Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-01-08


him to the real purpose Of his wife's
presence in the house, and also as
sured him that the opportunity would
soon be given him for another glimpse
of her before the evening was over.
1t was also likely to be full-face one,
as she would have to advance sew
eral steps directly towards him be-
fore taking the turn leading to the
front staircase.
He awaited the moment eagerly
The hour for signing the will had
been set at nine o'clock, but it was
surely long past that time now. No,
the clock in the Office is striking; it
! is just nine. Would she recognize the
summons? Assuredly; for with the
| last stroke she lifts the latch Of her
door and comes out.
She has exchanged her dark dress
| for a light one and has arranged her
| hair in the manner he likes best. But
| he scarcely notes these changes in the
| interest he feels in her intentions and
| the manner in which she proceeds to
| carry out nef purpose.
She does not advance at once to the
| staircase, but creeps first to her Sis
| ter's door, where she stands listening
| for a minute or so in an attitude Of
marked anxiety. Then, with a ges-
| ture expressive Of repugnance and
alarm, she steps quickly forward and
| disappears down the staircase with
out vouchsafng one glance in his
| direction.
| His vision of her as she looked in
| that short passage from room to stair
case was momentary only, but it left
| him shuddering. Never before had he
seen resolve burning to white heat
| in the human countenance. The limo
cent, affectionate young girl, whose
| soul he had looked upon as a weeded
| garden, had become in a moment to
his eyes a suffering, determined, deep
| ly concentrated woman Of unsuspect-
| ed power and purpose. What was she
going to do? Sign away all her prop
| erty? Beggar her heirs for He
| could not say what. No! There was
! in her distracted mind something of
more tragic import than this; and he
dared not question what. What if she
were about to will away her fortune to
| the man she called brother? He him
| self had no use for her wealth. Her
health and happiness were all that
| concerned him, and these possibly de-
| pended on her being allowed to go her
| own way without interference.
| His suspense presently became so
great that he could no longer control
himself. Throwing up the window,
he thrust his head out into the rain
| and felt refreshed by the icy drops
| falling on his face and neck. But
| the roar of the waterfall rang too per-
| sistently in his ears and he hastily
| closed the window again. There was
something in the incessant boom OF
| that tumbiing water which strangely
| disturbed him. He could better stand
| suspense than that. If only the wind
would buster again. That, at least,
was intermittent in it's fury and gave
momentary relief to thoughts strained
| to an unbearable tension.
| Afterwards, only short time after
wards, he wondered that he had Civ
en- himself over to such extreme feel
ing at this especial moment. Her ap-
| pearance when she came quietly back,
with Mrs. Dec chatting and smiling
behind her, was natural enough, and
/ though she did not speak herself, the
tenor of the landlady's remarks was
such as to show that they had been
| conversing about old days when the
two little girls used to ransack her
cupboards for their favorite cookies,
and when their united pranks were the
| talk of the town.
AS they passed down the hall, Mrs.
Dec garrulously remarked: