St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-02-20

and approached In the terror and
confusion occasioned by my fears for
Sibyl seemed to lose the faculty of
speech All could do was to seize her
hand and say: 'r-Sibyl," and look at her
imploringly.
"Miss Sibyl has gone" she an
swered, betraying no surprise, al
though she must have felt it. At my
emotion.
Gomez I grcaned. and sank into .
chair.
The woman regarded me with Won
dering pity in her eyes, but said moth
ing. Presently reused myself
ibid she escape. or did her people
remove her to another asylum?" I
asked, hoping she would answer the
latter half Of my inquiry in the affirm
alive. For. dreadful rs was the thought
of the poor girl being shut up in an
asylum. the thought of her wandering
around in the cold, wicked world alone,
with none to protect her, was far more
dreadful
The nurse gazed at me, . look of
mingled horror and amusement upon
her face.
Ibid you-you surely didn't think her
one of :hGar che cried. waving her
hand in the direction of the patients.
"Why was she here, then?' I de-
manded, stupidity staring at her.
'.Dr. Holco,nbe. our president is
Miss Sibyrs 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 STUNT When Miss Sibyl was
here she felt SO sorry for the poor I'M
fortunates she did all she could for
them. singing and playing for them by
the hour. But being with them 50
much did not sgree with her. She grew
melancholy. aud Dr.. Holcombc declared
she must go away. She didn't want to
60, but he insisted and sent her to their
aunt in Saratoga"
Before she had finished my heart felt
as light rs IL it would leave my body
and fly to Saratoga to greet my love.
If you want to know anything more
about Miss Sibyl, I'd advise you to &C
to DIR. Holcombe and talk to him."
The nurse evidently understood the
affair. with . woman's ready intuition.
THANK you. will" replied
slipped . tank-note of such goodly
value in her hand that her eyes opened
to their fullest extent in delighted sur
prise.
"You will never speak of my mis-
take?" l said, and left the room to find
the doctor, taking her promise with me.
To my relief he was young and
friendly in his manner. ! told him my
story, confcssing all-my sudden great
love for Sibyl, which had become q
part of my life, and the absurd error l
had made.
He laughed at me . good bit in .
kindly way, but said my mistake was
perhaps natural under the circum-
stances
After had told him about my family
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 .
few moments he brought me . letter.
1t was addressed to miss Sibyl Hol-
combe. Saratoga Springs. N. Y"
There" he said, in his genial way,
''this will introduce you into Sibyrs
good graces, think, il yOu are not in
them already"
wruu1 his hand and tried to ex-
press my thanks. and then hurried back
to the sanitarium to pack up As soon
rs possible I! presented her brothers
letter to Miss Holcombe.
She was more lovely and attractive
in the midst Of the gay throDg than at
Longvue. devoted myself SO assidi-
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
ont the ruonstrous mistake l made.
But one day. during our honeymoon.
nv wife came in and found me reading.
what are you reading?" she asked
"a Question l replied, referring
70 the title Of the work.
is it . Question of Sanity?" she
asked, in . peculiar tone Of voice.
looked mp hastily and regarded her
with glxnces Of suspicion.
But she was looking calmly out of
the window and made no further
reference to the question" when I did
not answer her, except by drawing her
gently to my knee and putting my arms
around her.-Caroline I. Valentine, in
Leslie's Newspaper.