Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-19
COPYRIGHT BY AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION

''What must be must" responded Ed
In a still more hopeless tone, but not
without secret hope that some method
might be devised to escape the inevitable.
Beatrix paused, thinking intently, and
with increasing agitation.
al believe | know what you mean,
The said at last, with a deep undertone
Of sad affection in her voice. You think
you ought not to marry her because l
am your sister-that is, because / have
w1onged her. Oh, Ed, that is i'll You
can't deny it, dear. You would sacrifice
an your happiness 50 as not to seem to
take her part against me. might have
known that it could be nothing less no
bic than that: but it shall not be-you
must not dream of 1T When she knows
how sorry am-and she shall know
everybody shall know it, I'll tell you
how it shall be-" she continued, spring
ing up from the sofa on which they were
sitting together, and pacing up and
down, passing the fingers of one hand at
intervals over her forehead and hair. At
length she stopped in front of him.
Tomorrow evening is my last per-
Torrance" she said. after it is over
will ask Gen. lingo TO tell the audience,
or perhaps it would be better if l went
out and told them myself, all the whole
story, how / came to take her place, and
who l really am, and all! After that she
will forgive me; III make her forgive
me for your sake; and then, Ed, dear"
she concluded with misty smile and
tremor Of the lip, you need not be
afraid to make her my sister,"
Its splendid of you to think of such
q thing, dear little sis" exclaimed her
brother, drawing her down 10 him and
kissing her. But it would never do to
60 to work in that way; in the first place
it might knock all your popularity on the
head. The public doesn't understand
generous and elevated conduct as do"
mo matter if they don't understand
il. have already made up my mind to
one thing. | shall never sing on the stage
after tomorrow.
what notion! See if you don't"
NO, indeed. had decided on that
before-before / knew anything about
your affairs, you dear boy! The debts
ore paid. aud papa and | can live in the
old house again, and that is all l ever
meant TO do. Being on the stage is not
pleasant in some ways, and besides
well. at any rate I'm determined, and
when ! am determined | never change;
and l will tell the audience so tomorrow
night"
mo. no! l tell you," cried Ed, becom-
ing lively again, "if singing won't do
for you on the stage speechifying's out
Of the question. You'd be like these
women's rights geese. There's no neces-
Hty for If, either. If Vera knew that
you wouldn't feel hurt at my marrying
her | dare say she'd come round all
right. The only difficulty then would
be that should seem to be, in a certain
way, dependent on her But have been
thinking the last few days that I'd go
into some engineering, or
architecture, or something of that kind
and then l guess could be making
money enough in year or two to take
the edge OF the thing. I'm not fool,
sis, though maybe have acted rather
like one"
"You are the dearest and best brother
IA the world" said Beatrix, with the
eentieneSs of profound conviction; and
On the heels of this moderate statement
WAllie Dinsmore came into the room
and invited Edward to sit down to a
cold lunch with him. The ladies would
not wait for us" he observed, land it
would be foolhardy for US to wait for
dinner. OF course Miss Randolph and
Mrs. Dinsmore will pour out our beer
for Us"
Edward assented; but Beatrix, after a
moments hesitation, excused herself on
some feminine plea, and, refusing any
escort or offer Of a carriage, set out on
foot toward her home, as she had accus-
toned herself to call it. The evening
was now at hand, though it lacked
something of o'clock. The sidewalks
were covered with a drifting layer of
white, and the fakes still swirled and
dAngled downward from the obscure
Darkness overhead. As Beatrix, walk
ing briskly, approached Madison square
the higid glare Of the electric lamp,
from the summit Of its immense mast,
marked itself out on the storm like q
gigantic tent Of light.
Warmly wrapped in her fur lined
cloak Beatrix did not mind the snow
and wind; they gave her kind of pleas
ure; she felt strengthened and heart
ened by the robust pungency Of the at
mosphere. It reminded her Of her win
ters in the old place Tar up the Hudson
the days Of frozen forests and gigantic
DowbSlls, and the long icicles hanging
from the caves on the southwest corner.
Wen, her work was all but done, and
Shc might begin that life again as soon
- she pleased. But could that life ever
begin again for her? After all the events
snd experiences Of this season could she,
In = moment, become Beatrix Randolph
once morel Had not the name of Ma
rama carried some spell with II, whose
elects would never leave heT? As she
specialized thus, and her heart began to
sink again, she turned the corner Of
Fffth avenue and came into collision
with gentleman who was proceeding
swiftly In the opposite direction.
Her head was bent, her veil was over
her eye, the sir was full Of snow and
The confusing dazzle Of street lights; it
was impossible that she should know
who this man was, and yet she did know
81 cnee, and she even fancied that she
bad anticipated the meeting a moment
before il occurred. And, first, q great
~a1a ~ Sey raa-,od 70 rxuaIl and y,r,r