Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-12-21
AN ANONYMOUS wAnN1Ee.
Br MRS, E. BURKE COLLINS.

"MIss FoRREsTs-IR YOU would
know where Dr. Darrell spends his
evenings when not with you, you can
speedily discover by being at North
Point to morrow at sunset. You will
find him in company with the woman
for whom only last night he confessed
his love. suppose that you, looking
upon this as merely an an ANONYMOUS
warning, will regard It with contempt.
but advise you as q friend to heed n
and at least Investigate.
Your UNKNOWN FRIEND.p
Helen Forrest read this letter over
Observation-Disclosures she glanced up
from the written page.
Her face grew very pale; she shut
her red lips closely together, and the
dark eyes flashed Indignantly She
had Just returned from an evening
party, and was SILL in her pretty COS.
tune OF white surab and pink roses.
She had found the anonymous letter
lying upon her dressing table, and of
course the first thing that she had done
was To glance II eagerly over.
To say that the letter, whether true
or false, had not hurt her, would moi
be in strict accordance with facts,
Helen was very prond and reserved /;
she was perh2ps little inclined TO be
Jealous; and her eyes flashed with un.
reprcssed anger now, to think that
Mark Darrell would be guilty OF de-
ceit toward her.
"And only last night told him how
I dcspise deceit and hypocrisyl" she
painted angrily. "Yet, according TO
this letter, he has been engaged in
playing the dissembler for some time.
But he shall deceive me no longer:
am determined upon that point. Yet
oh, Mark, MaIkl' the swift tears
sprinRing to the beautiful eyes; show
could you treat me SOP l cannot be-
lieve i'll / will notl" with sudden
energy. az shall give him the benefit
of a doubt, at leastl" she went on after
slight pause; will wait for fur
ther developments before decide
what course to pursue. But II is hard
TO doubt when one has trusted very
hard!'
But We all are destined 10 learn
hard lessons In life, and Helen Forrest
could not hope to be exempt from the
common lot.
She put the anonymous letter care.
fully away, and then retired for the
uight But sho coulu not sleep. She
was restless and unhappy, tossing to
and fro, and longing for morning to
come. But when morning came it
found her no nearer comfort.
Mark Darrell and Helen Forrest had
been betrothed only a few weeks.
They had first met in distant city,
and the FORESTS had just removed 10
DR.. Darrell's neighborhood.
Helen loved him with all her heart,
ana uI to the present moment had
never once thought of Doubling his
love and fealty. But this letter, which
had come to her like a snake in the
grass, had left its sting, and Helens
heart was sore.
Her whole life, looking forward to
the future, seemed like blank stretch
of barren waste, holding naughl but
deaOlation. How could she live her
life out berelt Of his lover Her heart
sunk at the very thought.
Perhaps may be the victim of a
cruel fraud" she said to herself the
next morning, when the bright sun
light OF another day went far toward
dissipatlng her fears and doubts. ~
will say nothing to to Mark about the
letIerp she decided, land when he
calls tonight, l will receive him as
though nothing had occurred. Per-
haTs all will yet come right"
But that evening, when DR.. Darrell
called at the pretty suburban home OF
the FORESTS, he seemed quite pre-.
occuriGd. lie looked like man with
q 81 Crct.
II shall not have the pleasure of
seeing you tomorrow evening, Helenr'
the young physician said to his be-
trothed, when he kissed her good. by
ut the DOOR ~ am very sorry, but
have another engagement probes
sional, you see. And that, of course,
I cannot neglect, since only through
success In my prof siion can [ hope to
make home for my little wife to be.
Good night, sweetheart
Aud he kissed her once more, the
outer door closed behind his tall fig.
ure, and Helen stood alone in the
pretty parlor, where so many happy
evenings had been passed with her
lover; but, alasl those happy hours,
gone forever now, might never be re-
peated
She turned away with slight shud
der. All at once thought occurred
to her, Her pale face flushed, and her
eyes sparkled.
North Point, the letter said. And
In one respect the letter was right, for
retsrTed TO the Point once to.night,
and Mark looked positively guilty and
conscious. Well, l will visit North
Point to moTTow night myself. l
know that 1t is not far from the surgi.
cal college; but believe can go there
and return without any one suspecling
my destination. At ali events | will
try; and think that have o right TO
know the worstln
DIR. Darrell had not been quite as
attentive to his betrothed for the past
two or three weeks as he had formerly
been-at least so she ianeied-and now
this warning from an unknown source
made poor Helen halt wild with jeal
ousy; and she vowed TO learn the true
state OF affairs, no matter what the cost
might be.
The following evening-a lovely |
evening ii was, too-just at set OF sun,
Heen Forrest lett home and turned in |
the direction of North Point, pretty, |
wooded point of land projecting into |
the picturesque bay which was stu
ated within half mile OF the FORESTS
pretty home.
In a gray suit, with a broad
t,.,,,,,-,sa ~ uala, bnpad that ola |