Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-25

ana Ieft Tor some tlm6 unnOuceQ Dy
him until DO caught sight of the writ
ing on the brown paper cover as he
paced up and down the room. In that
casual glance he recognized the pattes
de mouche of his enchantress. He tore
the parcel open in fever of excitement
and found good sized wooden box, on
the top of which lay letter addressed
to him in the same hand. He tore open
the envelope and devoured its contents.
The lady's letter was brief and eminent
ly practical:
DEAR Mr.. GLADBRooK-A year ago you
made an idle boast and cruel jest. You be-
heved yourself invulnerable and sneered at
two young women about whom you knew
nothing.
You have run upon the rock and sunk in the
whirlpool, but the sea gives up its dead.
Inclosed please find all jewels, ETC., which
you have given me, and which l now return,
together with two-thirds of all moneys spent
by you in entertainments, etc.
Trusting that you will find the accompany
ing statement of accounts correct. remain
unwillinglys SCYLLA.
P.S.-You may thank my sister for getting
your money back.
Half dazed and hardly knowing what
he was doing, he hastily opened the box
and took out one by one the trinkets he
had given her in their dainty morocco
cases-hearts, darts, anchors for hope,
serpents for eternity; at the bottom he
found another letter, just like the
former, only more bulky. With sink
ing heart he tore it open. 1t contained
long bill, stretching over several sheets
of note paper, setting forth every item of
his expenditure at Richmond, at Green
wich, at Blanchard's, at Kettner's, at
EPSON, Ascot, Sandown and Kempton
Park; for ices and exhibitions; for car
riages, rail and cab; all that he had
spent from start to finish in entertaining
the Sisters Pool. And with this lengthy
list of expenses were bank notes for e66
lbs. i'd. per cent. of the total.
He was allowed to pay for his own en-
tertainment, but was recouped for all
his outlay upon the two ladies. The ad
justment of accounts was on the strict
est yorkshire"
Was ever man SO humiliated? He
had fancied himself beloved, and he dis
covered that he was despised. What
could he do? Send her back the money
| so insolently returned to him? Uselessl
The thing was too deliberately done on
her part to admit the possibility of un-
doing. She meant to insult hirn-had
been meaning it all the time she was
leading him on with every fascination
she could command. He must stomach
the affront, but he could not pocket that
money, hard up though he was.
In an advertisement in the second col
umn of The Times the treasurer of a
well known hospital for women and
children acknowledged the gift of e370
lbs. I'd. from the Sisters Pool
The people who praised the munif-
cence of the gift wondered at the odd
ness of the amount, which was the exact
total of the sisters restitution to their
entertainer.
A week later a relative, who was
city merchant, offered Gladbrook a part
nership in business which eventually
opened up the dazzling pathway to
wealth.
He bought an estate in his own county,
stood for his division of Cragshire and
entered parliament.
The American tour of the Sisters Pool
was one succession of triumphs. Before
they had been in the country three
months Cissie had married rich stock
broker. After two years domestic un-
happiness he lost his entire fortune in a
single day and committed suicide before
night. Carry remained single. They
returned to England to find other god
desses reigning in their stead and new
race of fanatics worshiping at new
shrines. Scylla and Charybdis were
never again the attraction they had
been. Even their old admirers found
them wanting. They said, "The elder
one is coarse and vulgar, while the
younger is doleful and uninteresting.
Life is short, but fame shorter. That is
the history of the celebrated Sisters
Pool, as told me by Gladbrook himself,
now M. P. from Cragshire, in his study,
where we sat in reminiscent chat one
evening, pieced together with much
which Garry told me long afterward.
They sank lower and lower in public es-
timation until Scylla fell victim to
alcoholic paralysis, nursed in her last i'll
ness by the faithful Garry, who left the
stage after her sisters death and sup
ported herself for the rest of her life by
giving elementary music lessons to the
children of the lower middle class. She
made little money in this way, and
with this and the interest on some
money left her by an unknown friend,
kept herself comfortably for the rest of
her days. She always read the political
news when she returned home after her
days work. Gladbrook never gave up
his stall at the Vampire until the Sisters
Pool retired from the boards, and then
he never entered a music hall again.
He never knew that while the elder
sister had pursued him with relentless
hate the younger had fondly loved him,
and for his sake had refused more than
one advantageous offer on 'the other
side. New York Press.