Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-06
"They command it. F"

deride her father AS well as the Cause to
which he has given his life Never"
"You must"
BESIDES, you have just reminded me
that one human being cannot thus bestow
OF another. Would you have me offer my
girl to this young man p
"Haye you eyes, Mr.. Brudenel Has no
one in this house any eyes at all DO you
not see that your daughter is beautiful ,
Have you never seen Tom looking at her ?'
Never" In fact, nobody had if young
man is always about the house from boy
hood, nobody ever has any eyes.
Love is betrayed by looks, Mr.. Bruden-
ell. Give your daughter to Tom, and they
will both be happy. More than that, you
will turn derision into respect and SCORING
into silence-if not conversion"
This is the condition imposed by your
Friends. Does Tom-does Sibyl-know
anything about it W
Neither of them know of it."
Mr.. Brudenel heaved sigh.
IL cannot, )" he said at is hard. 1t is
that my daughter would become the
High Priestess of the new religion-the
Vestal-the Oracle through whom the Sc
crets of the other world, which you have
fully opened to me, should be made known
to others"
And now that can never happen.
Courage, Mr.. Brudenel, there will arise
pillars of the Temple, who will sustain the
edifice-your edifice-when you have
passed across the narrow line into the lie
beyond. But you must write. Oh you
will not forget this time"
"To whom must write? To LAX lbn
Menelek ?"
"He needs no letter He is here-he is
with us-he is looking on while we speak
Write to Tom. Say, Dear Toni have
been informed of your attachment to Slb.
VI. Ibid not suspect this. am inform
ed that you were silent because your own
views on things spiritual are antagonistc
to my own | am now assured that the
future had imagined for my daughter
will be impossible. The wise men, living
and dead with whom | am now daily con
versing, tell me that they are powerless
against certain natures, to which you aud
Sibyl belong. | withdraw, therefore, my
original plan of Sihyls future. Address
her when you please. The joys of love and
marriage are poor and transtory compar-
ed with the joys for what fondly destined
her. Such joys as the world and the pres
ent life have, you will, trust, be able To
give my child. And IN the other world,
when you discover that the phenomenal is
not the real, you will, with her, begin to
climb to the higher planes, where you will
find me with others who love her and Will
joyfully welcome her."
Paul dictated this letter, while Mr. Bru
denel wrote obediently, When it was fin
velope which he directed in the usual
way.
| mention this trivial circumstance be-
cause after doing so Mr.. Brudenel lifted
his eyes to Paul, who stood beside him.
The action occupied m0ment-less than
a moment. He dropped his eyes again.
But the letter was gone.
Where is it ?" he asked
Il don't know. | suppose that 1zak him
self has taken 1t. Perhaps he will send it
to Tom. Courage Tomorrow evening
will bring happiness to all"
Paul" said Mr.. Brudenel. How can
thank you ?" The tears stood in his eyes.
How can l ever thank you for all that
you have done ~
you must not try to thank me. am
but servant. Now rest easy, only take
care to say nothing about the letter-not a
word, mind, either to Tom or to Sibyl.
Leave the delivery of the letter to-those
who have taken it. My de If friend he
took Mr. Brudeuel's hand aud held it, 'it
is, believe me, an infinite happiness to feel
that ] have been instrumental in aiding
and in saving you. Sit down, amuse your
self, read a novel-there is that book of
Ouida's still in your drawer, unfinished.
Come out and see the people in the streets,
go and talk at your club" Mr.. Brudenel
belonged to one Of the sepulchral clubs,
where about dozen members are &C
quainted, and the rest of the men glare
solemnly az each other. go and look at
pictures take Sibyl to the theatre this ev-
ening and laugh at something funny"
Mr.. Brudsnel had not been to the theatre
for thirty years. Perhaps he might have
laughed once or twice during that period,
but no one remembered it. ANY how, be
happy and free from care. And own, Mr..
Brudenel, that you have been, above all
other other men, strangely and wonderfully
Mr.. Brudenel sank back into his chair
and clasped his hands as one who is over
whelmed by what his former friends
would have called cosmic wave of psychic
force. The contemplation of an elderly
bald, headed gentleman in such a condl-
tlon has IN II something comic. Paul, with
light in his eye which betokens appreca
ton, retired and softly closed the door.
CHAPTER XVII-SAMsoN AND DELL
Lab.
Outside, he smied-nay, he laughed, but
not aloud. Then he made as If he was 60
ing to put on his coat and hat. Then he
stopped, half turned, and hesitated.
Every young person who hesitates,
whether male young person or female
young person, is lost For, before every
young person at every moment the ways
divide and the only chance of keeping in
the straight and narrow way is to stride
along, looking neither to the right nor to
the left. AS one gets older, these ways
will strike out on either hand, but one
ceases to regard them. Habit fixes the
eyes, or age has deprived those ways Of
their attractions.
Paul, therefore, hesitated He knew
that in the upper room-Cicely's room
Hetty sat alone. He had seen Lady An
gusta with Sibyl aed Cicely getting into
the carriage; they were going to Regent
street on business of personal adornment.
Hetty was upstairs, alone. Hetty was up
stairs-alone.
1t was week since that first fatal yield
ing to the voice of passion, when he kissed
the girl and fed. He fled with hot cheeks
and trembling hands, wondering and
conscience stricken and terri
fled, fearing Hetty's wrath and dreading
what might follow
Wherever it was that he had spent his |
early manhood-whether in Abyssinian
valley, like Rassalas-only that Prince al |