The morning call., 1891-03-22

interesting than of old, because her never-to-
be-furgotten bereavement had cast about
her. as it were, a delicate and indefnable
film of sadness. like that elusive haze which
blends itself with the sunshine of some per-
feet autumn day.
mo, my dear cousin" she said, ''yOu
surely need less gloomy companionship than
mine"
Your companionship is never gloomy"
he replied with a somber sort OF galantry
that she answered by pathetic little smile.
.'Ah!' Helena soon returned, u meant to
ask your advice, your aid, on very melan-
choly matter. l meant to ask and here
she broke off with forlorn shakes of her
head. But no; let us speak of yourself.
Have you consulted any doctor of late,
Tallmadge?"
Yes" he said. absently. "This mel
ancholy matter, Helena" he went on,
what is it?" A kind of morbid despera-
ton drove him to pronounce these words.
He cared nothing for her formal and 0rd-
nary coincidence with respect 10 his shat
tered health. That was all very well in its
way. put it was not she. And Tallmadge,
| though racked by a sense of his own guilt,
strongly yearned to hear Helena speak on
some subject any subject - which init
| mately concerned herself.
Il wanted to ask YOU" she began, after
quite long pause, whether you 40 not
think, Tallmadge, that l can possibly find
out the author of that anonymous letter"
He felt his heart stand still for moment.
what, he managed TO respond, ''would be
your motive in making discovery like
tbat?"
Her soft eyes flashed, and he saw both
her hands quietly clench themselves. 81
should SO love to punish him. There's a
| law against that sort of dastardly thing, or
so they tell me-"
There's law against it,, yes"
"Oh, Tallmadge," she hurried, 81 often
| feel 1t is not mere revenge that makes me
| wish to visit the law on such being It's
loyalty to the dead man whom that vile
action slew Think, II some one whom you
loved very dearly had been killed by"
But he rose then, and in few difficult
words told her that he must terminate this
| visit quite abruptly, that he was more I'M
| well than he had supposed himself, that he
would at once repair 10 the carriage which
waited him outside.
| She followed him, profuse in her eager
| compassion, to the very door of the carriage.
| Ii he were not better quite soon, she told
him she would go to him. sit with him, read
! 10 him, 90 any little pleasant act he might
desire OF her. Why not? Were they not
cousins? The world had said hatefully
hard things of her, but she surely had the
right to visit hes own relations when they
| were i'll. Besides" she added, pressing
| his hand, you are orphaned like myself,
| Tallmadge, and have no kindred nearer
than |"
The answer that he gave almost straugled
| him as he spoke it, He forgot what it had
| been, even while he flung himself back up
on the cushions of the moving carriage.
Once home again, lie half resolved upon
! suicide. Then, in the midst of his passion
| ate condition, her Image rose before him,
! radiant with its reSuscltated beauty Sup
| pose, when a certain length of time had
| elapsed, she should forget JuStin'S cruel
death? And, after ALL had he not been the
mereSt mailman to let flimsy sheet of paper
| send him to his death?
In spite of all his spiritual torment, Tall
madge could not refrain from the chershng
| of a certain hope. This hope gave him
new incentive toward perfect recovery.
| The winter was not beginning to set in.
| What II he escaped It's rigOrS and spent
several months in Florida instead of Egypt?
| About the idea of Florida there was a GER
| tain nearnesS to Helena. lie would start off
| without again seeing her, and in the early
| spring he would return. BY that time a
good interval would have separated her
from the savagery of her affection. and by
that time his own aching conscience might
| have ceased to deal him these poignant
| qualms.
He made his resolve that day, and started
| soon afterward. But stay of four months
! during which Helena wrote him six or seven
| precious and warmly fond letters left his
| health still in the most uncertain state.
| All physicians whom he consulted land Flor
| ida Is not without good ones told him that
MS nervous system was III curlOuSly IN
| strung condition. They could not cure his
| fits of insomnia and depression, and the only
| thing that they seemed capable Of doing was
! TO stave off by their drugs and their hygienic
| suggestions the old lurking fever that
seemed always in ambush, like foe that
| watches for fresh chances Of onslaught.
CHAPTER Ill
BY April he returned to New York, look
| ing somewhat better. Helena, hearing that
| he was home again, came at once TO his
residence. Her pity for him was charac-
| teristic IF her gentle SOUL Il insist upon
| still treating you as an Invalid" she said,
| and coming 10 see you while these raw
| spring days last. You have not quite the
same look that you had when you went
away. Evidently you are mending."
BE careful not to forget me, came his
warning, as she was about to depart. IF
| you do, [ shall breast icy blasts in seeking
| your Preside"
ION, I'll not forget you," replied Helena.
| And size kept her word. This kinsman of
| hers was about the only living person just
now for whom she cared with any real
| depth and tenderness. For years she had
believed him the soul of honor; always she
had personally liked him; and the menace
| OF death which at present seemed to over
shadow him woke in her heart thrills of
| feeling full of dreamy self-amazement.
You must not talk SO much about me
and the possibilities of my getting WELL"
Tallmadge said to her during the next visit
she paid him. speak more of yourself,
| Helena. Ale you happier than you were ?"
do you mean more peaceful in spirit?'
| she asked.
Yes; for those who are peaceful in spirit
are surely happy"
We'll" she slowly answered, 81 do feel
| as if certain refreshing calm had de-
| scended upon me-"
Then that desire of yours has passed."
| he quickly questioned.
/ What desire?" she asked. And then, as
| if remembering "Ah. thu wish to punish
| him who wrote that vile letter." A smile
| full of pain fllckered across her lips. II