Middletown transcript., 1880-04-03

sat SnAIle lle ICHCCIloh VI iiio VIZ =
face. bry he had heard, was
like ie dream, that could not
Z was setting when Dallis
was sed from the stupor that had
ssed him since coming to his
u Sy the merry party returning
fS5nf their day of revelry. Their
I aps {lter seemed to frenzy him and he
gpa led back and forth. Instinctively
lis hand went to his pocket aud drew
forth the note she had given him the
evening before.
"OhI Agatha T. he passionately
murmured. Turning the picture over
on the back he read
"From yom aoite, Agothiea," and
Just below it, were the initials, ga. O.
D."
Like a fash it came to him. This
was the same that was on the hand
kerchief that the mysterious person
dropped at his feet, and he said, "They
belong to the same. Agatha, | can
trust you, my wife.
There was a servant passing through
the hall. Opening the door, Dallis
called her, and giving her the picture,
he had taken the precaution to hastily
wrap Il in a paper, sent it to Harold
DAILY. Then, ,unobseryed, ne went out
to the seat in the frs where he re-
mained smokeing until the household
had retired.
Early the next morning, Dallls was
on his way home. He did not care to
meet Harold, until Agatha returned.
He would meet her and they would
retarn to Hassel Glen together.
Three days since Agatha's depart
uYe and she returned as unceremoni-
sously as she had left. They had all
gathered on the piazza to rehearse a
Gay at the rocks, fishing, Dallis Looer's
sudden departure and Agatha s
journey. In the midst of it all, Dailis
and Agatha came. out to them, when
Alice Hassel raised up her voice:
"0h, Mrs. Looer, pray don't leave
US again 1t made Mr. Looer stupid,
and Mr.. DAILY was utterly unbearable." "
"Yes," broke in Miss Chalcea, "Mr.
Looer preferred solitude to our picnic,
and when we had fairly started, Mr
DAILY had forgotten something that
was INDISPENSABLE, so returned for it.
The housekeeper has since informed
us, that they preferred each others
society to ours. Mr.. Looer. being in
consolable, left the next morning to
return with you, and Mr.. Daly-well,
| don't know what has come over him,
he takes no interest in game of cas-
sino, any more"
To these remarks Agatha made no
reply, but turning to Dallis, withdrew
to the balcony. As soon as the angle
of the house shat the group on the
piazza from view, Agatha said:
"What did Harold Daily tell you,
Dallis p
That" but something choked his
utterance.
"Tbat l had been his wife, she
said, looking up in his face.
He bowed his head.
"Did you doubt my word, Dallis ?
I told you there was nothing in my
past life, that l would Withhold from
YOU" Then coming nearer, leaned
her head on his shoulder
"No Agatha, l could not doubt you,
he replied, drawing her to him. "The
ILLNESS is very striking, yet there is a
slight difference in the name. If you
had not made that so plain the night
before your departure, and for the
handkerchief Agathiea dropped, |
would have believed you to have bean
the same"
"Then you knew it was my twin
sister whom he married, and left to
struggle with death in the river"
Dallis nodded afirmatively.
"He told you, too, how part Of my
life was spent, until eight years old.
That have always wished you to
hear from me first but, he thought
that he was telling you of Agathiea.
Poor child her days are almost num-
bered Oh. Dallis my trouble has
been more than | could sometimes
bear. You don't know how | have
been scorned for this" she said, sob
bing on his shoulder.
Agatha, it is all over, there is no
more trouble for you now" he ten
derly said, while he wiped the tears
from her eyes. "But why not have
told me this before ?"
81 had not the courage, l was a
coward"
because you thought that l would
think less of you ? All, Agatha! it
would have saved US both much suf-
fering. How did you manage to live
and support your sister and her little
boy 2"
'For three years sought recon-
eiliation with my uncle when it was
granted, but my sister never would
return, until she came for me that
night to take her home"
"Harold told me that he was not
your uncle"
"That was because he did not know,
or would not listen to Agathiea. My
mother married her music teacher,
after that my uncle and aunt discard
ed her. They went to New York,
where they struggled with poverty
and poverty being their master they
died. Five months afterwards, our
uncle found US, and with him and our
aunt at Bridgeport, we lived until my
sisters unhappy marriage. | was
named for my mother and Agathiea
for my uncle's wife,"
Some one was calling, "Where is
Mrs, LOoer There's telegram for
her."
By this time they had reached the
piazza
"Here," said Agatha, extending her
hand. Taking it from Harold and
tearing it open, there was hush, then
she walled, "Agathiea is dying! and