The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-09-03
CHAPTER Vlli-Continued.

Already had she stepped several
times to her daughters room and
looked in, only to meet Reuther's I'M
quiet eye turned toward hers in silent
inquiry. Was her own uneasiness in
fictitious? Was the child determined
TO share her vigil? She would wait
little longer this time and see.
Their rooms were over the parlor.
and thus as far removed as possible
from the judges den. In her own,
which was front. she felt at perfect
ease, and 1t was without any fear OF
disturbing either him * Reuther that
she finally raised her window and al
heated cheeks. The moon emerged
from scurrying clouds as she quietly
watched the scene.
y Perched. as she was, In a window
overlooking the lane, she had but to
lift her eyes from the double fence
Chat symbol of sad seclusion) to light
on the trees rising above that unspeak-
able ravine. black with memories she
felt strangely like forgetting tonight.
Beyond how it stood out on
the bluff, it had never seemed to stand
out more threateningly! the
bifurcated mass OF dismal ruin from
which men had turned their eyes
these many years now! But the moon
loved it; caressed it; dallied with 1t,
lighting up its topping chimney and
empty, staring gable.
{,
that, and Spencer's den of dissipation,
too. There were great tales-but 1t
was not OF these she was thinking but
OF the night OF storm-tof the greatest
storm of which any record remained
in Shelby when the wind tore down
branches and toppled down chimneys;
when cattle were smitten in the field
and men on the highway; and the
blum towering overhead. dared into
flame, and the house which was its
glory was smitten apart by the de-
scending bolt as by Titan sword, and
blazed like a beacon to the sky.
: This was long before she herself
had come to Shelby; but she had been
told the story SO often that it was
quite vivid to her. The family had
been gone for months. and so no pity
mingled with the excitement Not till
the following day did the awful nature
OF the event break In it's full horror
upon the town Among the ruins. in
. closet which the flames had spared,
they found hunched up in one corner
the body of a man. in whose scared
throat a wound appeared which had
not been made by lightning or fire
Spencer Spencer himself, returned
they knew not how to die OF this self.
inflicted wound. In the dark corner OF
his grand but neglected dwelling
But as she continued to survey 1t the
clouds came trooping up once more
and the vision was wiped out, and
with 1t all memories save those Of a
nearer trouble-a more pressing ne
cessity.
Withdrawing from the window, she
crept again to Reuther's room anC
peered carefully in. Innocence was
asleep at last. Lighting a candle anc
shielding it with her hand. she gazet
long and earnestly at Reuther's swee
face Yes, she was right. Sorrow
was SLOWLY SdpplnS Tue fountain o
her darling's youth. II Reuther wa.
to be saved hope must come soon
with a sob and prayer the mothe
left the room, and locking herself int
her own, sat down at last to face tn,
new perplexity, the monstrous enigm,
which had come into her life
1t had followed in natural sequence
from a proposal made by the judg'
that some attention should be giveI
is long-neglected rooms. He had salt
on rising from the breakfast table
(the words are more or less impor
tant):
Il am really sorry to trouble you
Mrs Scoville: but II you have tim
this morning, will you clean up N.
study before I leave? The carriag
IL ordered for half.past nine"
The task was one she had long de
sired to perform. Giving Reuther tn
rest of the work to do. she PRESENT..
appeared before him with pail an
broom and a pile Of fresh linen. Moth
ing more commonplace could be imas
aned. but to her, II not to him. Their