The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-11-14
CALLED BACK.
A Tel-Told Story Of Continuous
and Absorbing Interest.
BY HUGH CONWAY,
CHAPTER /.
IN DARxNrSs kND IN DANGER

j have q reason for writing this tale,
or i. would net become public property.
Once, in moment of confidence.
made friend acquainted with some
:uriors circumstances connected with
one period OF NY life. l believe l asked
him to hold his tongue about them-he
says not. ANY way, he told another
friend. with embellishments l suspect;
this friend told another. and so on and
ON. What the tale grew to at last l
shall probably never learn; but since I
was weak enough to trust my private
aiairs TO another / have been looked
upon by my neiglbors as 4 man with a
history-one who has n romance hidden
away beneath an outwardly prosaic
life.
For myself shs.sld not trouble about
this. | should laush at the garbled
versions of my story set floating about
by my own ind secretion. 1t would mat
ter little 10 me that one good friend
has an idea that / was once Cnmmu-
mist and a member of the inner circle of
secret society--that another mas heard
that l have been tried on capital
charge that another knows / was at
one me Roman Catholic, on whose
beh II a special miracle was performed.
If were alone in the world and young.
dare say should take no steps to still
these idle rumors. Indeed, very young.
meu feel battered by being made objects
of curiosity and speculation.
But am not very young. nor am |
alone. There is one who is dearer &c
me than lie itself. One iron whose
heart, | an glad TO say. every shadow
left by the past is rapidly fading one
who only wishes to live her true sweet
life without mystery or concealment-
wishes 10 be thought ne Their better nor
worse than she really is. 1t is she who
shrinks from the strange and absurd
reports that are lying about as to our
antecedents-. she who is veXed by those
leading questions sometimes asked by
inqu sitive friends; and it is for her
sake that | look up old journals. call
back old memories of JOY and grief, and
tell every one who cares to read all he
can possibly wish to know, and, it may
be. more than he has right to know.
of our lives. This done, my lips are
sealed forever on the subject. My tale
is here let the inqu;sitive take his
answer from il. not from me.
Perhaps, after all. L write this for
my own sake as well. l also hate
mysteries. One mystery which | have
never b, en- able to determine may have
given me dislike to everything which
viii not admit of an easy explanation.
To begin, | must 90 back more years
than l care to enumerate; although |
could, if necessary, fix the day and the
year. was young, Just past twenty
tive. | was rich, having when / cane
of age succeeded TO an income OF about
two thousand a year; an income
which, being drawn from the funds, |
was able 10 enjoy without rcSpons. bill
ties or anxiety as 10 its stability and
endurance. Although since my TWEEN
ty-iirst birthday L had been my own
master. i ka no eXtravagant follies to
weigh me down. no debts to hamper
me. [ was without bodily ache or
pain; yet | turned again and agar on
my pillow and sail that my life for the
future woull be little more than curse
to me.
Had death lust robbed me of one
who was dear to me? No; the only
ones | had ever loved, nv father and
my mother. had died years ago. Were
my rawlings those peculiar TO an I'M
happy lover? No; my eyes had not yet
looked with passion into woman's
eyes-and now would never do so.
Neither death nor love made my lot
seem the most miserable in the world.
l was young, rich, free as the wind
to follow my own devices. L could
leave England tomorrow and visit the
most beautiful places on the earth:
those places L had longed and deter
mined to see. Now, L Knew l should
never see them, and groaned in an
guish at the thought.
My limbs were strong. l could bear
fatigue and exposure. / could hold my
own with the best walkers and the
swiftest runners. The chase. the sport,
the trial of endurance had never been
too long or too ardlous for me. l
passed my left hand over my right arm
and felt the muscles firm as of old.
Yet l was as helpless as Samson in his
captivity.
For, even as Samson. Twas blind!
Blind! Who but the victim can even
family comprehend the significance of
that wCrd? Who can read this and
gauge the depth of my anguish rs |
turned and turned on my pillow and
thought of the fifty years of darkness
which might he mine-a thought which
made me wish that when l fell asleep
it might be to wake no more?
Blind! After lowering around me
for years the demon of darkness had at
last laid his hand upon me. After let
ting me, for awhile, almost cheat my
self into security, he had swept down
upon me, folded me in his sable wings
a-d blghted my life. Fair forms,
sweet sights, bright colors, gay scores
mine no more! He claimed them all,
leaving me darkness, darkness, ever
darkness! Far better to die, and. it
may be, wake in a new world of light
Better | cried in my despair, '.bet-
ter even the dull red glare of Hades
than the darkness of the worldr'
This last gloomy thought of mine
shows the state of mind to which l was
reduced.
The truth is that. in spite of hope
held out to me, l had resolved to be
hopeless. For years 4 had felt that my
foe was lying in wait for me- Often
when gazing on some beautiful OBJ ect.
some fair scene, the right 10 enjoy
which made one fully appreciate the
gift of sight, a whisper seemed to reach
NV ear-.Some day | viii strike again,
then it will be all over" l tried TO
laugh at my teirs, but could never !
quite get rid OF the prcsentiment of
evil. My enemy had struck once-why
not agaln?
Wa11 I ooo L .