Telegram-herald., 1890-01-06

zsf41Ule1 the L1ft-l -4e
NJ powers 4 observation and penetra-
ttoa al rallies = my heiD when M
Clare at LIST eaEns into the R4ILor e. see
zne Il must &c mistaken n uiy idea e
thls nan. - / said to myself az z booked
Il hina wben be- returned ny bow
A nan sonasa a-t ps.st middle age h.s
dark hair y bitened, his mlLd eyes lighted
ONLY b. "a expression of courteous IL
quiry. This nan has been duped by
Glroy. l thought
be loosed AZ my card and said.
"Mr Perrom. pray be seated
/ saE down assln- l did not ike his
voice; it Vas nog ia accordance with his
face ~as going 10 surprise him. for
thought l should then discover more.
should thus disarn him for a moment
You vii. hope, excuse me, but viii
you tel ne what y the last news from
your niece. Miss Clarey'
He looked at me with the sudden.
quick bristiing Of cat.
''Viviane" be cried, In tone 50 harsh.
and az the same time so treacherous.
that / could hardly refrain from a motion
Of repulsion IL was that mans voice,
not his face, that betrayed the tiger.
'Yes, believe her name Is Viviane,"
answered, earelessiy.
do you bring any news from hers'
be inquired. with an anxiety that / saw
was intense, notwithstanding his elf0rs
% conceal il. In those words and that
manner he had revealed 20 me that
which came 70 discover. unless, indeed.
he WAS more consummate actor than
thought him.
His search, too, had been fruitless: ne
did not know, any more than /, where
viviaDs Clare had gone.
''On the contrary, l came 10 hear from
her" said.
lie looked at me scrutinizingly, but he
did not ask me any questions, as seemed
natural lie resumed his polite air and
said:
Unfortunately. can give you no in
formation"
In that case. viii not intrude
longer" | responded. rising.
At the door he said, with peculiar
laugh:
I'VE do not learn much, do we, Mr.
PerromT'
1t appears So" / replied. and went
down the steps. / no longer wondered
that Miss Clare had left her uncle's
house.
One day, about six months after my
return, | was standing by the window in
a book store on Washington street
turned the leaves Of book, but | was
looking out on 20 the street Suddenly
drew back, for Mr.. Clare was passing,
and on his arm leaned Gilroy-
haggard, but still graceful. striking as
ever He walked slowly and evidently
with some difficulty. | shivered; it
seemed 10 me that felt n cold wind like
that which the legend tells announces
the coming of the dreadful Luminous
Shadow. went back 10 my lodgings in
an unnaturaUy depressed mood. Not
once since Miss Clare had gone had | felt
more miserably desponding. | attributed
it III part to the temperature 1t was a
day in the latter part of AugIst-alnost
at sunset. \ white film was over the
sky, the sun was red ball that hung
like an evil eye in the horizon.
did not ,akc the horse carl pre-
ferred walking over the bridge, for l
hoped 20 get a breath Of salt sea air.
had lived for few weeks in CharlcstOwn,
in quiet street. whence | could see the
mouth Of Mystic river and a glimpse Of
the BAY. / reached the .loor Of my lodC-
ings, loiterei there a moment, then
sauutcred on. thought it would be
more hot and stifed in my room than it
was under the sky.
walked slowly to the end of the
street. down to the water. There was
not the faintest scent Of saltness in the
air-no more than if had stood by the
shores Of an inland lake. 1t was a dead
calm The water lay almost black.
tinged with a faint dark purple, the gift
Of the sun, which had just disappeared
listened for the ripple Of the sea among
the stones. II was low tide-I heard
nothing; the ripples were asleep. or per-
haps dead.
\ few Irish children sat fat on the
sand. with their feet in the water. They
did not talk loudly; the atmosphere was
such "a subdued even their garrulity.
Far of, low down in the northern SKY,
there were flashes If pale lightning. but
there was no thunder. Il was silence
that reigncd now-morc awful, moro op-
prossive than the crashes of tempest.
Il seemed to me that I brcathcd with
difficulty; the pulses Of my heart were
weakened. this great. hrooding stiffness
was suiIocating. / stretched out my
hands toward tho silent sea. / implorod
It for one breath Of its saltncss. It gave
me nothing save sense of infinite
wearinces-aluost of stagnation.
Unable % endure this longer. I turned
aod walked back. had reached the
house n1zt % the one where lived. sep
araled from it by little garden As
passed. sl0wlr along I inhaled the pcr-
fume # heH0ropc Quickly. with
memory acute and painful. I glanced
az tie window I was passing It was
open. a1d ou ira ledge stool a pot Of
helio-ropo Ny heart no longer hat
huEludlr-it bounded. ~ that moment
thought I recognized tho plant T. was
larger. is bad grown. but it appeared IA
ri'iar % me.
Had I reasoned upon that belief I
should have laughed 10 myself. but did
not reason. fclt ins qirej
mounted the stems of that house and
ra1- the beu. and with the fragrance
ssl doatin- about me I asked IL Miss
Clar, was irs"
knew that I had but to apologize Il