The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-08-12

pity me, Emily? The world is not all
: false, then"
/ A moments silence ensued o, if !
!, could have peeped out at them unseen,
for certainly believe that Emily bent
her graceful head over Philips hand
and wept upon it. / was fierce with in
dignation, but perfectly collected. Per
haps the dwarf could help his darling
after all.
Presently Philip rose to go.
II suppose, then, that we shall not see
lyou any more ?" murmured Emily, plain
lively. How hated that soft, plaintive
murmur
Hardly again." he said gloomily.
j "And yet, Emily, shall not want to lose
your friendship. In ten days / shall call
and enquire for you, and give into your
hand the letters which I have received
from Louise, and you can return them to
her." 81 1aWa
Then he went As the door closed af-
ter him, Emily threw herself down upon
the sofa, and with her face in the pillow,
muttered very low: / love him, and l
shall win him now. And yet, and yet,
his heart will never really be mine @,
cruel fate Why was Louise ever born
to spoil the only love | care for?"
i And she writhed upon the sofa in her
malice, until she seemed to me like some
creature of olden time possessed Ola de
mon within, which raved and tore. lay
hidden away IN my corner, thinking
deeply, witha volume pressed to my cheek
! What was Emily plotting against my
sister? began to believe her capable of
De-, L.
Eupon her unremittingly foil her where
| could. How low breathed, lest she,
so near me, should catch sound.
Twilight shadows crept into the room at
length, and then she foated away, and |
presently emerged from my lurking place.
How wished | was an invisible gnome
to chase her, and haunt her, and find out
all her dark deeds But had to content
myself with smearing phosphorus all over
my face and meeting her with a horrible
grin in the unlighted upper hail when
she came out at the ringing of the tea
bell. 1t did my very heart good to see
the white terror in her face as she crouch
ed back in corner to escape me. had
appointed myself Nemesis to punish
her, but she did not know that
had noticed that when Emily went
out to walk alone without naming Der
destination, she was always absent three
Tor four hours. And the next day bring
ing an occasion of this kind, as soon as
she was safely down the steps I went
straight to her room and looked all about
it. The white bed, dainty and pure, the
white curtains, the flowers. the books, all
correct and maidenly enough, but was a
detective for the nonce, and passed them
carelessly BY A small desk table fast
ened my attention; | attempted to lift
the lid, but in vain; it was locked Still
the key, with blue ribbon attached,
rested in the key-hole, and l tried to turn
1t to unlock the desk. but it would not
move-the wards did not fit. The key
tevidently was not put there to help pry-
ing fingers. The next thing to do was to
find the right key, and to that end l
glanced curiously about. The recent
reading of some of Edgar A. Poe's strange
analytical stories sharpened my percep-
tions to painful keenness. / threw my
self down in Emily's easy-chair and lean
ed my head back in position l had of
ten seen her adopt. Then narrowed my
eyes and compressed my lips as she did
/
haps, my mind might momentarily take
the turn OF hers, and give me some in
sight into the mode of concealment she
would be likely to practice. With my
head thus thrown back, my eyes natural
ly fell upon the cornice above the long
lace window curtains and distinctly saw
half hid by a projecting gilded grape
leaf, a bit of blue ribbon Still keeping
my features after Emily's fashion, the
thought suggested itself to me how natu-
raj it would be to put blue ribbon to
each of the keys, that spectator might
never know that more than one was used.
Full of excitement, | sprang from the
chair, and taking the long gas-lighting
rod which stood in the corner, reached
up and disloged the bit of blue ribbon.
AS l expected, a key fell with it to the
floor. With trembling fingers tried it
in the lock; it turned easily, and lifted
the lid. That way at last [ discovered
Emily's treachery There on sheets of
paper were words and sentences carefully
written, and rewritten, dozens of times,
and evidently in imitation of my sisters
hand. Cleverly done, too. I looked
them over hastily, and found beneath
copies of two letters purporting to be
/ from Louise to Philip Rayburn. l read
them in sort of delrious glee, for now
[ held the clue to the whole labyrinth in
my hand.
i But what base letters? In them Louise
was made to avow her falseness to Phil
4 ip-to confess that she never really loved
him-that all had been pretty farce to
conceal her love for another; that remorse
had seized her, and determination to
be honest at length; SO now these letters
begged him to set her free and to keep
her secret.
A shallow plot indeed, which few
rta orht foru a I'd Aunrds hetween the two