Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-08-13
CHAPTER VI


self Imagined.
When told Sindre three days since
that expected Henry to be here In q
few davs, I told her white ND; at
least I expected him no more than i
have done any time during the
last three or four years. lie might
come, OF course, but the chances
were about 10. 900 TO one that he would
not. The truth Is l was merely try
Ing al experiment. Various more or
less vague indicaUOns-some OF them
TRIES light as air-had suggested 70
nv mind the notion that Sinnre and
Henry had already met perhaps 10 ln-
dla, and that their meeting had not
been without an effect upon them Doth.
Whnt sort OF an effect? 1 cannot pre-
tend 10 say. But taking into consider
alton Sinfre's beauty aud Henry's To-
corrigible susceptibility and the power
Of fascination Of both Of them II did not
seem altogether unlikely that they
might have fallen desperately In love
with each other.
SO far. 80 good; there would be no
particular harm done. IL was the sequel
that was questionable, for II il were
Ii was certain that they were together
no longer They bad separated, and
he fckleness Of Henry's disposition
made me surmise that Sindre had not
been the one 20 blame. IN other words,
feared that he had abandoned her.
Whether his wrong had stopped there l
had no means of knowing. l could only
hone aud believe ia iack Of proof 20
the eontrary-that he had not shown
himself a william. Yet there was that
10 Sinfre's bearing-aSSuming my theory
90 have some foundation-that seemed
10 point 20 an experience much deeper
and more tragic than the mere lutlng
Of handsome girl by q thoughtloSs Tel
low.
Her misfortune, n she had been IN
fortunate 80 all, conld have been no
trivial one. Her self possession, her re-
serve. the very transparencY7fo TO call
it-of her expression, which, like the
transparent sky, concealed within It's
depths all mysterieS-these things, aud
nill more her abrupt aud practically
Unexplained appearance among Us. i'm
pressed me as testimony TO her being
the Victim, bot not the resigned victim
OF some grave injustice. She purpOsed
20 right herself, or II that could not be
TO avenge herself, and TO that end had
she come 20 Cedarclif.
Such was my line Of argument And
there was something more. did not
believe that Sintire was the daughter OF
nv uncla. i believed her 70 be Of gypsy
blood. How she came 70 know any
thing OF uncle's affairs, and how she
J came by his letter, could only conjec-
ture, but the problem was not insolu-
bic. 10 was harder 20 account for her
cultlvation, her perfect manners and
her familiarity with the ways OF society,
but great natural tact and intelligence,
Joined 70 an unfatering purpose, can ac-
comDliSh miracles, and, moreover, there
might be land indeed must be) circum-
stances in her past life, of which know
nothing at present, that would partly eN-
plain it. Still there Is an enigma here
that / don't pretend to iathOm. But
let Us recapitulate the situation as /
conceive Il at present.
Sln6re is a gypsy who at some time,
10 some way, has been brought into re-
lations with polite society aud learned
its ways Either before or after this
time she met my brother Henry, and
they fell 10 love with each other. After
the affair had gone a certain length, be
IL more or less, Henry deserted her,
Her acquaintance With him had brought
her into contact with my uncle, whom
Henry perhaps was staying with. After
Henry left her she attached herself TO
my uncle, he being childless, or having
lost bis children, aud widoWer, and
won his confidence.
At his death be left her what small
property be had and gave her the letter
which she brought 20 US, be being
I prompted thereto, let Us say, by Snowl-
edge of the wrong done her and q de-
. sire 20 see 70 righted. She came TO Us,
expecting that sooner or later Henry
would return and that she would then
be- able 60 force him 90 come 10 terms
either TO marry her or 70 account TO her
I'm some manner She would even be
capable Of stabblng him through the
heart 40 10 should come TO that. Such
was the aspect Of my theory az the time
OF our interview in the laboratory.
The result of that interview, so far
as it had any result, was 10 confirm me
in the leading points Of my theory that
she was a gypsy and that Henry was no
stranger 20 her. IL was not conclusive,
out lt was certainly not contradictory
OF these hypothesis. IL would involve
the disappointment OF Johns hopes, and
II would cOmpllcate my own attitude
toward Slnfre. Ought l to expose her
asan adventures? No. For two reasons
first, that IL is not absolutely certain
that she is one; secondly, that even n
she be an imagine she Stlll has human
rights Of her own, and the affair Is
Henry's rather than mine. II 1t came
70 an open trial, could almost bring
myself on general principles to espouse
her cause against Henry, my best be-
loved brother though be is.
But here is another point. She must
be aware OF my suspicious OF her. VIII
she refuse TO allnde TO them, or will she
speak to me openly? II she does speak,
trusting TO my friendship for her, what
should do? / must either orutally cast
her OF or become involved ia her In
trigue against the rest Of the family.
That would be q strange predlcament
or q retiriog, nnaggressive man Of SCI
ace ike myself, sPS'here Is no telling
ere &c might lay greatly pre-
stick 20 my snored role Of