The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-25

and narrow streets We're made beautiful
with tender rims of grass. The warm
breezes brought thither by the Gulf
stream gave to December and January
the gentle geniality of an English spring
The sparse inhabitants were far de-
scended race OF fishermen, still bearing
in their dark compilations and vigorous
forms the traces of their handsome Span
ish ancestry.
AT the inn, in addition to a most en-
gaging landlady and couple of ex-
tremely pretty daughters, Bellingham
encountered to his agreeable surprise an
American artist, Helwise by name,
whom he had known years ago in New
York. This lonely man of genius was,
it appeared, in the habit of spending the
winter months here, transferring to can
vas the matchless wealth of color and
character which met him at every turn.
He was of grave, kindly, meditative
nature, but trimming over in certain
moods with wit and philosophy and the
fruits of years of penetrating and amused
observation of human character and
life. Bellingham and he suited each
other well and We're soon conversing
with the frankness and cordiality of
friendship long in allegiance but never
forgotten. Bellingham inquired whether
there We're any other countrymen of
theirs in the town
sit is like the region Irving tells of in
The Adalantado of the Seven Cities ,"
Helwise replied; sit has been lost Dor
ages, and nobody knows were it is ex-
cept myself. That is, such was the case
until about three weeks ago. But last
month two mysterious strangers made
their appearance, and have betrayed
some symptoms of intending to stay. l
should have had them expelled, for I
consider this place to be my peculiar
and inaienable property, had l not
found them entertaining as a study, and
admirably disposed to keep themselves
to themselves. have never spoken to
the lady at all"
! ''Oh! Husband and wife, are they?"
apparently that is just what they
are not. No. [ don't mean to insinuate
and don't believe-that they ought to
be. 1 should suppose they might be
brother and sister, only they are of diff
ferent nationalities. The man is evil
IDENTIFY an American, and the lady,
though she speaks English perfectly
well, evidently is not. She is probably
four or five years older than he, and has
certain air of experience. She is de-
cidedly handsome, and has what they
call distinguished manners; that is, she
makes you perceive that they are man
ners. though very good ones. She has
rented that large house on the top of the
/ hill
''She or they?'
''She. He has hisroom here, and turns
up every night at 1Oo'clock. They spend
the day together; he is undoubtedly
in love with her, and she seems to be
anything but Indifferent to him. You
see it isn't an ordinary affair. Here
they are, buried from the world beyond
discovery, and they might live as they
liked; and yet they-or she at any rate
prefer to conduct themselves in this
anomalous fashion. There is some nfys-
terry in it, my dear Geoffrey-some deep,
dark, inscrutable mystery! They are
known respectively as Mr. Edwardes
and Mrs. Peters, but | have an idea they
call each other something else. One
theory OF mine about them was that she
was a younger sister of his mother; his
father, you know, might have married
foreign woman In that case she
would be his aunt and the mystery
would be solved; but, as I said before,
they are plainly in love. and nephews
and aunts neither fall in love nor marry,
so far as my experience goes. Come
you are fresh frc1a the States; can YOU
guess"
Il guess not" said Bellingham; and
the conversation took another turn
Suddenly Helwise, who had been look
ing toward the southern approach to the
terrace on which they were standing,
said in low voice: There come the
mysteries. Now you can judge for your
self"
Bellingham turned his eyes in the di-
rection indicated and saw man and
woman approaching slowly. side by side
They seemed to be conversing intermit.
tently, and as they walked her shoulder
occasionally brushed his arm and their
glances constantly met. The man seemed
to be under 25 years of age; he was tai
and active and of rather slender build
and as he approached Bellingham noticed
that his features We're of bold and
striking cast, with bright and somewhat
intolerant eyes. His expression at the
present moment was troubled and
gloomy. He frequently looked on the
ground and struck the pebbles from his
path with a stick. He would speak a
few sentences at a time, energetically
and rapidly; then relapse into moody
silence, responding by shake of the
head or other brief gesture to the dis
course of his companion.
The latter was a woman whose aspect
Of the distinction be permissible was
younger than her looks Her face and
figure were youthful, but her bearing
and gestures were mature. Her features
were of a clear paleness, regular in out
line and of remarkable beauty. Some
thing in her aspect enchanted Belling
hams regard; she did not resemble any
woman he had seen, and yet she remind
ed him in some intangible, elusive way
, of woman whom he wished to forget
She was different-different at every
! point; and yet if he turned away ant
; glanced at her from the corner of hi,
eye there was an indescribable likeness
Was it the way she had Of slowly liftine
, her chin? Was it the slope of her shoul
ders? Was it in the way the soft hal