sir Richard, as he had Informed
Lord Marnnion that he should be,
was very busy with ledger and day
book that evening, and worked at a
strange kind of work late into the
night.
j Sir Richard, In all his deeds,
i whether of good or bad-ke did some
good ones for far-sighted purpose,
occasionally always calm and
i gemtl emamlH.
/ Tonight he was making up false ac-
counts and statements to defraud and
Taislead clever men; but though the
task required the ocumen and astute.
ness Of an artful brain and was Of a
nature deeply criminal, Sir Richards
face was placidly smooth and the part.
4 ing of has hair unruffled.
j Had he been going to commit muir
der, he would have set about it with
la complete avoidance of excitement,
and would have slain his victim in 4
quiet, graceful. and gentIemanly man
Her.
i In tine morning he sailed into the
i park and chatted with Charming ana.
bility for SO great and wealthy man
with thoughtless young ladies and
Iempby. headed young men, some OF
whose money he had that night before
been televerly disposing of in his false
account books; and in the afternoon
i ne started for the Box alone, and
lcarrgIng a leather bag 1t was small
Dag, and did not appear particularly
lheaFy as he carried it.
i But it was heavy, notwithstandfps
| tnat ne swung it occasionally with a
careless There's nothing in it, sort
lof air, and never put it out of his
i'nand for "a minute, though obseouious
liporters and servants requested per
omission to relieve him of it. He stigi
chung ITO it while he sat in the study
IN the Box and waited, smoking a eli
|sgar and slipping claret until the night
ihad quite fallen.
/ To be continued