The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-06
.sxnIrroS n THE CLOSET.

How like, vet unlike, Were these nerce,
crea tares--twin sister ana pro-
Their -.
sona form: With her small. fine features ana
clear, deadly-pale yellow face, darkened py
preat, deep. hollow black eyes; the whoie
oyershadowed by heavy, clustering auburn
cgrls-a subtle, wistful face.
He, somewhat taller, fuller. ana more SUI
ole, like another human snake, OF ,:tS,e
larger growth. with q paief co'np'eA Aon'
darker eyes, and darker mar. .oano,,
They we're the orphan niece and nephew
M Christopher Coyle. Esquire, an old bacne-
lnr living on his ancient patrinonial estate
of Cleveland in the north Of England.
Now they stood g,arins at each other q
9u,i minute in silent menace. Then ooth
spoke at once:
t.Aspirita!"
<.Brandon 70
4sHow dared you stop me:"
..How dared yoa raise your naha against
U %I d dare do what please" he answered
sulkily. t.o,o
life to death-irom the known 10 the un-
..There can be no more perfect perdition
ne cried, with groan Of anguish.
.sBecause would not hare you destroy
yonrself for the sake OF peeVisn giri.
Come Brandon. Rouse yourself! 10 pe
) manl' she exclaimed. ,,, :,
81 cannot live without Arielie. NC
walled. ,,;,r
.sWhat mconcalf you are to be crying
inter Girl! II you cannot live ortttoat hef'
then why don't you live aolth her! scofh-
fully demanded the girl
.sLiye with her?' You know she IS 10
be married to Vladimir Despardc to-morT
row." replied the young man. 500
She is to be married to-noTTo@i puI
this Is today; and there's many sup
stwiyt the cup and'--but proverbs are Vui-
gar. and you know what mean.
IL do not! Dro,
"You must stop the marriage, Bran
don" u,1,,d,
4Stop the marriage37 How am l 10 20
that. pray you?"
aHush, Brandon! Come and SIT Down
here on the sofa by me. and wiz tel you
what ia do to break off this marriage, near
as il ia. and to win the bride for yourself.
much as she Is now devoted 10 her allanceu
Ioyer,n whispered the girl.
The suicidal phrenzy in him was lald 1of
the moment. even though it might return.
uNow attend to me, Brandon. Before
he became your successful rival lntne favor
of lady Arielle Monjoie, Vladimir Des-
Darde was your most intimate friend, was
he not p" inquired Aspirita.
"Of course he was" exclaimed Brandon,
grinding his teeth. o,,
"YoE were in his entire conhdence'
eyes"
uYou have often heard him regret, de-
Il hanpS
over his own and his sisters :ctildhooG!>
s.Oh. to be sure. Haven't told you so
often enoughe"
.And he rather resents his GUARDIANS
u,ord Beaudeysre's) reticence on this SUBJ
ject?" ;,
Eyes. yes; bait what has all this to DO
with the question of this deteStobe mar,
riarc?" exclaimed Brandon, impatiently::
1T has everything to do witb.stopp.ng
it. But you must be patient, my!3ad. Caim
yourself and collect your thoughts; for l
must put through:a cross-examlnmlon, ana
then feel my way"
81 don't understand you"
"No? But you Will as l go on. zen
me, first, exactly how much Valunlr .Des-
Darde really does know OF bis early MS
forye He has told lfeA, supposef'
Eyes; bat it is very little. Helknows
only so much as he remembers. lie has
heard nothing. dBeaudevere, the only
person in possession OF the facts. firmly re-
fuses to speak one word on the subject"
<sLord Beaudeyere's5reserVe is very ner-
ciful."
"What you .say?"
nLord Beaudeyere's reserve is very raer-
cjful to Vladimir Desparde and his sister,
"Wbat do you mean, Aspirita 2"
Z 81 will explain presently. But SO on
and tell me all Vladimir; Desparde has told
you OF his early life, Brandon"
"Let me think. Or! BE remembers
living with his mother and his little sister. i
in very poor lodgings, in,the marrow street
OF great city, whose name he has forgot
ten, even if he ever learned it,"
IS Was it in this country" =,
"No, for.he crossed waters to come here
SIN France, then?"
"No, for they were Eng1is.a-speaklng
people who inhabited the city, ana tue!
had black servants. He thinks 1t must
have been New York or New Orleans, OF
some other American CITY,"
"New Orleans probably, IL shey had
many blacks. But so on"
.tThe name of the city, and even OF the
country, is lost to hun in the morIsas ihisI
of bis dawn Of memory.
"There was something concerning MS
1atner, the ciCaoT " h!uits1ta Oe'P'.'SAT' '''
however, he does not remember ever 10
have seen. But his mother never hehi up
her head again. She usea to cry over MIN
and his sister, and pray to the Lord 10 tske
them out OF this world and save them Rom
the evil to come"
uAh!o gasped Aspirita, as she Listened
to every word OF this little story.
..At length the mother took to her BED,
from which she never arose again. One day
d minister came and sat by the bed and
wrote letter for her, which was sent away.
After that she grew weaker. Another day
q gentleman arrived, stranger. who after
wards proved to be Lord Beaudesere."
"Weli, Brandon. why don't YOU go on ?"
eagerly demanded the attentive girl, seeing
that her brother paused.
al am trying to remember what Desparde
told me OF this stranger. Oh! he Sdd not
know who he was until long afterwards.
Lord Beaudeyere had this mother and her
children Immediately removed to q saore
comfortable house, and provided them with
everything they could want. Desparde ge-
members distinctly his mothers peaceful
death, while Lord Beaudeyere stood. with |
rivieIne in his arms and Vladimir by bis
side, promising the dying woman to be q !
father to them while he should live. Then
followed the funeral and the black dresses.
Then long, long voyage in a sailing-ship,
all vaguely remembered by Vladimir"
IS Did his sister-did Yiyienne recollect
nothing OF this?''
.Nothing. Her earliest memories date
from their life at Cloudland. whittier their
guardian took them Immediately on Shelr