Nevada County picayune., 1889-12-11
put which pierced me to the heart.


 "You." she exclaimed. "Iou, :, oh Jack :"
 There was something in her vora which 1 could not define. 1 only knew that it hurt me like dagger thrust in my bosom.
 "Yes.' answer her as calmly as l could speak, II engaged myself to that silly, pretty, stupid Nenie Leigh, whom l met in Europe. You remem- Der Dick mentioning her in his let ters. He had made her acquaint- ancc somewhere in his Eastern trip" !"
 And you, do---or do. not--yon love herr" asked Sisley.
 My precious child, I did not know the meaning of the word love when l engaged myself to her
 We turned homeward, and both of Us kept silent for several moments.
 Nothing will be quite the same to us ever again" Slsley murmured at length.
 Nothing will ever be the same to you. Sislev, my own sister" l re- turned, bitterly.
 "Why do you always call me that:" said she. Il am not your sister only by adoption. There isn't particle of relationship between Us. Do you never think of that, Jack k?'
 Think of it! Had I not thought of it for whole year, and would l not think of it ceaselessly through all the miserable years to come:
 We dismissed the subject that day and we never alluded to it again,
 But the clouds had gathered the chill was upon us; somehow we were becoming estranged; and in my heart, at least, ragged q storm of wrath against fate, which was rob ping me of my own sister-my sister merely by adoption-and the adora- ble girl whom loved only as man loves her whom he would make his bride.
 Although we mentioned our re- spective betrothals no more, l was breeding over that subject and my own grief alike. as we were one day tramping through our wiIlcSt haunts.
 Both had been absent-minded for a painful length of time, when sud denly we both started and stopped.
 As suddenly as q thunderbolt from a clear sky thick mist was lowering upon us.
 To add to our predicamcnt we were going in path winding along the edge of ravines and precipices, where a single unguardcd step would send Us down to destruction upon the rocks below.
 We were forced to wait where we were, motionless, almost breathless, until the mist might dissolve or drift away.
 Suppose it should keep us here for hours or days?" we asked each other.
 We would perish," was the an swer.
 Il hope for the best" said |; but Sislcy, if worst is our fate, l should like for you to know how l love you with love truer and more enduring than the love of brother My darling, my dearer than sister, my regard for you is the regard man feels for the one woman he can ever desire for his wife.
 l 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 an swered soul.
 As we stood thus, my dainty, proud darling nestling in my em- brace, the mist became less dense, and then, just as suddenly as it had nestled, just so it 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-onrs alone.
 As we entered our hotel tele- gram was handed me. l will not attemp to describe my feelings as l perused it.
 It was from Dick sheldon! He had actually been fascinated by