Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-01-07

cell. or, worse still, might her tender
body be lying in one, of those cruel
cribs? | shuddered at the thought.
with the patients and was evidently
nurse. At this moment she saw me and
approached. In the terror and confu-
sion occasioned by my fears for Sibyl [
seemed to lose the faculty of speech.
All could do was to seize her hand and
say: "Sibyl," and look at her imploring-
'sMiss Sibyl has gone," she answered,
betray1ng no surprise, although she
must have felt it in my emotion.
"Gone ~ I groaned, and sank into a
chair.
The woman regarded me with won
dering pity in her eyes, but said moth
ing Presently l reused myself.
"Did she escape, or did her people
remove her to another asylum" /
asked, hoping she would answer the
latter half of the inquiry in the affirma-
tive For, dreadful as was the thought
of the poor girl being shut up in an asy
around in the cold, wicked world alone,
with none to protect her, was far more
dreadful.
The nurse gazed at me, look of min
sled horror and amusement upon her
face.
"Did you-you surely didn't think
her one Of them? ?" she cried, waving
her hand in the direction of the pa
tents.
"Why was she here then'' [ de-
manded, stupidity staring at her.
CDR. Holcombe, our president, is
Miss Sibyl's brother. When she came
home from abroad after finishing her
education, she came here to visit him,
Her brother and herself are all of the
family that are left with the exception
of one aunt. When Miss Sibyl was
here she felt so sorry for the poor I'm
them, singing and playing for them by
the hour. But being with them so much
did not agree with her. She grew mel
ancholy, and DIR. Holcombe declared
she must 60 away. She didn't want to
go, but he insisted, and sent her to their
aunt at Saratoga"
Before she had finished my heart felt
as light as if it would leave my body
and fly to Saratoga to greet my love.
eff you want to know anything more
about Miss Sibyl I'd advise you to go to
DR.. Holcombe and talk to him.
The nurse evidently understood the
affair with a woman's ready intuition.
"Thank you, WILL" replied.
/ slipped bank note of such goodly
value in her hand that her eyes opened
TO their fullest extent in delighted sur
prise.
:sYou will never speak of my mis-
take 90 l said, and left the room to find
the doctor, taking her promise with
me.
To my relief he was young and friend
ly in his manner. l told him my story,
confessing all-my sudden great love
for Sibvl which had become part of
my life and the absurd error | had
made.
He laughed at me a good bit in a
kindly way, but said my mistake was
perhaps natural under the circum-
stances.
After 1 had told him about my family
connections and my standing in bust
ness circles, and we discovered we had
several mutual friends, he sat down at
his desk and began to write. After a
1t was addressed to "Miss Sibyl Hol-
combe, Saratoga Springs, N. Y"
"TEere,' ne said, in his general way,
this will introduce you into Sibyls
good graces, think, if you are not in
them already"
I wrung his hand and tried to express
my thanks, then hurried back to the
sanitarium to pack up. AS soon as pos
sible I presented her brothers letter to
Miss Holcombe.
She was more lovely and attractive in
the midst of the gay throng than at
Longvue. l devoted myself so assidu
ously to her that before she left Sara
toga at the end of the season for her
aunt's New York home had her sweet
promise that she would be mine.
The love that was SO strangely
awakened in my breast that August
day at Longvue asylum has never
waned. To this day do not know of
certainty whether Sibyl ever found out
the monstrous mistake I made.
But one day, during our honeymoon,
my wife came in and found me read
ing.
'What are you reading ?" she asked.
''A Question, [ replied, referring
to the title of the work.
"Is it Question Of Sanity?'" she
asked, in peculiar tone of voice.
Hooked up hastily and regarded her
with chances of suspicion.
But she was looking calmly out of the
the window and made no further refer
ence to the question" when l did not
answer her, except by drawing her
gently to my knee and putting my arms
around her Caroline S. Valentine, IN
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.