Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-07-16

hair IA snake that glittered with dia
monds and rubies.
/ We all came and paid court to her
Kenneth included. She looked will
interest at him, saying:
+ "Ah. The hermit brother. | hav,
so wanted to See you. Have you lef
your seclusion :"
es. we all knew he would 'quotl
Marie Lambert. "The cold weathe
Oh that moor could not be endured. "
My sister is mistaken" SAID Ken
meth; II left for other reasons. and di,
not particularly like coming ava
from my solitude -
I'VE will teach YOU the pleasures o
society," Mrs. Nernay cried. "Soli
tude is horrible. Man was not made
to live alone"
Did | see Kenneth vince? | coult
not tell.
Then Grace came, asking Mrs. Yer
nay 10 write in her birthday book
And the beauty inscribed Lilly Yer
nay in clear, beautiful writing
ilatCuIess aS ntrsell.
Kenneth read it over Grace's shoul
der.
Your name is Lillith," he said t
Mrs. Nernay.
WHO told YOU that" she asked
and he replied:
Il know it," without offering au,
explanation.
"Llllith, horrid" murmured Grace
as with Frank, Mrs. Nernay moved to
ward the piano.
Il think it pretty; why horrid:'
Marie asked.
"D1 you know about Lillth:" hel
friend replied. "She WAS Adams first
vile, and for transeression was turned
Eout of Paradise. She is the enemy o
all little children, aud when Jewish
/ babies are born the nurses write
"Lillth, avaunt,' against the wall
lest she should come aud Kill the
child. And tradition says that she
still haunts the world Us beautiful
woman, who eutIces men To marry
her, aud stransl them in her golden
hair"
"A tradition" said |, something
like the legend. of the Greek Lamia.
How do you know that there is not
truth i'll traditions and folly in reject
ing them" Kenneth asked.
Meanwiile Mrs. Nergay was singing
song after song and with every note
stealing away u bit Of Franks heart
And her music won Kenneth 10 heI
side, for he took his brothers place a
the piano, and stood there turning
ss.l lsr pages-I believe in all the
T-.-,s--, for nc .-.yA> = tnoro i.
her face than III the music.
| confess that in those days | was
veNvG with Kenneth, tor he seemed 10
have u sudden and inexplicable plunge
into the society which ie~ months
previously he had a5jured for ever,
There seemed only one explanation -
his ideal life bad proved dull and irk.
Some. Everywhere | met him, chief,
" with Mrs. Nernay, often Frank was
with them, 4 woe -begone, undrsired
third party. And the girls declared
that II was shame Kenneth, whe
rallied against marriage, should com.
and steal her away from his brother.
4 few women there were who dis
liked Mrs. Nernay. Ny wife was one
of them and vel enough we all knew
the reason For when, with maternal
pride, she one day showed Off the chill
dren 10 the pretty widow Mrs. Nernay
turned from them with cold look OF
disgust. saying: II detest children.
An insult no mother could forgive.
That unnatural woman my wife
from henceforth called her.
How lovely she looked at the Christ
mas bail when. radiant with d,llsht
she crossed the room to say 10 me
Look at the progress of my conver
sion. Here is hermit Kenneth in this
frivolous sceue."
Il wish | WAS at the chapel" Ken,
meth himself remarked and certainly
10 man looked so unSuited to "A ball.
room. He had grown pale and thin
during his solitary life. and wore a
thoughtful air | never before had no
ticed in him
why on earth don't yoa 60 back =
said |. Nothing has surprised me
more than your appearance here"
Il knew 1t would be So lie answer
ed. Il had to come"
Then in that incongruous place he
began telling ME his experiences in
that wild solitude.
Il began to think my life their use
less, mere indulgence Of my tastes.
| read and thought, but the mysteries
of life seemed as uuIathomable AS ever
One evening felt myself no longer Il
lone. | saw nothing, | heard moth
ing, yet | absorbed this command in
my being: go into the world, for
there is life YOU must save, ii demon
YOU must vanquish, and the life you
have led has given you the power to
fight and conquer. The world will
mock, and your friends misunderstood
you, but heed them not. BY this to-
ken know both destroyer and destroy
ed. Then across the floor of my room
glided Il glittering snake, unlike any
thing We see upon English moors.
And |, obeying the command, came
here to iind the destroyer. ~
At that moment he trembled, touch
ed my arm, ana bid me look across the
room. There stood Frank and Mrs.
Nernay-she with the jewel snake
twisted in her hair, he with another,
a bracelet of hers, clasped around his
wrists; some joke had passed between
them, and she had slipped it on.
My dear Kenneth, these are fam
cies, nothing but fancies," said, for
his manner alarmed me. "You can't
think that anything more dangerous
than a boyish love affair can result
from Franks friendship with Mrs
v