Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-03-30

ulenc0 may u charged with eympathy and
the comfort Of . shared grief. Il was 20 in
this ceoe.
Ths sf,srnesn light was fading, and Ken
dal was about 70 rise and mako some neccs-
safy preparations for his Journey, when Paul
detained him, looking up ct him with sunkeu
eyes which seemed 10 carry In them oil tho
history Of the two nights Just post "wil
you ever ask her what Marie wishedr' Tho
tone was the even and paasionleas tone Of ono
who for the moment feels none Of the or,ii.
nary embarrasments Of intercourse; Kendall
met Il with The nmo directness.
''Some day shall ask her, or at least I
shall let her know; but It will be no use.n
Paul shook his head, but whether In protest
or agreement Kendall could hardly tell Then
he went back 10 his task Of sorting the letters.
and iet tho matter drop. Il seemed a. IL he
were scarcely capable Of taking an interest
In It for its own sake, bat simply - q wish, .
charge Of Marie.
: Kendall parted from him ia tho evening
with an aching heart, and was haunted for
hours by the memory Of the desolnte figure
returning slowly into tho empty house, and
by sharp prevision Of all the lonely nights
and the uncontrolled morrows which lay be-
fore the stricken man.
But, as Paris receded further and further
behind him, and the sea drew nearer, and tho
shores OF the country which held Isabel
Bretherton, 1t was but natural that even the
grip upon him Of this terrible and startling
calamity should relax little, and that no
should realize himself a. o man seeking the
adored woman, his veins still beating with
the currents Of youth and the great unguessed
future still before him He had left Mario in
the grave, aud his life would bear the scar of
that loss forever. But Isabel Bretherton was
still among tho living, tho warm, the beauti-
ful, and every milo brought him nearer to
tho electric Joy Of her presence. He took q
sad strange pleasure In making tho contrast
between the ono picture and tho other as
vivid as possible. Death and silence on tho
one side-oh, how truo and how irrcparable!
But on the other, no forced ON his imagina.
tion till 1t drew for him an image OF youth
and beauty soglowing that It almost charmed
the sting out Of his grief The English
paper which he succeeded in getting at Calais
contained the announcement: "Miss Brother
ton has, we are glad to say, completely re-
covered from tho effects Of the fainting ct
which SO much alarmed tho audience at tho
Calliope last week. She was able to play
'Elvira as usual last night, and was greeted
by o large and sympathetic house, He read
1t and turned the page hastily, as IL what the
paragraph suggested was wholly disAeteful
to him. He refused altogether to think Of
her as weak or suffering; he shrank from his
own past misgivings, his own prophecies
about her. The world would be o mere dark
prison house IL her bright beauty were over
cloudedl She was not made for death, and
she should stand to him as the image Of all
that escapes and resists and defies that tyrant
OF our years, and pain, his instrument and
herald.
He reached London in the midst of rainy
fog The endless black streets stretched be.
|fore him In the dreary December morning
like 30 many roads into tho neither regions;
Ithe gas lamps scattered an unreasonable light
Through the rain and fog. II was the quint-
essence OF murky, cherries winter.
He reached his own rooms, and found his
|man up and waiting for him, and meal
ready 1t was but thrcc days since be had
been last there; tho open telegram was still
lying on the table. One Of his first acts was
Ito put it hastily out Of sight. Over his break
fast he planned his embassy to Miss Brother
ton. The best time to find her alone, he
imagined, would DO about midday, and in
the interval he would put his books and pa
|pen to rights. They lay scattered about
books, proofs and manuscript As his Or
aerly hands went to work upon them, he was
conscious that he had never been 80 remote
from all that they represented. But his na-
lure was faithful and tenacious, and under
tho outward sense Of detachment there was
an inward promise Of return. II will come
back to you," seemed to be the cry of his
thought. "You shall be my only friends.
But first must see her, and all my heart il
hersl''
The morning dragged away, and at half
mast III n ont nor rrvyiv< tho
with him. A he stood outside the Bays
water house, in which ho had settled for the
winter, he realized that he had never yet been
under her roof, never yet seen her at home
1t was his own fault. She had asked him In
ber gracious way, on tho first night Of "El-
vira," to come and SEQ her. But instead Of
doing 50 he had buried himself in his Surrey
lodging, striving to bring the sober and aus
tere influences Of the country TO bear upon
the feverish indecision Of his mood. Per-
haps his disappearance and silence had
wounded her; after all, he knew that he had
some place In her thoughts.
The servant who opened the door demurred
to his request to see Miss Brethcrton. sThe
doctor says, sir, that at home she must keep
quiet; she has not seen any visitors Just
lately" But Kendall persisted, and his card
was taken in, while no waited the result. Tho
servant hurried along the ground floor pas
sage, knocked at the door at the further end,
went in for n moment, and camo out beckon-
Ing to him. He obeyed with beating heart,
and she threw open the door for him.
Inside stood Isabel Brctherton, with eager
surprise and pleasure In her whole attitude.
She had just risen from her chair, and was
coming forward; soft white cashmere
shawl hung around her; her dress, Of some
dark. rich stuff, fell with the flowing, stately
lines pA.uliar to It; her face was slightly
flushed, and the brilliancy Of her color, Of
her haiS.. Of her white, outstretched hand,
seemed to Kendall to take all the chill aud
gloom out Of the winter air. She held some
proof sheets Of new play in her hand, and
the rest lay piled beside her on little table.
"How kind OF you, Mr.. Kendall" she said,
advancing with her quick. impulsive step
towards him. II thought you had forgotten
us, and have been wanting your advice SO
badlyl have just been complaining Of you
a little in letter to Mime. de CLateauvieuxl
She"-
Then she suddenly stopped, checked and
startled by his face. He was always color
less and thin, but tho two nights he had Just
passed through had given him an expression
OF haggard exhaustion. His black eyes
seemed 10 have lost the keenness which was
so remarkable in them, and his prematurely
gray hair gave him almost look OF age in
spite Of the lightness and pliancy Of the fig
ure.
He came forward and took her hand nerv-
ously and closely in his own
II have come to bring you sad news he
said, gently, and seeking anxiously word by
word how he might soften what, after all,
could not be softened. m. de Chateauvieux
sent me to you at once, that you should not
hear in any other way. But it must be q
shock TO you-for you loved her."
"Ohp she cried, interrupting him, speak
ing in short, gasping words, and answering
not SO much his words as his look. ''She is