Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-09-10
SINFIRE.
Bv JULIAN HAWTHORNE.
IcoNcLUDED.l

elder took the younger 10 net roOh ouu
threw her arms around her neck ana
kissed her, and then she showed her
some papers she had found, which re-
yealed all the secret. You are my
sister she said, my darling sister, and
whatever any one may say or do you
are my equal, and whatever have Is
yours. No one shall be unjust to you
while 1 live, and whoever is your enemy
is mine too. You shall have no shame
that I will not share, and will accept
no honor that Is not given to you as
wellr After that do you need to De
told that loved my sister better than
eVer-better than mYself?"
or course l had perceived from the
first that the story she was telling was
her own story. Nevertheless the pas
sionate emphasis she gave TO the last
sentence startled me. UD to that time
she had spoken with a curious imagi-
native languor, as IL she were following
In fancy the thread OF complication In
which she felt no vital concern, but this
demeanor vanished in moment. She
sat erect and threw her very life Into
the words. And then, too, foreglimpse
OF what was 10 come flashed upon me,
and l felt rather than saw the fatal
error 1 had made.
"At last some one came to court her
An elderly and reserved man, but
wealthy, and she obeyed her father and
married him. She would have taken me
TO live with her, but l was needed at
home. Her father had begun to realize
that he was mine, too, and TO value me.
She wrote me many letters. Her hus-
bands affairs kept him much away from
her. Then for time-tor some months
she did not write. l knew there was
mischief on foot, and when at last her
letter came l said nothing to any one,
but left hone that night and was with
her the next day.
"She was alone-husband and lover
both had abandoned her. She told me
what her lie had been. There were
two stories in it-hrst she had been
sold for money; then she had been be-
trayed for love. She told me sl. 1t will
never be told again. God knows 1t, and
that is enough, for he only can under
stand and iorgive-and punish. COM
forted heras much as broken heart
L
that gave her happiness was that she
was III ana knew that she could not re-
cover. We were sisters together again,
and We used 10 laugh and chat some-
times as we did when we were chill
dren. When there is no hope, peace
comes again. At other times she told
me about her love. On, my sister, my
darling sister"
She hid her face upon the cushion OF
the Couch-where that dead body had
lain week beforehand wept like a
summer storm.
Her tears ceased as abruptly as they
had come, and she sat erect again, COM
posed and stern, and spoke rapidly and
colby.
AT the end she gave mo the ring and
asked me, II ever met him, TO return
il 20 him and give him a message. 1t
was a loving message; there was no re-
proach IN il. / took the ring and
promised. And l made a promise TO
myself also which did not tell her OF.
Afterward | learned from my father
that this Henry Mainwaring was a rela-
tive Of ours, but perhaps he had not
recognized my sister as his cousin under
her married name. / did not tell my
father that Henry was the man, for |
meant 20 punish him myself and ia my
own way. You know the rest-how
much l succeeded and how much l
failed"
She rose To her feet at this point, and
rose also. l thought she was going TO
leave me, but instead she came step
nearer and laid one hand upon my
shoulder. The expression of her face
was sad.
1T was you that made me hesitate
until il was too late" said she.
II? HOWE"
"Only because you were his brother"
II was said so quietly and sadly that a
moment passed before comprehended
the significance Of that admission. 1t
was no deluSiOn-she had loved me. But
there was no invitation, no consent in
her eyes. Her hand, which had seemed
70 hold me, kept me back. II was like
balancing on the partition between life
and death.
LET me know what " IS 70 be, Sim
fire." | said. Il fathom you less than
ever Are you angry that l misjudged
you? My soul knew what my reason
questioned. You could not be yourself
and not be pure. Was IL my perjury
that offended you2 10 what other way
could l have kept you? And the sin is
mine
"What do you call II TO keep me?
Would you rather died loving you or
deSpised You and lived?'
do you despise me?"
"Despise you! Oh, what shall I say
10 you?" she cried out in voice Of
mingled menace and anguish. why
don't you speak? Why do you hide
yourself from me? Was there no other
way 70 clear me than by staining me?
Could you have told no other story of
that night? Oh, Frank, Frank! 1t
was then that You lost me-not when
YOU crept upon him in the wood and
shot him through the heart! l believed
then that you were an avenger, but 10
the witness box you revealed yourself
as q murderer. Even If you had been
silent and let them hang me l would
have reioiced in you, for love lives by
sacrifice. AS you had saved me from
the guilt Of blood l would have saved you
from its consequences. Or il you had
taken my hand over his body and said,
4 have done this for your would have
come to you forever and gone with you
TO the end of the world! But you did
not trust me, aud the lie you told was
a shameful aud timorous liel"
80 you were in the wood and saw
NE kill him?" said I.
Eyes, l saw IL"
Il wish you had told me BEFORE" l
rejOined. But it Is no matter now.