The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-05-22

and trees, spreading a canopy over the
earth-I called upon Rachael. When
we met, the spirit Of love mastered me.
l fell upon my knees and declared my
passion - told it all - explained my
anguish caused by absence from her side
-wept, and, in short, must have acted
in a crazy manner.
"She listened to me until | had fin
ished; then, placing her hand in mine,
uttered these words
"'Harry, I respect you-nay, love
you with q sisters love. have No
brothers. If you will take tho place Of
a brother, my love shall be sincere. Re
fleet before you speak. Your wife l can
never be? p
"This, then, was the contamination
the sad awakening to my sweet dream
of happiness. l accepted the inevitable;
weight was lifted from my mind. As
a brother, then, 1 vowed to exercise my
prerogatives; and sealed the compact
with a kiss. After this incident, l could
not but be otherwise than happy
love was so great"
The touching pathos in the narrator's
lest words caused me to look up. His
eyes were dimmed with tears; his voice
unsteady.
"And now comes the finale. At
Rachel's birthday party, a gentleman
from New York was introduced to her.
His eyes fastened upon her; his every
action during the evening donated that
he. too. was her slave. l watched him
with jealous eyes, but no fault could l
find. Tall and graceful with black hair
and eyes, regular features, faultless
teeth, polite and congennial-it was, in
deed, hard matter for any one to pick
flaw in him.
"Rachel Grayson, my sister, | saw,
from the beginning, reciprocated this
feeling, in spite of declarations to the
contrary. The evening passed; other
evenings followed The gentleman visited
her frequently, and predicted marriage
in the future, and became despondent-
more watchful
"On last Christmas eve, the blow fell.
1 struggled through the binding snow
to her gate. l remember it well-'twas
near the midnight hour. AS l neared
it, | could see through the storm lights
flashing from every window, while cries
of female domestics rang through the air.
Something Undesirable filled my breast.
l seemed choking My heart was in my
mouth. Hastily finging the gate aside,
l was very soon amongst them.
"What has happened T. exclaimed l,
addressing the aged mother.
Then came the thunderbolt.
Rachel, my child, is gone-has
eloped!"
Here my friend stopped, as if to gain
sufficient strength for final effort.
"'Has eloped' cried I, incredulously;
with whomF
''The answer came, soon enough"
with George Randolph, the adven-
turer, the gentleman from New York.
Then there seemed to come upon me
an army of tends from pandemonium.
| fought to free myself-to 60 out into
the air to search the world overland
then the fends vanished, everything
was enveloped in darkness, and reason
had fed.
"Weeks passed. When at last my
senses returned, | sat up in bed and
looked around. 1t was not my room
surely. heard the door open softly;
woman came to my side and whispered
words of comfort, but | did not wish
to hear them wanted to know what
had become Of Rachel, and why they
allowed me to remain SO long in this
room. Then after little persuasion the
story was told me- l hardly have pa
thence to narrate it TO you now, Ned;
Rachel, my sister, was in the same
house with me, in our own little village.
She had been betrayed Betrayed and
sent back to her home to die Oh, if l
could seek out this fend" he exclaimed,
spnnging from his chair. "When he
lies at my feet slain by my hand, then |
shall die contented meeting the laws of
justice like true man."
There he stood, his eyes fairly blazing
with excitement, his whole frame
shaking with passion. l broke the spell
into which l had fallen, and sprang
forward Rut II was too late Hat1ess