The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-25

other times, when It's sound was hollow,
and storm was coming up the ,pass: BOOB,
boom, boom. Beat him, beat him, beat him.
Like my mother enraged-f she was my
mother"
"If she was" said vendale, gradually chang.
ing his attitude to q sitting one. III she was {
Why do you say 'ifT"
"What do I know ?" replied the other negi-
gently throwing up his hands and letting them
fall as they would. "What you would havef I
am so obscurely born, that how can I say? I
was very young, and ell the rest Of the family
were men and women, and my so-called parents
were old. Anything is possible Of o case Like
that"
"Did you ever doubt-w.
"I told you once, 7 doubt the marriage Of
those two," he replied, throwing up his hands
again, as If he were throwing the Improbable
come Of no fine family. What does it matter p
cat least you are Swiss" said yendale, after
following him with his eyes to and fro."
Glow do I know 2" he retorted, abruptly, and
stopping to look over his shoulder. 81 say to
you. at least you are English. How do you
know?"
"By what 1 have been told FROM infancy"
"Ahl 1 know OF myself that way" -.
Sand" added Vendale, pursuing the thought
that he could not drive back, "by my earliest
recollections."
also: know of myself that way-if that
WY bhLlbu6b.
"Does it not satisfy you2n
SIT must. There is nothing like 'ft must IN
this little world. It must. Two short words
those, but stronger than long proof or reason
ing,~ wu,.
dale, again thoughtfully looking utter him as he
resumed his pacing up and down.
eyes. Very nearly"
Could Obenreizer be the missing mani In
the unknown associations Of things, was there D
subtler meaning. than he himself thought, in
ness OF the worldp Had the Swiss letter pre-
serting him, followed 30 close on Mrs. Gold
Btraw's revelation concerning the infant who
had been taken away to Switzerland, because he
was that infant grown o man2 In @ world where
30 many depths lie unsounded, 1t might be.
The chances, or the laws - call them either-that
had wrought out the revival Of Vendale's "
acquaintance with Obenreizer, aud had ripened It
into intimacy, and had brought them here to-
gether this present winter night, were hardly less
curious; while read by such . light, they were
tinuous and an intelngiDle purpose.
Vendale's awakened thoughts ran high while
his eyes musingly followed ObenreiZer pacing up
and down the room, the river ever running TO
the tune: "Where shall I rob him, II ! can ?
Where shall I murder him, II I must /" The Sc
cret Of his dead friend was In no hazard from
Vendale's lips but just ss his friend had died Of
its weight, so did he In his lighter succession
feel the burden Of the trust, and the obligation
to follow any clue, however obscure. he rapidly
asked himself, would he like this man TO be the
as he might, he was unwilling to put
such . substitute in the place Of his late guile
less, outspoken, ohildllke palmer. he rapidly
asked himself, would he like this man to be rich2
No. He had more power than enough over Mar
guerite as it was, and wealth might invest him
80 "z-1I L. ILL., AID -nA- hA Il.
g~uerite's guardian, and yet proved to stand in
no degree Of relationship toward her, however
disconnected and distant? No. But these we're
not considerations to come between hum and
fidelity to the dead. Let him see to 1t that they
passed him with no other notice than the knowl-
edge that they had passed aim, and left MN
bent ON the discharge Of Q solemn duty. And
he did see to 1t, so soon that he followed his
companion with nngrudglng eyes, while he still
paced tho room; that companion, whom he sup
posed to be moodily rejecting on his W birth,
and not on another man's-least Of all what
man's-yiolent death.
The road in advance from Basic to Neuchatel
was better than had teen represented. The
latest weather had done 1t good. Drivers, both
of horses and mules, had come In that evening
after dark, and had reported nothing more diff
cult to be overcome than trials Of patience, har-
ness, wheels, axles, and whlpcord. A bargain
was soon struck for q carriage and horses, to
take them on in the morning, and to start before
"Do you lock your door at night when travel
ing p asked Obenreizer, standing warming his
hands by the wood fire in Vendale's chamber,
before going to his wn.
"NotL. I sleep to soundly."
"You are 30 sound o sleeper2" he retorted,
with On admiring look. "What Q blessing"
Anything but q blessing to the rest Of the
house, r~eioined vendale, elf I had to be
knocked up in the morning from the outside Of
my bedroom door,"
"I too" said Obenreizer, "leave open my
room. But let me advise YOU, as o Swiss VINO
knows: always, when you tIsyel in my country,
put your papers-and, Of course, your money
under your pillow. Always the same place."
"You are not complimentary to your country
men, I" laughed Vendale.
"My conntrymen,' p said Obenreizer, with that
light touch OF his friends elbows by way of good
night and benedict;on, 81 suppose, are like the
majority Of men. And the msjority Of men will
take what they can get. Adieul At four in the
morning."
"Adieul At four"
Left TO himself, vendale raked the logs to-
gether, eprinkled over them the white wood
ashes lying on the hearth, and sat down to COM
pose his thoughts. But they still ran high on
their latest theme, and the running OF the river
tended to agitate rather than to quiet them. AS
ba aet thinking what little dispOsition ha had