Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-19
IFoR
SET TN A SILVER SEA +!
ROMANCE BY B. L. FARJEON
HOLLAND" PENRAvEN."
A ROMANCE BY B. L. FARJEON,

III appears TO me certain that upon ClarIce'
Z recovery from her illness she was told tn
child was dead.
g Then, childless and heart broken, sh
found Harold, and with him Mauvian
She was received with tenderness, for tn
fatal reason that her child was dead Iii
almost incredible that there are in tn
world men who rejoice in the death of
child.
81 remember when, at Mauvian's re
quest, Harold accompanied me to see tn
child claimed as my own that, when hi
eyes fell upon Evangeline, his face grew
white as death Did any suspicion pre-
sent itself to his mind Ii it did, b,
deemed it convenient to set it aside
Awkward complications might arise from
such resurrection in the life of q mar
who made pleasure the be-all and end-al
OF his life. A mans mind, he said to me
on the ship which conveyed us to the Sl
yer Isle, is like prison house there are
cells in it whose doors we keep tightly
closed until some momentous event forces
them open, and lets in the light we dread.
Had my mother known as much as
she would have added the name of Harold
to those of Mauvain, Ranf and Eyangeline
written in the Bible. She may have had
a motive in suppressing it she was a cum
ming woman; she knew whom to truckle
to, whom it paid best to serve.
"An important link has yet to be sup
piled, and the only person in the Silver
Isle who can furnish 1t is Margaret Syl-
vester. It is of small moment that in
CIarices confession she calls her sister
Marguerite. The resemblance between
these two women grows stronger to my
mind the longer dwell upon it. Margaret
Sylvester has child, Gabrielle; between
this child and Clarice the resemblance is
even more striking; yet l doubt but for
my discovery of Clarice's confession
whether should have ever regarded it as
other than an accidental resemblance.
81 will speak to Margaret Sylvester. I
shall not disclose the secret to her, for the
present at least. l have reason to be sus-
picious of all mankind, and were another
human being to share my secret, it might
be the means of estranging Evangeline
from me- l must be cautious, therefore,
and learning what l wish to learn, shall
keep my own counsel.
Many of Harold's words recur to me
with strange significance. 1 love woman
passionately; another man steps between
US and makes me suffer Did Mauvain
step between him and CIarice? Again
No man knows what is before him and
although I shall part from you and our
little maid with no definite idea of ever
meeting you again, it may happen that our
lines OF life may strangely cross in the
future. Spoken like a fatalist. Yes,
Harold, it may happen, and then the adj
vantage viii be on the side OF the hunch-
back you despised.
al feel stronger and better To NOR
row I shall be able to walk to the lower
huts, and to the house-Mauvain S house
in which EvangeHne has found a home.
''It was good to get out again into the
fresh air My birds and goats and dogs
missed me, am sure. My dogs leapt
upon me and kissed me my goats rubbed
their heads against my legs; my birds
came at my call.
Il set the huts in order, and accom-
panied by Leontiue made my way to the
stretch of wood that lies in the rear of the
house occupied by Margaret Sylvester.
There gave voice to my signal for Evan
geline, the song of the lark. Evangeline
answered it almost Immediately.
"She is growing more beautiful every
day, and not less atfectionate. 1t is week
since saw her, and she was full of a story
which she related to me with eagerness.
1t concerned Joseph Sylvester, Margaret's
son.
"These children and Gabrielle are COM
panions, and there is something in the lads
manner which has attracted me to him.
His face is frank and honest, and his eyes
do not seek the ground when l look at
him. | have spoken but few words to
him, and little while since, upon Evange-
lines prompting, l expressed a liking for
the lad. She informed him of this, and
thereupon an incident occurred which
Eyangeline was eager to relate to me.
Evangeline, girl-like, asked Joseph for
proof of his fondness for her; she had no
thought of anything serious, but Joseph
accepted the question in that light, and
laying his left hand upon stone struck it
with all his force with stout branch, and
sorely wounded it.
cit was wicked of me, said Evange-
line; Il drove him to it, | asked him
to strike as hard as he could, to show me
how much he loved me. He struck his
hand at once, and it was covered with
blood. 1t must hurt him nov, although it
was week ago.
"'It was brave action, said if
Joseph would do as much for you when he
is a man
''' He will, quickly interrupted Evan
geline; he said he would like to die for
me; but there would be no good in his
doing that
80 Unless it were to defend you from an
enemy, 1 said.
An enemy, exclaimed Evangeline
why should have an enemy
You have none on this isle, l am
sure
go. no, she cried, here everybody
loves me, and know no one else. See
Joseph is there.
81 called the lad to me, and spoke
words of praise to him for the pain he had
inflicted on himself.
GO 1t was nothing, he said ; Evange-