Delta chief., 1883-09-19
HER WEIRD.

finished unconsciously aloud.
at will be, sooner than you think"
interrupted voice beside her. ~ see
YOU have not heard the news.
.1he news ?'
John Renniman is dead"
Dead, jacques, do you say ?''
"Yes he died of fever on his way
home on the Scotia. You know what
that means, of course the smoothing
of all difficulties for Rame, and, though
he will mourn his cousin most sincere
ly, the easy fulfillment Of his hopes"
All interest. they went on discussing,
as did many family that day in Little
Haven, the unexpected fortune which
had befallen Raymond Renniman with
his cousins death. II was nothing TO
them that the girl in the window bent,
each moment, deeper above her work
they did not note even when suddenly
she threw il aside and crept out of the
room.
She was not supposed to have any
interest in the Rennimans, alive or dead.
a smile flushed. with the thought. on
the girls pale face As she went on down
the hall. SO well she had kept her
secret from Aunt Endicott and Jac-
ques Even in the startling faterof this
fresh hour she realized there might be
more.
Still smiling. she stepped out on the
little balcony which fronted on her
chamber. II was so pleasant to remem-
Der now what until now she had quite
rpgrcticd-that there had been sharp
words, even. between them and her be-
cause she would not marry Raymond
Renniman that they, in their secret
hearts. were this moment bemoaning
that she might have been all in all
where now she wAs---
Nothing at all,
The night was fair the pressure of
the thought showed suddcnl in painful
plainuc-s on the fresh. strained face.
Nothing AT although. but for her
own denying, she would have been the
wife of this man she loved so fondiy.
30 cterually. il seemed to Renie Endi-
colt. as this moment she came, for the
first time, truly to realize ii might bc
never.
At least. his wife. The truth flashed
clearly, but truth. this little moment.
had lost its sting she Claspcd her hands
and a. the shining sky looked up with
a mad regret for what she had done. 1t
was nothing to her now what, until
now, had been everything -tha, in
Raymond Rcnniman's heart there was
no love. there could never be any love.
~ her that his seeking her in mar
riagc was but the fuliillmcni of prom
ise made to dying parent whose af-
fcction she had won. There was one
his soul worshipcd, well she knew. but
she did not care ; IL were enough TO
have been his wife:
AT least. his wife. Moon and stars
seemed TO laugh nj her folly sudden
4. IL. 4.
had almost unwittingly cherished. that,
since that day of his calm proposal. his
fate was linked to hers. Despite Elsie
Croydon. despite her own firm rejec-
ton, she had hcdgcd ii closely through
the months. never yielding the odd
hope that all would yet come right be-
tween them,
Until now. Now John Renniman
was dead his cousin was his only heir.
aud the entire wealth of the dead de-
scrnded to him. The sole barrier to
his marriage with proud Adam Grey
dun's daughter WAS removed rs Jac-
gues had said. il would be sooner than
they thought,
3 Now ? It was Il hard little momcn,
Tor Rcnic Endicutt. but she quickly
realized is folly and struggled with ii.
Sine bent her thoughts drtcrmnedly to-
wards John RvIuiman. She had never
seen him she had heard of him only as
strange. grave man. with some mys-
terry in his liir-a mystery Of woman's
dealings which they said would follow
him to death. And death had come.
and-sincc life was death, she supposed.
nay, she was sure. that he had not
cared.
The moon 1T mp bit of river Just be-
yond the roadway. She shiyered as
She looked over il she forgot herself
quite in the tender pity that arose in
her heart for him. After such life
10 die this sad. sad way II were hard
for amy. but To him surely life owed
some little rccumpcnsc of love and hon
or before it chbcd away
A pity-a pity. Many lovclcss
night, looking out over the waters. she
thought of him with strange force and
pcrsistcncy the ghost of John Rcnni-
man kept filling up her life.
Only ghost The truth flashed
shudder and n strange regret for its
emptiness ofttimcs through the loveless
days.
John Renniman was dead. A CON
tsgious fever had broken ou, on ship
board he had died after n few days
sickness. and was buried in the sea.
His baggage, the papers found upon
lie ,.,eAn ,,-,r, hnpI,l ,y,r l., tl,.