The morning call., 1892-11-14

girl OF strong will and infexible deter
mlnation. One day she said to him:
Il have been working out plan. The
house directly in the rear of yours belongs
to me. | purchased it yesterday. To-mor-
row night II will be quite vacant. You can
cross by the back fences, and get into the
next street through that house. There will
be carriage waiting for you few doors
below. 1t will drive you wherever Won
wish 10 be driven
Hugh,s face lighted with a softly grateful
smile. Ella threw both arms about Viyia's
neck. and rapturOusly kissed her.
On the following night they all three met
LOT a few last words of farewell, just before
Hugh's venture was tried.
In the back garden ladder was ready, by
which Hugh would climb into the garden of
the other house. Hugh, Viva and Ella all
stood in room which communicated with
me rear piazza. Hugh first said farewell to
Ella, who clung for few minutes sobbing
about his neck. Then he turned to Viva.
he was frightfully pale.
What L have to say" he began. ELLA
ought not. perhaps, to hear. 1t may kill
her. 1t would probably give you. Viva de
forest, an intense anguish. l am not inno-
cent. L shot the man of whose murder /
am accused-shOt him openly enough, in a
barroom in st. Louis. He insulted me.
was very much enraged. We had both
been drinking. There is no doubt that l
was terribly TO blame"
"Hugh" now broke from Elias lips /:
"this cannot bel You are deceiyinE us -
Would l were? he murmured; land
would, too, that this were all ! had to tell
But it is not all. Viva de Forest. from the
first moment looked on you | loved you.
But IL was days before / knew who you
were. Wilfred Caldwell was your halt
brother. You bear different name from
his"
What do you meanP" faltered Viva,
with pallDg cheeks.
IL Dnf har han
first met me" Hugh Robertson now cried.
That l bore the same name-common a
name as it may have been-as the man who
shot your brother? But you did not think
of this. You pitied me. Then yoa cared
for me-even loved me. Viva, since at this
hour l need not deny that | guessed your
love. Yet all the while / was-oh. Heaven !
how hard it is to speak the words II was
your brother Wilfred's murderer"
a faint, shiyeriDg moan broke from
Nlyia's lips. The next instant she and Ella
were cliDging together as if for mutual sup
port. Ii was & common impulse with the
two unhappy girls. Each had been cruelty
deceived. Each now awoke with horror to
realization of the hopeless truth.
FAREWELL they now heard Hugh call
to them, while they stood with heads
bowed on each others shoulders. MAY
Heaven guard both of you if We should never
meet again.
They heard him open the window and go
long silence. And then came a gruff voice.
whose tones seemed to curde their blood,
called out amid the still night:
stop, or HI fire."
There was no answer. Perhaps three
seconds Of silence followed, and then a keen
pistol shot rang out on the tranquil night
air. After that there was a long, heavy
groan.
" He has been shot!" cried Viva, looking
with dilated eyes into her companions
ghastly face.
Dearly as l love him." gasped Ella, aft
would be best if this were truep'
And II was true. Viva plan ), shrewdly
al she bad conducted them. had been
watched. A neighboriug house bad been
taken by the detectives as post If observa-
ton. Perhaps, after all, Hugh Robertson's
appearance, climbing the fence In the bright
winter moonlight, had been somewhat
OF surprise, else the shot would not have
been fred.
But 1t was a shot that proved fatal Both
Viva and Ella were thankful for this: but
such gratitude did not prevent each from
suffering the bitterest sorrow.
few years later Ella Robertson married,
but Viva de Forest has never changed her
name, and never will. There are some
wounds that although they do not kill,
never heal. And Vivis's is one Of them.