The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-01-06

the crown of golden hair, was not draw.
ing melody from the keys Of the grand
piano.
/ looked there instinctively at first,
then my eager eyes looked around the
room. But Sibyl was not there. A
nameless terror seized me. Had they
confined my poor darling in solitary
cell, or, worse still, might her tender
body be lying in one of those cruel cribsi
l shuddered at the thought.
The middle-age1 woman was sitting
with the patients, and was evidently a
nurse. At this moment she saw me and
approached. In the terror and confu-
sion occasioned by my fears for Sibyl l
seemed to lose the faculty Of speech. All
1 could do was to seize her hand and say,
"Sibyl," and look at her imploringly.
"Miss Sibyl has gone" she answered,
betraying no surprise, although she must
have felt it at my emotion.
"Gonep 1 groaned, and sank into a
chair.
The woman regarded me with wonder
ing pity in her eyes, but said nothing.
Presently reused myself.
"Did she escape, or did her people re-
move her to another asylum" asked,
hoping that she would answer the latter
half of my inquiry in the affirmative.
For, dreadful as 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, a hook Of min
gled horror and amusement upon her
face.
"Did you--you surely didn't think
her one of them2" she cried, waving her
hand in the direction of the patients.
"Why was she here, thenH" demand
ed, stupidity staring at her.
"Dr. ,Holcombe, our President, is Miss
Sibyl's brother. When she came home
from abroad, after finishing her educa-
ton, 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 SibN was here she
felt so sorry for the poor unfortunates
she, did all she could for them, singing
and playing for them by the hour, But
being with them so much did not egree
with her. She grew melancholy, and
DR.. Holcombe declared she must go
away. She didn't want to go, but he
insisted, aud 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.
"If 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 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.
"You will never speak of my mis-
take 2" 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
Sibyl, which had become part of my
life, and the absurd error had made.
He laughed at me a good bit in a
friendly way, but said my mistake was
perhaps natural under the circumstances.
After had told him about my family
connections and my standing in business
circles, and we discovered we had sew
eral mutual friends, he sat down at his
desk and began to write. After few
moments he brought me letter. 1t was
addressed to "Mlss Sibyl Holcombe,
Saratoga Springs, N. Y"
"There," he said, in his genial way,
"this will introduce you into Sibyl's
good graces, think, if you are not in
them already"
1 wrung his hands and tried to ex-
press my thanks, then hurried back to
the sanitarium to pack up. As soon as
possible l presented her brothers letter
to Miss Holcombe.
She was more lovely and attractive in
the midst of the gay throng than at
Longvue. 1 devoted myself so assidu-
ously to her that before she left Saratoga
at the end of the season for her aunt's
New York home had her sweet promise
that she would be mine.-Frank LesIis'S
Newspaper.