Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1890-03-20
No. 48,

answer, and then all four enter the ball
room, where Mrs. Burns takes Mr. Dew.
ereux in one direction, while SibyI and
Mr.. Chester 60 in another to search for
! Mrs. Van Eyck, and within half an
hour they are driving home.
1t can not be denied, though Miss
Van Eyck'a lover is not q man given to-
,jealouslv, that the next week is the long.
est and most uncomfortable which he
can remember. Business compels him
to 60 to Boston so early on the moln-
ing after Mrs. Burns party that he does
not see Sibyl agaln and in spite Of her
dIgn:hed repu'sion of Mr.. Devercux lie
can not forget her pale and piteoas eyes
when she had first seen the "ghost."
He is convinced that Devereux will
do everything possible for reconcila-
ton, and he calls himself an lnsana
idiot for having refused to hear the
story of her first love, which Sybil hal
seemed to wish to tell him, for his ut.
ter ignorance Of the circumstances pre-
vents him from being able to Judge
whether such a thing could come to
pass. 10 add to his anxiety, during
the four days that he is in Boston he
! does not receive even so much as u line
from her, though she had promised,
half laugingly. to write every day.
The result Of all OF which is that, after
having been 70 absent minded as to-
cause his business friends much amaze
ment, he returns to New York two days
earlier than he had intended, leaving
his affairs very much AS no had found
them An hour after his arrival he is
walking up the familiar street on which
the Van EyckS live. with great deal
Of outward ch"criulness, and an odd
mlngling OF self contempt and anxiety
at his heart tor he will know his fate in
another ten minutes.
My fate indeed : lie mutters with
rather failure in the way Of Il smile.
If I were anybody else, what jealous
fool should call myself.
Then he starts as if he had been shot,
for ascending the steps Of The Van
| Eychs house, with the confident mani
ner Of one who does not come for the
first time, is Mr.. Dcvercux, Very still
and very pale for man who is not
Jealous nor afraid of ghosts until MIR.
Devereux has rung and is admitted.
Il will wait until he leaves; he will
not be long he THINKS, with a strong
momentsry desire to follow him and
confront him and sibyl together, tho
all his life he has had the true Auglo-
Saxon horror Of anything like a scene.
He walks rapidly the end of the block
and returns slowly, with his eyes on
the Van Eycks door; bat Deyereu1s
visit bids fair to be a lengthy one, and
he has time to repeat his mannuvre
many times, to the great interest Of u
couple of school girls, who from an op-
poste drawing-room window, are spec
ulating excitedly as to what Miss Van
Eyck lover can be about. 1t is not
very fatiguing for a man to pace up and
down blood for All hour, and yet.
when that time has elapsed, Brian
Chesters face has grown oddly worn
and haggard looking. God pity us all |
We can most of US remember some such
hour, whose sixty minutes held an eter-
nifty of suspense, but let those of US
render Thanksgiving all our days who
feared in that hour only death, not
faithlessness, for our hearts beloved.
1t is nearly six when the Van Eycks'
door opens and closes again on Mr.
Deyereux, who walks quickly down tho
street in an opposite direction frem
Chester, but the latter scarcely glances
at the receding figure as be springs mp
the steps.
Miss Van Eyck is in the drawing
room,' the servant tells him, Us he pasS-
es in.
Outside it was nearly dark, aid here
it ia quite, 50, except when the fire
makes blaze Of light; but he sees her
at once, crouched in the corner Ola So
fa by the chimney. and weeping-a !
weeping as even women given to tears
weep only once or twice in their lives.
At the sight of that drooplng figure.
and the sound of stlangled sobs, the
strong heart OF Brian Chester turns
faint and sick, for he knows 80 we'll.
with such wonderful, dreary conviction
lust what ehe has done, and what he
must DO now. He casts one farewell
look about the familiar room where he
has been 20 happy, and then his eyes re.
turn to the woman he loves and suffers