Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-03-20

you not?'
Gays pure face flushed
Eyes" she answered, with some hesitation
The disguised Blue Juck turned yet whittier.
| He had marked that hesitation. and his Won
| der at it thrilled him with a sudden fear.
You do not look like your brother, Miss
Heber?' he remarked.
81 have been told so before said Gay dry
and you are his own sister," persisted
Blue Jack. with agitation.
Il do not know your motive for making such
inquiries. Lieutenant said Gray, after mo-
ment's thought. Il dc not therefore know
how to reply to YOU [ should like to know the
name of your friend whom resemble but tor
an answer to your inquiries l must refer you to
my brother.
Gay Heber seized the first opportunity to
inform her adopted brother Of the particulars
of her singular interview with the false Lieut..
Fallon.
81 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 thoughttuy 1T
was as if he had seen ghost
From the moment | beheld the man
shrank from him | had an instructive fear and
adherence of him. Oh, Mark, dear Mark,
dont let him know any more about me than
he knows now !
Il will not, Cay said Mark soothngly.
IF he is your father, he shall not know that
you are his daughter.
The promise comforted Gay, who smiled
Eaiutly through the gloom that had fallen upon
| her.
As some young people came toward the He
| bers, Mark arose abruptly, and went to look
after his oxen.
Gay was about to join Mark, when the false
Lieutenant FulloD approached him, offering
him cigar.
Fine evening, Mr.. Heber,' said the dis
guised Blue Jack courtcou.ly. "What You
don't smoke? Smoking is vice. wish |
could break myself OF it. Your sister is a love-
y child, or girl, should say. She must be
fifteen years DID, Is she not?'
She is but child yet, lieutenant only
fourteen-yet she Is more womanly than many
girls Of eighteen
Only fourteen" said the pretended lieu
tenant musingly IL had fancy that she
was fifteen. knew u child once-perhaps
she dead now-but if she were living she
would be fifteen years of age, and the very pic
ture Of your sister. And, oddly enough, that
child S name was the same as your sister s.
| Gabrielle!
Mark represSed start, aud turned away his
paling face from the keen scrutiny ofthe schem-
ing villain;
false lieutenant, chad black hair and brown
eyes; rather singular combinations; but her
i l,,l In,
lures and had been great beauty in her day.
She was New York belle, la belle Gabrie;le
But she went insane and wandered away with
her child and was never heard of more
IF you had seen the New York daiIies of
thirteen years ago resumed the false lieu
tenant you could not have failed to notice a
striking advertisement offering thousand dol
lars reward for information Of the Whereabouts
of an insane woman and her child. The re-
ward was afterward increased to five thousand
dollars Did you never hear Of the ADVERTISE
ment, Mr.. Heber?'
IN ever said Mark. How should haye
seen it?''
:.Ah. yes; true. You were hut a boy at the
time. Yet if you lived near New York you
might have heard of the disappearance
II did not live near New York. y
"Why, the conductor told me you came from
York State said the false lieutenant.
$50 l did, y responded Mark
g. May l ask from What part? inquired the
villain.
Certainly said Mark. Il come from the
western part of the State. May | ask the
name of the lady whose disappearance called
forth the advertisement of which you speak
Her given name was Gabrielle, said the
pretended officer evaSively. IF | could get
-, ,I how, hid
would give a thousand dollars out of my own
pocket. Think what start in life that sum
would give young man like you %
! Mark shrank back as from the touch of au
embodied pestllcnce.
II can give you no assistance in your search,
Lieutenant Falllou,' he said coldly.
Permit me to ask if Miss Heber is your
own sister, born of the same parents as your
self?'' demanded the pretended officer alb
ruptIy.
II do not tolerate any intrusion into my private
family affairs Lieutenant Fallon, said Mark
haugh,ily. My sister has already been an
noyed by your questions IN regard to her hlsto.
| ry and [ must request you to leave us alone
Il beg your pardon, Mr.. Heber." said the
villain, adding ma!ciousy,' | see this is a sore
subject with you. You have not said that
Miss Heber is your own sister presume you
cannot say so truthfully.'
I'VE will not discuss the matter, sir. Gay
| Hcber is my sister, and while live she shall
not lack for a protector.
"Ah, yes, said the pretended officer, using
his favorite phrase of assent. brothers are
not usually SO devoted to sisters as you seem
to be, Mr. Heber."
That evening Gay, whose curiosity had been
stimulated by what had taken place, to find
out something more about her parentagc, was
examining some jewels which had been left BY
her mother. and some triukets which she had
| possessed when child. She had taken them
from a little box in the bottom Of her trunk,
and thought herself perfectly secure under the
cover of the wagon, when she suddenly detec-
ted the false Lieut.. Fallon peeripg at her
through a hole which he had cut in the can.
vass. All this she reported to Mark.
On the following day Mark had violent al
tcrcation with the pretended Lieutenant.
No one had eyes or years for anything but
this exciting scene, and it thus happened that
a small body of horsemen 10 the uniform ofthe
United States had come up, and had dashed
into the very camp before their approach was