Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-01-19

Emily's voice trembled as she replied, 20
Mr.. Rayburn, | cannot bear it To deceive
you-you who are so true and noble. She
could not, indeed she coulG not.
Philip spoke in softer tones. ''You pity
me, Emily? The world is not all false,
then
A moments silence ensued. o, if could
only have peeped out at them unseen. for l
certainly believe that Emily bent her grace
full head over Philips hand and wept upon
it. | was fierce with indignation. but per-
fectly collected. Perhaps the dwarf could
help his darling after all.
Presently Philip rose to go.
II suppose, then, weshal not see you any
mora2" murmured Emily, plaintivey How
1 hated that false, plaintive murmur.
Hardly again, he said gloomily. "And
yet, Emily, | shall not wish to lose your
friendship. In ten days | shall call and in
quire for you and give into your hands the
letters which have received from Louise,
and you can return them to her. -
Then he went As the street door closed
after him Emily threw herself down upon
the sofa, and with her face in the pillows
mutrered very low, Il love him, and shall
win him now. And yet, and yet, his Eeart
will never be really mine o, cruel fate !
Why was louise ever born to spoil the only
love care for?'
And she writhed upon the sofa in her ma
lice, till she seemed to me like some creature
Of olden time possessed by demon within,
which raved and tore. I lay hidden away in
my corner, thinking deeply, with volume
pressed 10 NV cheek.
What was Emily plotting against my Sis
ter? l began to believe her capable of any
Borgia scheme and resolved to spy upon her
unremittingly and foil her where l could.
How low | breathed, lest she, so near me,
should catch q sound. Twilight shadows
crept into the room at length and in them
she foated away and l presently emerged
from my lurking place. How l wished L
were an invisible gnome to chase her and
haun. her and find out all her dark deeds !
But had to content myself with smearing
phosphorus all over ny face and meeting
her with horrible grin in the unlighted up
per hall 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
crouched back in corner to escape me. l
had appointed myself Nemesis to punish
her, but sh6 did not know that.
| had noticed that when Emily went out
to walk alone without naming her destina-
ton, she was always absent three or four
hours And the next day bringing an occa
sion of this kind, as soon rs she was safely
down the steps [ went straight to her room
and looked all about it. The white bed,
dainty and pure, the dropping curtains, the
flowers, the books, were all correct and maid
enly enough, but 1 was detective for the
nonce, and passed them carelessly by. A
small desk table fastened my attention; l
attempted to lifs the lid. but in vain; it was
locked Still, the key, with blue ribbon
attached, rested in the key hole, ana tried
to tiirn' it to unlock the desk, but It would
not movc-the wards did not fit. The key
evideiitly was not put there to help prying
fingers. The next thing to do was to find
the right sey, and to that end | glanced Gu
riously about. The recent reading of some
of Edgar poe's strange and analytical sto-
ries sharpened my perceptions to painful
keennicss threw myself down in Emily $
easy chair, and leaned my head back in a po-
siticr, ksf oftsn seen her adopt. Then /
narrowed my eyes and compressed my lips
as she did when thoughtful, thinking that
so, perhaps, my mind might momentarily
take the turn of hers, and give me some in
sight into the mode Of conceament she would
be likely to practice. With my head thus
thrown back my eyes naturally fell upon the
cornice above the window curtains, and |
distinctly saw, half hid by projecting gil
ded grape leaf, a bit of blue ribbon Still
keeping my features after Enily's fashion,
the thought suggested itself to me how nat
ural it would be TO put blue ribbon on each
of the two keys, that spectator may never
know that more than one was used. Full of
excitement | sprangFrom the chair, and ia
king the long gas lighting rod which hung
in the corner, [ reached up and dislodged
the bit of blue ribbon. As | expected, 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 dis
covered EmiIy's treachery. There on sheets
of paper we're words and sentences, carefully
written and rewritten dozens of times, in
evident imitation of my sisters hand. Clev-
erly done too. I looked them over hastily,
and found beneath copies of two letters pur-
porting to be from Louise to Philip Rayburn
ead them in a sort of delirious glee, for
now held the clue to the whole labarinth in
my hand. But what base letters In them
Louise was made to avow her falseness to
Philip-to confess that she never really low
ed him-that ali had been pretty farce to
conceal her passion for another, that remorse
had seized her, and determination to be
honest at length; so now these letters beg
ged him to set her free and keep her secret.
A shallow plot indeed, which few straight
forward words between the two would have
set right at once but Louise was proud and
Philip pitiless. Emily hazarded much, and