Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-01-18

"He doesn't want yonr letters" cried
Amy with indignation. "Take them
away
II know that he does" answered
Leoni. "You are his sister; you cannot
refuse me?" she went ON, in a low, plead
ing voice.
81 am not his sister, and l tell you to
take your letters away"
mot his sister, exclaimed Leoni, all
the jealousy of her race rising in her
heart "Who are you. then, who dare
to sit by his side. who dare to hold his
hand?'
II was his fance; he was my lover
said Amy, with dignity. "But who are
you, that dares to profane my dead?
The light of pity filled Leonis eyes,
she hesitated for a moment, and then
said, softly. Il am his wife; he was my
husband"
Amy stared at her as though she did
not understand her words, though she
knew something terrible had been said-
There was silence for few moments;
then Leoni put out her hand to Amy.
across the dead body of the man they
both loved, and Amy took it.
"Wil you forgive him?" said Leoni
"Will you forgive me? did not know
anything of this. | only knew loved
him and he loved me. We were mar
ried privately in the spring. | am very
sorry for you, but l did not intend to
hurt you"
Amy listened to her words. II see it
all nowr" she said. II was a silly fool
that | did not see it before. l might
have known that he could not love ms
as loved him. If he had only told lii
oh, God! if he had only told me-he
might still be alive. His death is on my
headl Oh, John, John why didn't you
tell me? | loved you so well that !
would have given you up rather than
this" And. for the first time since his
death, Amy's tears flowed fast and freely.
Leonis heart bled for the girl, but her
Italian nature did not understand the
self sacrifice of the words she spoke
Rather have him live and be the hus
band of another? Never!-she would
rather see him dead twenty times.
Amy. with exquisite unselfishness, had
nothing but the tenderest pity for John.
She blamed herself siat she had not dis
covered his love for t;lis beautiful foreign
woman in time. She felt interested in
hor nd lAI IN
the light of sister than of a successful
rival She asked her questions about her
self. and was not shocked to learn that she
was a ballet dancer. She knew little
about this profession, and the little she
knew did not place its members in the
category of saints. but she was certain
that Leoni was perfectly good woman,
and she believed too thoroughly in John
to think for q moment that he could have
married her had she been otherwise.
A strange friendship was begun over
the coffin of John Hurlstone-a friend
ship that grew stronger with years-and,
to the scandal of Farnsted, 1.-The bale.
dancer John Hurlstone married." spen:
part of every summer at the rectory,
where she was loved and admired by the
old rector as sincerely as by his daughter.
Mrs. Hurlstone could not quite free her
mind from the idea that Leoni was in
some way responsible for Johns death:
but as time went on this feeling wore off,
and she and her daughters called on her
whenever she visited the rectory, and
always had her to spend night at the
homestead.
Amy and Leoni drove in the same car
riage to Johns funeral (which was
private one, much to the disappoint-
ment of the Villagers and stood hand
in hand at his grave. While Amy was
calm and silent. Leoni was beside hes,
self with grief, and was finally carriet
fainting to her carriage.
1t was not long before the story OF
John Hurlstone's career in New York
became known through tho newspapers.
Columns were devoted to it. 1t was told
how the dashing Col. Mortimer had or
ganized a mining company that owned
no mines. how he had swindled unsus-
pecting people by his false representa-
tions, and how the clever young captain
who had served so brilliantly under him
in the civil war had been used as de-
coy and finally induced to sign names
other than his own to bogus certificates
of stock. The flight of Mortimer to
Canada and the suicide of Hurlstone,
who had been secretly married to one
woman while another waited for him Al
the altar. gave the reporters chance
such as they seldom had 1t was an
exciting story, and they made the most
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