St. Paul daily globe., 1891-01-12


| with an eager. questioning look in
them that brought vivid blush to her
| sensitive, child-like face, and she hast
| Ily followed Agnes from the room.
"Hemptation is strange thing, SAID
| Sibyl. musingly, when left alone with
| Robert.
"Yes, and terrible thing" he said.
| "But why suspect the boy at all? True,
| he may have fallen victim to cupldlty.
| seeing the little thing was gold; but the
chances are even that he never saw it,
and that it will be found much nearer
| home than poor Jake's pocket!" and he.
| too, left her.
Miss Dag0n was suddenly seized with
| SpaSm of energy and desire to flnd the
| lost article. She overturned cushions,
moved furniture, and darted about with
eager sharp-sightedness.
ssAh, if 4 Could But Find 1t.
| would even yet wrest him from her!
| He loves her. She has won his heart;
but separated from her surely could
win it to myself. Oh, he must, he shall
be mine-the only man have ever
lovedw She threw herself down in a
chair, most miserable, but pasSiOnately
vindictive. "ChildiSh simpleton! And he
| looks at her when | am by! Surely, man,
not WomOns is the incOmprehenSible
being! Could | but find that bauble
would secret it among her
things. so that she conld not
| escape, / would find the key to her
jewel case, or her private drawer, and
place it where no one but herself ever
goes. 1t would entrap this innocent
angel so that no denial, no explanation
conld clear her-so that the strongest
I 0li Of in
gered by such evidence and proof! +!
But, if J. can't find that means, l will
find some other to wiring her heart as
she has wrung mine"
The holidays were now over, and
Clarissa was about to return home.
Sibyl was going to stay some weeks
longer. Clarissa had said goodbye and
was waiting in the drawing room for
the carriage to come round to take her
to the station, when Sibyl came in.
"Oh, Miss Vernon, L am just in time
to say goodbye. l had almost missed
YOU"
'Why, l thought you brought good
news, you came in so suddenly" said
Clarissa, almost disappointed.
ooh, about the thimble! fear it will
never turn up. Mr.. Hayford eXoner-
ates the boy from all blame, and thinks
it much more likely that you and Agnes
had it between yon, that its loss has a
very different explanation"
"Why, what does he mean? Agnes
could have no object in losing her own
property" and she smiled in some per-
pieXity.
"Oh. Agnes! OF course notI'
ClariSsa looked at her with wide open,
wondering eyes.
miss Dagon, | can't think what you
mean"
81! Don't Mean Anything!
I simply repeated Robert Hayford's
words. If the thing is ever found
will be much nearer home than pOort
ia k'es pocket was what he said"
''Do your words imply that Robert
for the loss of Agnes gold thimble?
That I--that | could explain its disap-
pearance?
Sibyl shrugged her shoulders.
1T seems stupid and absurd, of
course, but | can't undertake to regu-
late Roberts thoughts, you know, nor
account for his suspicious"
Clarissa looked at her with culver
ing face. from which all color had fled,
then turned and walked out to the wait
ing carriage without another word.
Sibyl watched her from the window.
with malignant JOY in the pain she
had given.
"Presumptuous, pale-faced creature" !"
she muttered. "lf l cannot have him,
at least she shall not! She could never
speak to him on such subject, so | am
safe" ,
And Clarissa? She felt as one stricken
to the very earth
EI sI.l al, ~ l1a 4
that? And | thought-oh, heavens!
That, then, was the cause of that
strange, intent look, that | interpreted
so differently Oh. fool. infatuated and
blind, ever to have thought of one SO
unworthy--one who could be small
minded enough to so misjudge me!
And | loved him sO-yes, even when l
thought he belonged to another. All,
what shall do? How shall bear this
shattering of my hearts hopeS-this
bitter, cruel insult?"
Poor girl! she little thought how
thorough an actress her rival was, nor
how utterly INSCRIPTIONS in carrying
out her plans.
Agnes was much engaged in the prep
aration of an elaborate trOuSSeau for her
approaching marriage. Both Sibyl and
Clarissa had promised to be bridesmaids,
but Clarissa had tried earnestly to es-
cape, since Robert was to be the groom's
best man. However, Agnes threatened
to be both hurt and offended if she
failed to keep he! promise, so she wore
her pretty dress Of gauzy white tissue
reluctantly. More than one remarked
upon the change a few months had
wrought upon the girls appearance. In
truth, the experience of grief had de-
veloped her from thoughtless, confd-
ing child. to a reserved and self-con-
tanned woman, bearing her trouble in
secret, with no outward sign.
Many a Guest Looked at Her
with admiring eyes, even while the
bride swept by in her robe of satin and
lace. Robert never took his glance from
her, but she bore his gaze with a
naughty, indifferent grace, though the
sapphire eyes gloWed in face of mar
BILE whiteness.
The bride had gone. All the tradi-
tional offerings Of good luck had been
hurled at the bridal carriage, and the
horses had not taken fright.
At the ball that night, ClarisSa had
no lack of partners, but she refused to
dance.
She was sitting in an alcove alone,
when Robert came up to her.
"Will you not give me this waltz?n
he asked. "But no, you are tired. l
should not ask for such favor
II am not at all tired, Mr.. Hayford,"
she answered, coldly, but l do not care
TO dance.'
Robert bit his lip, her words were so
evidently intended as a rebuff. Then
he sat down on the sofa beside her.
Miss Vernon" he said. softly, "you
seem displeased. AT times | have even
thought that you avoided me. Have 1
offended you? Oh, pray. pray, tell me
how. that l may remedy the fault at
once. Believe me, nothing would grieye
ME so much as to think"
She turned and looked him full in the
face. Then-why was it? The blood
rushed to her own III a torrent! Over
her white throat and pearly eyes, to thet
golden rings of her shining hair, that
clustered on the forehead, it serged in
a tell-tale blush. Her eyes fell, and
she trembled beside him.
1t was false; she felt that it was.
That woman had lied to her! She saw
it in every line of his face, heard it in
every tone of his voice. All! it was she