The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-07-25
SISMONDHS SPELL.

has nothing to do with my story.
He was half Greek, half an Italian.
He was perhaps thirty when met
him. Handsome! / heard him called
so. Possessing strange power-that
] knew. 1t might have been tho SYM
pathy of my mood with his at the time
OF our first meeting which determined
much OF my attraction toward him.
had known Sismondi nearly q year
when we walked home together one
evening from the house of two of my
.ccuntrywomen with whom we had
been dining. Sismondi had only re-
turned to Paris from a journey which
had consumed some weeks. and had
introduced him few days before to
Mrs. Warren and her sister-in-law.
We seemed. both of us, inclined to
;silence. But Sismondi suddenly spoke.
notice you broke through your
rule Of vegetarianism tonight. i had
an impression you were more stead
fast"
II should naturally have an objec-
ton to making myself conspicuous in
public"
was conscious of evasion. Sismondi
spoke again Immediately.
THAT Is not the reason; not the
chief one. Mon cher, you are pitiably
in the tolls ofa woman-of that woman
we have just left" O
1--WE have just left two women. /
believe"
.,Ah. pretend that cannot put my
finger on the right one. Do you inn
aginc that connected that big blonde,
that superb and utterly vacuous Nine
Marvern. with you in my mindp That
would be to suppose me to have an
opinion Of you such as assure you
have not"
VERY WELL l don't see, after all.
why should not make confidant of
-you-for the first-for you will be the
first. Miss Marvern do most sincere
ly love. and we became engaged two
days ago.
II was sure of It."
We said no more until we reached
my door.
''And she-she loves you also very
much, this poetic, this unusual this
striking Mile. Elita?"
His black eyes cleaned.
II have reason to hope and believe
So" answered rather coldly.
Elita Marvern and were to be mar
ried on my return from three months
visit to America which / was compelled
to make in order to settle my affairs.
AS the time drew near, Elita seemed to
grow nervous, to be inclined to urge
me not to leave. This was quite un-
like her and told her So playfully.
Yes / know. 1t Is weak and hys-
terical. You ought to go, you must
go. and yet l would give much-very
much-to keep you"
left at last firmly resolved to
shorten the time of my absence IL such
n course would be in any way possible.
A month had passed when two or
three steamers came in without bring
ing me my accustomed letter. I was
about to telegraph. in my anxiety less
Elita should be i'll. when letter ar-
rived from Mrs. Marvern, telling mo
that Elita had not seemed quite her.
self, had confessed that she had not
written to me. but had seemed to urge
her-Mrs. Marvern-to write in her
stead. My correspondent thought that
Elita would probably be the better OF
her passing indisposition shortly. She
wound up with some news of Sismondi.
He and an American who had just
como to Paris from India. had been
giving in private way some astound-
ing exhibitions of occult powers. Peo-
pie were quite agitated about it. The
American was raising funds for the
propagation of these great new truths
on grand scale.
They say" scrawled Mrs. Marvern,
in her large. uncertain hand, that the
time for giving some Of the discoveries
of the Hindoo adopts. as to the COM
mand of physical laws to the world
has at length come. / must say. your
friend. Signor Sismondi, Is a wonder
full mani!
can remember perfectly the whole
aspect on tho morning on which /
again landed at Havre. The sea was
like glass. The autumnal air was as
keen and as bright as a knife. BY the
time reached Paris the weather had
changed. The sky was overcast, the
wind more biting. / drove immedi-
ately I'D MISS NldTtcTh uOuoCy uhiu 4
received word that Mrs. Marvern was
not to be seen.
turned away. There were adverse
electric currents in the air Of which
had been conscious for weeks, away
of there on the other. side Of the At
lantic. Events now seemed to be hur-
rying toward the climax. went to
my rooms and sat down TO Elita, de-
manding an interview and an explana-
ton. once for all OF all that had been,
lately, a mystery to me.
had seated myself at my desk when
the door opened and there entered a
yelled feminine figure. My heart
leapt into my throat 1t was Elita
herself.
She renewed her veil and made q
gesture that forbade me to advance.
She was pale. thinner than when ! had
left, and her large eyes had an un-
natural brilliant hardness. was
speechless.