Huntsville gazette., 1889-08-03
She averte,a her eyes from mine ana

"And yet," continued, II can not
reproach you for / have myself COM
mitted the same folly"
] Then she lifted her great eyes with
q look-a strange, inscrutable look
which / could not understand, but
which pierced me to the heart.
You" she repeated. "Youl oh,
Jack!"
There was something in her voice
which | could not define. | only knew
that it hurt me like dagger-thrust in
my bosom.
Yes" / answered her, as calmly as
| could speak, II engaged myself to
that silly, pretty, stupid, Vinie Leigh,
whom met in Europe. You remem-
Der Dicky mentioning her in his let
ters! He has made her acquaintance
somewhere in his Eastern trip"
'And you, door do not-you love
Eer?" asked Sisley.
my precious child, / did not know
the meaning of the word love when
engaged myself to her." | replied.
We had turned homeward, and both
Of us kept silence for several moments.
Nothing will be quite the same to
US ever again." Sisley murmured at
length.
Nothing will ever be the same to
me, at least-now have to relinquish
you, Sisley, my own sister, | re-
turned, bitterly.
why do you always call me that?"
said she, and she too spoke bitterly.
Il am not your sister only by adop-
tion. There isn't particle Of rela-
tionship between us-do you never
think of it, Jack?"
Think of it, Had | not thought Of
it every moment of my life for whole
long year? Should | not think of it
ceaselessly through all the miserable
years to Gomez
We dismissed the subject that day
and we never alluded to it again.
But the clouds had gathered; ths
| chill was upon us; somehow we were
| becoming estranged; and in my heart.
at least, ragged storm of wrath
against fate, which was robbing me OF
my own sister-my sister merely by
adoption-and the adorable girl whom
| loved only as a man loves her whom
he would make his bride.
Although we mentioned our respect
i've betrothals no more, / was brood
ing over that subject and my own grief
alike, as we were one day tramping
through our widest haunts.
Both had been silent for painful
length Of time. when suddenly we
both started and stopped.
AS suddenly as thunderbolt from
a clear sky thick mist was lowering
upon us.
In three seconds we could not dis
tinguish any object a foot in advance
of us.
To add to our predicament we were
in path winding along the edge of
ravines and precipices, where a single
unguarded step would send us down to
destruction upon the rocks below.
We were forced to wait where we
We're, motionless, almost breathless.
until the mist might dissolve or drift
away.
Suppose it should keep US here fer
hours or days?" we asked each other,
1--WE should perish" was the an
swer.
II hope for the best" said I; "but,
Sisley, if worst is our fate, / should
like you to know how | love you with
a love truer and more enduring than
the love Of brother! My darling,
my dearer than sister, my regard for
you is the regard a man feels for the
one woman he can ever desire for his
wife"
| drew her into my embrace, and
kissed the beloved lips, which always
until then had been shyly denied me-
But in that hour Of mortal peril, heart
called to heart, and soul answered
soul.
As we stood thus, my dainty, proud.
darling Nesting in my embrace, the
mist became less dense, and then, just
as suddenly as it had settled, just SO il
drifted away.
And just as the mist had vanished,
just so had vanished the shadows upon
my dear loves heart and mine. the
clouds settling over us.
We went home very joyfully, arm in
arm; those wretched engagements were
something for the future! the present
was ours-ours alone.
AS we entered our hotel telegram
was handed me. | will not attempt to
describe my feelings as perused it.
1t was from Dick Sheldon He had
actually been fascinated by Vinie
Leigh, and she by him, and they were
already married.
Sisley and | sent our cordial CON
gratulations to the faithless ones.
And a few weeks later, to the delight
Of my parents, Sisley and | were
welded.
She is no longer ''my own sister,
she is something a thousand-fold