, 1888-03-30

As I recall how often he thus answered
me-, 1 can but conclude that all thought
is audible speech to those who have passed
behind the veil.
"ListenI' his pale face growing even
paler. 81 have not too much of time or
strength, but l must tell you all before I
go. So hear me out, I pray you, to the
end. 1 wronged you once, as l have
said, and this is howl Do you recall the
night when 1 confided to you that loved
and meant to seek Alma Farleigh for my
wife? did l not rememberD You be-
trayed yourself, then. George. l knew
you too well to misunderstood the mean
ing of that sudden start and the lines
about your mouth. Nayl / was on the
lookout for some such signi 1 suspected
you cared for herl Knowing her, how
could you help it2 But what will you
think of me when 1 tell you that 1 sought
you with the deliberate intention of
proving the suspicion ~correctl My con-
fdenco was given with the express de-
sign of seeing how you bore It'll Does
that astonish you? 1t was only the be-
~ginningl Do you remember another
night-the night l told you l had asked
Alma Farleigh to be my wife, and that
she had consented? (as if l could forget
wv lieu " yOus 1eOIRt. L Idu uOI
asked her-much less had she promisedi
But l had discovered-ask me not how
that if you cared for her, 80 did she, in
a measure at least, care for you'll Nay
hear me outl" as 1 sprang to my
feet, ''let me go on to the end-my
strength is failing. My plotting and
planning went ever further and deeper.
That lie was meant to put an end to all
your hopes. l wanted next to be rid of
you for a time, for the double reason,
lest you should discover the lie, and lest
your presence might, in SOM unforeseen
way, give rise to my W defeati For
while o were there-knowing her pref
erence for you, l could not feel safe.
Superior as you were and are, in every
way, how else could it be otherwise?
True, you had given way, and 1 had been
selfish enough to accept your sacrifice.
But that did not satisfy me. l wanted
you entirely out of her sight. l argued
that once convinced all was settled be-
tween her and myself, you would then
try to get away az quickly as possible.
And SO 1t was that, after telling that
damnable lie, 1 made use of Ben
nett's letter. But even here 1 lied
againl Bennett never mentioned your
name. But why waste wordsl MY
pans SuCCteuGu, L bGCuItu MY CIlIlCGS,
and 1 had p~erjured my soul by way of
exchanged 1t was q mad love-a selfish
love-and II have my reward! If l
suffered for it there, 1 suffer trebly now;
for, ali, George here, a mans evil deeds
follow him like avenging ghosts, and
will not down. Driven by remorse, 1
am here to make atonement, if 1 canl
You would nave known all this long ago
had you sent me your address. AS it
is, n letter awaits your return to l..
1t is not yet too latel Let my confess
sion be of some avail. We see things in
clearer light here, and that you and she
were meant for each other now seems
most clear to mel"
Signing profoundly, and with dropping
eyes, he ceased. What l thought, what
/ felt, as l stood there listening, and yet
unable to credit the evidence of my ears,
heaven alone knowsl Duped, betrayed
by the very man for whom l had sacri-
feed my own hopes, and to whom l had
given placed 1t was incredible. And yet
it must be true, for had not he himself
said it2 and did not the past, moreover,
confirm i2 l understood it all at last.
My brain reeled under the shock. /
paced the room in a tumult OF emotion.
And yet, strange as it may seem, l was
not angry. The first and natural feel
ing of bitter wrath and contempt had
speedily died away. Not for an in
slant could l forget that the Lloyd
who was speaking was not the flesh
and blood Lloyd of other days, but a
spectral visitant from the world beyond
the gravel Yes, 1 who would previously
nave laughed the idea ever to scorn, now
felt somehow forced to admit the reality.
Explain this mental conviction 1 cannot.
l only know it was so, and that the un-
happy Shade before me was really Lloyd
Garrison himself? What could one do or
say in the presence of the dead7 Anger
was equally out of place, bitterness fruit
less, reproaches heartless. For had he
not suffered already?
So l reasoned, watching him mean
while as he stood there, silent, motionless
and detected, upon the hearth. Nor
could l find it in me to upbraid him by
30 much as a lookl But one thing l must
know. l put the question, pausing
directly before him as l did SO: ''She re-
FUSED your"
Without even raising his eyes, he
nodded u silent assent.
A wave of pity swept over me. The
warmth of the old friendship suddenly
revived and my heart ached for my I'M
happy friend. For that he was intensely,
nay, desperately unhappy was a fact too
miserably patent. He had sinned, but he
had lovedl And for the rest, what man
is perfect
"And you are dead, Lloyd?' my pity
finding its way into my voice. when
was it2'
"When2" YEARLY, 81 hardly know.
There is no time here. To me it seems
an eternity"
but how whas it, Lloyd9 Surely you
remember thatl"
"Thisl' suddenly turning and barring
his breast. And there, directly over the
heart, was a round, red hole.
"Oh, Lloyd" l cried, and in the excess
of my horror and pity, 1 would have
flung myself upon him. But Lloyd,
with a swift ~upfinging of his arms and a
great and bitter cry, suddenly vanished
from my sight.
Two months later 1 verified in person
all of the forepoinu facts-that is the