Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-14

vision lasted but for moment, and I was
again standing between the fragrant hedge
rows in the narrow lane. The woman
approached me, and l stood aside to allow
her to pass. Our eyes met. Mauvain,
you spoke just now of magnetism. Some
magnetism was at work at the moment of
our meeting; it flashed from her eyes into
mine, from my eyes into hers, and it held
us spell-bound, as in magic chain"
ga young woman, and alone" said
Mauvain, lighting another cigar, and hand
ing his case TO Harold 81 always take
an interest in these adventures. You were
fortunate that there were no churls near to
object to your paying this pretty creature
the attentions OF gentleman.
"She was at least forty years of age, and
she spoke no word to me, and l no word to
her The spell broken, she passed away
in silence. At distance l followed her
until met person of whom asked the
woman's name. 1t was Margaret"
Not Margaret only Your cigar is
out Harold. Light fresh one, from
mine. What other name does this woman
bear?"
"SyIvester. Now let me tell you what
l learnt of the history of this woman"
"With pleasure You have been indus
trious, Harold"
She is not a native of the Silver Isle.
Her husband and her husbands father,
both Of whom were born here, had many
years ago vagrant fit which nothing
could cure but spell of adventure in the
old world. They left the Silver Isle, not
knowing whether they should ever return
to it. At that time Margaret's husband
was a boy, and he and his father in the old
world led a wandering life as travelling
actors-you are becoming interested, l see.
When the boy had grown to manhood ne
and Margaret met, and from that time
were never separated. The usual story,
Mauvain-they loved.
lou are polished story-teller, Har
old you invest the commonest incidents
with certain interest. Margaret was
alone when they met"
$50 far alone that she had no relatives !;
she was an orphan. The odd part OF the
affair is that Margaret, at the time she and
the Sylvesters were thrown into each 9TH
ers company, was leading the same kind
of life as themselves-had, in fact, been
brought up to it"
"There is nothing very odd in it. A
simple coincidence, of kind upon which
weak-minded and superstitious people hang
absurd and childish theories"
''That is all You see in it, Mauvain.'
''That is all. What more do you expect
me to see?"
81 cannot say. Mauvain, enlighten me.
1 have already confessed that have made
study of you. Is there nothing beneath
the surface ?"
." GU are going a little too far, Harold. :"
"Ah, if 1 had your temperament You
are not easily disturbed, Mauvain.
"Not easily"
Il envy you. For pure enjoyment of
life l know no one whose qualities are
superior to yours.
depend upon it, Harold, my philoso-
ply is the best You have not told me
what brought Margaret to the Silver Isle. !"
''The Sylvesters were not fortunate in
the old world /; and when the son Paul and
Margaret we're married they adopted the
sensible course of returning to the Silver
Isle, in which, if ambitious aspirations
cannot be realized, peace and plenty can at
least be depended on. p"
"This, then, is the serious subject you
wished to speak of. y
"You mistake, Mauvain, replied Har-
old, in tone of surprise; there is moth.
ing serious in what I have told you. A
web OF odd fragments, strung together in
a fanciful way by a man too fond of dream
ing. You should understand me better by
this time. The serious part of my com.
| iilunlCdblOn iclSlc W lNtAis
"Now you really interest me, Harold. :"
You said lately that Rant once boosted
to you that woman loved him. Love is
still the theme, and Ranf the hero. Would
you believe there are sinners on the Silver
Isle-fair sinners who love not wisely
And that such man should inspire the
passion And yet it is gravely averred
that between Ranf and some woman on
the isle loye-passages have taken place.
My knowledge of the affair extends thus
far 1t being known that l was on the
isle, a messenger seeks me, and requests
me to accompany him to the house of a
magistrate before whom and others Rant
is summoned to appear tomorrow. To
this magistrate, a greybeard, / accordingly
present myself. You are come IN good
time, says the gentleman to me, and
forthwith launches into the subject, pledg-
ing me beforehand not to make it common
talk. Ranf, it appears, has led lonely
life upon the isle, having one whole friend
in Evangeline, and some half friends in
the members of the Sylvester family. Add
to these the woman whom the hunchback
has bewitched, and the list of those favor
ably disposed to him is complete. The
magistrate expressed himself to me in
these terms During the years, he said,
that the hunchback had lived upon the
isle, he had broken no law within our
knowledge. He has held aloof from US,
but that he was free to do. BE has not
attended our churches the way,
Mauvain. that is duty in which We must
not fail; the islanders apparently set store
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