Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1921-05-12

snliled He drew her hand within his
arm and half carried her up the slip
perry brick pavement that ran the
length of the lawn. He even lifted
her onto the tiny porch and there
pulled away her wrap. Il want TO re
member you always just as YOU look
now he said, standing back IA pace or
so 10 see more clearly. His headlights
HIumiued the space with soft, sui
fused radiance II etherealized ANA
bel He tried to fling his arms about
her. but the door opened wide and
Mrs. Neal. candle in hand, stood
framed in it, her face cross between
steel and ice.
This must be a mistake" she said
with a hard breadth Ours is a re
spectacle house--it does not harbor
scarlet women. | should hate to dis
turb my sleeping husband-so please
20 away-at once" turning at the
last word TO shut and lock the door.
She was beside herself with rage
some STRINGS of conjunction had
brought her home early. Anal els
room, untidy, untenanted, told her how
She had been fooled. This added fuel
to the flame Of her anger-to think
in compassion she had abjured her
rirhtful throne added insult to her
sense of injury. A burning sense, 1t
grew and mounted throughout two
hours of waiting, hardening her into
q desperate resolve.
A shut door was the only proper an
swer to such trickery-she would open
1t after a while--when Amabel, re-
duced to abject fear, should make
proper suppllcation. She would have
to do it--there was nowhere she could
hope TO find safe harbOrage
if she stayed from home all night her
reputation would be gone. Mrs. Neal
believed herself devout Christian
yet the thought of that dread con
tingency woke in her an unholy joy.
Up in her own room she waited
tensely for the knocking that would
tell her she had won. 1t did not come.
Instead, She heard the motor moving
rapidly away A feint, she decided
meant to shake her resolution. After
little it would come back-even that
wicked Austin Ware would hardly de-
sert a girl at this hour of night in
such bitter cold. She wondered that
he had not spoken up to her-that
both of them had stood silent before
her They had less face than she had
| thought-but something must be done
she would 20 down and listen closely
maybe Amabel was outside the door,
trembling with cold, afraid to knock.
She opened the door. Nothing, no.
| body. Needless of her bare head she
ran to the gate, then began hurried
search of the thick Shrubbery, the
summer house. even the makeshift ga
rage at the farther side, Once she
| yentured into the main road and stood
| for minute peering up and down,
| trying 10 call Amabels name aloud,
but finding herself voiceless.
| Shaking like leaf, she crept back
within, tried to rouse her husband, but
yainly; he was one of the seven sleep
ers. Better let him be; he will have
| to know soon enough" she said to
herself, brokenly. Then she thought
| of the minister He was always
safe counselor, but as she rang the
phone her voice was So strained she
had TO repeat the call thrice to get
| 1t sent on.
That you Sister Neal7' came
heapty answer at last. You're just
in time TO be too late. | married
your runaways hard and fast ten min
utes ago, and I'm bound to say they
look the happiest pair | have ever
helped into double harness. | wanted
TO call you up before the ceremony,
but Austin wouldn't hear to it, ANA
bel begged me to 80 and tell her dad
! dy first thing in the morning"
The good man stopped suddenly.
over the wire he heard unmistakable
sobbing. then family: ooh, thank the
Lord for this browning mercy. But
FOR II might be a murderess."
The minister never asked explana-
lions, but he gave out to the world
that Sister Neal had a mighty soft
heart, and was, in spite of appear
anees, wrapped up in her stepchild.