Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-11-02

CONT want 10 wait, john, she
whispered, with a catch in her voice.
II will go with you and begin again
with you. Do not leave mel"
"Darling!" he murmured, pressing
her hand to his lips. Dear heart-do
you mean it?'
Eleanor Seymour's voice cut the
darkness like a knife.
EYES," came Eleanor's voice out of
the night as she Joined her stepfather.
| The sound of hoofbeats grew fainter
and finally died into silence; the soft
| patter of rain on the chestnuts and the
low wall of mourning from the negro
| quarters formed the only requiem over
| the funeral pyre of the house of Max
well.
John drew nearer the ruins and
| looked up at the frowning majesty of
| the six huge chinneys. They must
come down." he murmured, and made
a mental note TO go to town and get
the dynamite necessary for the blast
F.. ing.
| Out of the grove of trees Uncle
| Jake's voice came, cracked with emo
| zion. "Marse John, Aunt Sally she done
clar outer her cabin an its sweeter'n
honey fob yo comfort, sab; yO' bed
| an lot of things from the big house am
| there-Oh, Marse John!''
Maxwell forgot his own troubles in
allaying the grief of the old servants,
| but when the gray morning dawned
and he still lay awake in his new quar-
| tiers all the comfort and hope that
Eleanor's promise had awakened in
him had departed.
He would be cur indeed to snatch
the delicately nurtured girl from her
home and let her slender shoulders
| bend beneath the burdens that the wife
of poor mana beggar, he thought
| bitterly-must suffer- He would not
bind her to promise given perhaps in
| the first warmth of sympathy. He
would go away-alone-and Seymour
| could have the coveted land.
Stern in this resolution, he rode over
| to Leesburg that afternoon and pur-
chased a quantity of dynamite, and the
| following day, with the help of the SER
wants, he prepared to raze the menac-
| ing chimneys to the ground.
The women servants carried all the
precious crystal and china to a place
of safety, and then the work of remov-
| ing the chimneys was begun.
One by one, they tottered and fell in
clouds of choking dust, until there re-
manned only the great central chimney
| the hearthstone around which gener-
atoms of Maxwells had gathered in joy
and sorrow, in prosperity long ago, and
now in bitter ruin. Better remove this
landmark Of a dead race Of which he
was doomed to be the last.
So unused Maxwell, as he stood alb
| sorbed in bitter thought while Uncle
Jake, near-sighted and half blinded by
tears, recklessly prepared the last
| blast. The fuse was laid and they
| withdrew into the shelter Of the chest
nut grove.
81 done leave cherry stick OBJ dinna-
mite there, Marse JOHN muttered the
old man with resentful triumph in his
grumbling tones. ''There won't no
folks pint in here an say"
my God, Jake, what"
Johns words were drowned in q
deafening roar, followed by the black
ness and silence of death itself.
When he regained consciousness his
eyes opened ON the sunshine stream
| ing through the window of Aunt Sal
| l.; for L
lar articles Of furniture and above him
bent Eleanor Lee.
"What happened-Uncle Jake?" he
asked family.
| Uncle Jakes snow-crowned head
bobbed above the foot of the bed, his
lips stretched in a toothless. smile.
"Here / is, Marse john" he chuckled
softly "dem lazy niggers done left
fodder bald yander in de grove, an
when de splosion came this niger fell
on the bed an amt hurt mite, sab.
You was de only one"
I'm glad of that, Uncle Jake"
smiled Maxwell, and then he raised
his eyes to Eleanor's. "What did the
| doctor say?"
"That you will be as good as new in
few weeks" returned Miss Lee
promptly, evading his tender eyes.
| Maxwell groaned. "The DEVILS own.
| luck" he muttered desperately. "Nell,
darling, 1 can't hold you to your prom
Use to go with me-f am penniless. I
am not selfish enough to accept your
| sacrifice"
A soft hand covered his mouth and
Eleanor's bright hair touched the pill
low beside his head. 1--WE set my
heart on making a rich marriage.
John, don't disappoint me, please!
Listen-two weeks ago I heard my
! stepfather telling that man who bought
the Lesson place next door that he
was positive that there was vein of
coal beneath your place that meant a
| fortune to the man who acquired the
property.
81 thought the matter over and de-
cided that he was the author of all
your troubles. 1t is he who has baked
all your enterprises. He had hoped to
discourage you and send you away.