The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1881-01-29
WRrrrEN Foa 'sTHn RIPLEY ADvERT1sER.' .
We White Rose
- M MEMPHIS. -
BY W. Q, FALKNER.
CHAPTER XXI. Concluded.

llIus
II tell you, sister Lottie, you must
and shall cease to receive visits
from that deceltful wretch, when |
tell you ne is traitor to you; only
say that which know Of my own
knowledge. | only inform you OF
what beheld with my own eyes.
Thisi is no hear.say evidence; this is
no report Of a detective; but it is a
fact | beheld myself"
"Dear brother, for Gods sake, ]
beg you to hush; you are laboring
under some unaccountable delu-
sion; your trouble has been so great
that it has clouded your judgment.
You know that no sister ever loved
dear brother as | love you. /
know that you would not tell will
tul faIsehood, under any circum-
stances; but | implore you to let
this matter drop for the present,
Wait until you have time for re-
Election. 1t is so easy to commit
irreparable errors-so easy to do
things that cannot be undone. Lis
ten to your loving, devoted sister;
won't you, Harry|
'sIf you will drive that cowardly
sneak from my sight / promise you
to let the matter drop for the pres
ent; but if he remains here another
moment, cannot answer for the
consequences"
"Please leave US now, Eddie,
said Lottie as she laid her hand on
my arm, and cast on me an implor-
ing look, with her dear eyes swim
ming in tears.
had never seen her manifest
such emotion before. | had often
been with her when she was in
great distress, but nothing 1 had
ever seen before had so disturbed
her equinimity as the occurrences
aforementioned. She whispered to
me in a very low tone, as if she did
not want her brother to hear it:
"Leave him with me until ! can
pacify him, and then | will send for
you, when he will hear an explana-
ton. You have not betrayed me,
have you, Eldie!"
"Belore high heaven, answer,
mol"
Il believe you, darling; and will
always trust you"
@What are you whispering 10 thai
hypocrite forS Why don't you or
der him to leave here as have di-
rected9 You had better not tax my
patience too far"
/ thought it best to leave him
with Lottie, hoping that she would
be able to keep him quiet until his
better judgment should como TO his
assistance. AS made my. way to
wards my Office, ! began to ponder
over what had occurred, and yor
may be sure that my thoughts were
anything but pleasant. My cheeks
burned with indignation, when
thought of tile blow | had received
and | felt my selt-respect leaving
me. | began to feel like | had act
ed cowardly in submitting to such
an insult. Lottie would believe me
to be a coward. Had she not seen
me receive a slap on the mouth
without resenting itg Who but al
arrant coward would have quietly
taken such an insult from morta
mang Then on the other hand
argued the case thus: How could
strike the brother of my darling
Lottie, when / knew how dearly she
loves hims Did she not beg me
not to return the bloWg How coulc
/ do anything against her wish
Then Thought Of his feeble health
and the great troubles be had en-
dured; and finally satisfied myself
that had acted right in not pun
ishing him. But the mystery, 4
which the whole affair was clothed
puzzled and perplexed me; and the
more | discussed the matter IN my
mind, the greater grew my cufiosl
IN. Could it be possible that liar
~ was laboring under q menta
hallucinationg or was some enemy
of mine at work 10 undermine me-
Gould il be possible that Mt. Heart
sel was at work ii secret, TO turr
Lottie against me, in order to 90
cure the prize himself Those ques
tions and Z thousand others q {
similar character came ifooplne
across my mind, until my bralE
seemed to 10 On fire. The cours.
that Lottie had pursued, had the q
feet 10 counterbalance The infln
ence. that the other circumstance