Litchfield enquirer., 1872-03-28

tween HIS GGeGl. nave | 1OO10u you anu the boys as easily as fooled the conduc- tor of the train? Don't you know me? l havn't got my card-case with me, but Tin Blue Jack, at your service! Ha, ha! The serpent has got into Edenp'
 sI and the boys have looked for you to join us all day." said Burk. s'But of course we didn't look for you in this dis guise.
 Upon the morning after the counterfeit Lieut.. Fallon had joined the wagon train, the camp was astir as usual at daybreak. The train halted at noon on the river set they again halted, and for the night.
 In tie course of the evening Lieut.. Fall Ion approached Gay, and said:
 ''hIiss Heber, must say to you that you are startlingly like former friend of fore me as I first knew her. It is 8 strange, a startling coincidence; I could almost think-hnt no. Impossible! You are the sister of Mir. Heber, are you not?"
 Gays pure face flushed.
 ssYes," " she answered, with some hesita- tion.
 The disguised Blue Jack turned yet winter. He marked that hesitation, and his wonder at it thrilled him with sud- den fear
 You do not look like your brother, Miss Heber?" he remarked.
 ''I have been told so before," said Gay dryly.
 ''And you are his own sister?" persist ed Blue Jack, with agitation. T do not know your motive for making such inquiries, Lieutenant" said Gay, af- ter 8 moments thought. q do not there fore know how to reply to you. I should like to know the name of your friend whom resemble, but for an answer to your inquiries 1 must refer yov to my brother"
 Gay Heber seized the first opportunity to inform her adopted brother of the par ] ticGlars of her singular interview with the false Lieut.. Fallon.
 II told him to speak to you Mark, she said, ''but my heart has been on fire ever since What if he should have known my mother?
 He looked like death when he first saw your face, Gay said Mark thought. fully. 1t was if he had seen ghost" Gay started and exclaimed "F'rom the moment beheld the man shrank from him. I had an instinctive l fear and abhorrence of him. Oh, Mark /! dear Mark, don't let him know any more about me than he knows now r
 II will not, Gay, said Mark soothingly i ''If he is your father, he shall not know that you gre his daughter" <"
 The promise comforted Gay, who smil ed faintly through the gloom that had 1 fallen upon her.
 As some young people came toward the Hebers, Mark arose abruptly, and went l to look after his oxen ! Gay was about to join Mark, when the false Lieutenant Falion approached him offering him cigar.
 ''Fine evening, Mir. Heber," said the distinguished Blue Jack courteously ''What you don't smoke? Smoking ii a vice. 1 wish could break myself o 1t. Your sister is lovely child, or girl l should say. She must be fifteen years 1 old. Is she not ?"
 ''She is but a child yet, lieutenant only fourteen-yet she is more womanly than many girls of eighteen
 "Only fourteen,' said the pretendet lieutenant musingly. "I-I had fanc, that she was fifteen. knew a child ono' perhaps she is dead now-but if sht were living she would be fifteen years O. age, and the very picture of your sister And, oddly enough, that child's name was the same as your sister's-Gabrielle!" Mark repressed start, and turned away his paling face from the keen scrutiny oi the scheming villain. ;'The child I alluded to-" continued the false lieutenant, ''had black hair and brown eyes; rather singular combina tion but her mother, poor creature, had ho1 oVo1 ho1 q great beauty in her day. She was New York belle, Ia belle Gabrielle But she went insane, and wandered away with hel child and was never heard of more
 ''If you had seen the New York dailies of thirteen years ago" resumed the false lieutenant, ''you could not have failed tc notice striking advertisement offering a thousand dollars reward for information of the whereabouts of an insane woman and her child. The reward was afterward in creased to five thousand dollars. Did you never hear of the advertisement, Mir 1 Heher?
 "Never," said Mark. ''How should l have seen it?''
 ''Ah, yes: true. You were but boy 1 York, you might have heard of the disap- pearance."
 'I did not live near New York; "Why, the conductor told me you came from York State" said the false ieuten. ant
 ''So did" responded Mark. 1 May I ask from what part?" inquired the villain.
 Certainly" said Mark. ''I come from the western part of the State. May ask the name of the lady whose disappear ance called forth the advertisement oi which you speak ?''
 'Her given name was Gabrielle" said the pretnded officer evasively. eff could get trace of that insane woman and her child, would give thousand 1 dollars out of my own pocket. Think what start in life that sum would give l a young man like you p Mark shrank back as from the touch oi an embodied pestilence.
 ''I can give you no assistance in your search, Lieutenant Fallon," he said cold l ly.
 Permit me to ask if Miss Heber is your own sister, born of the same parents as as yourself?" demanded the pretended officer abruptly. ''1 do not tolerate any intrusion into my private family affairs, Lieutenant Fal- lon," said Mark haughtily. My sister has already been annoyed by your ques- tions in regard to her history, and must request you to leave us alone"
 q beg your pardon, Mr. Hrber," said the villain, adding maliciously, "I see this is 8 sore subject with you. You have not said Miss Heber is your own sister. I presume you cannot say so truthfully. "We will not discuss the matter; sir. Gay Heber is my sister, and while live she shall not lack for protector.
 'tAh, yes," said the pretended officer usinghis favorite phrase of assent Broth. CTS are not usually so devoted to sisters as you seem to be, MT. Heber:" That evening Gay, whose curiosity had been stimulated by what had taken place, to find out something more about her par. entage, was examining some jewels which had been left by her mother, and some trinkets which she had possessed when g child. She had taken them from little