Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-05-02

L
Forgive me-" said Dennis, as gently
us a woman could have said it, ''but
there's fresh snarl in affairs, and am
more bewlldered than ever. My life,
my usefulness, all that make existence
worth having, Fairbanks, is being
| Slapped by this suspense. wish / had
told your sister the whole truth before
left White Cliffs; for she had been
nursing wrong impression ever since
the, day her father found us together in
| the summer house and ordered me off
the premises. She thought was fright
ened off by him. She refused to come
to see me when was up there slulking
around the place like whipped cur,
until I sent her word by John that
| could give her some information about
you. Then she came, God bless her,
| through the darkness, over the rough
wild bayou path, and flooded my life
for one blessed hour with sunshine.
She loves me, Sibley; she tells me she
| would marry me and come away with
| me, but for leaving her father so help
less and alone. She thinks you ought
| to come home and lift that burden from
her shoulders, Fairbanks; and. by
Heaven, so do /. There is too much at
stake here for her and for me to stand
on point of etiquette with you. /
have already given up home and mother
for her She is ready to give up home
and father for me. dared not even go
near White Cliffs; for mother, stern,
unbending saint that she is, swore that,
she would never see or speak to me I'M
til I came to her and told her that I had
given up all desire to marry Ida Fair
hon1xc That 7 will do-navo,. 111,
all that is sacred.
81 can support her myself, Sib-
ley. Thank Heaven I've gained in
brain and muscle since climbing out of
the old rut, and we can be happy before
we grow old and tired, If you will only
do your part and set Ida free. That
is" he touched the letter with one
finger-'if this doesn't put fresh
stumbling-bloclz in our way"
Fairbanks made.a gesture of impa-
thence.
1--WE have gone over all this ground
before, LoriIner, and, had hoped, for
the last time. That left Glenburnie in
fit of temper there is no denying. Fa-
Their simply grew unbearable in his
tyranny. l believed, however, that
after came away he would renounce
that brainless vow of his, and resume
his proper place as head of his estate.
I heard from you the very first have
ever known of Ida's hardships. wrote
three letters to him and one to her.
When they all came back to me with
unbrolzen seals, gave it up. told you
the other night that had something to
do in town that must be settled; after
it was settled would return to Glen
burnie and take charge of the place.
Then you and Ida, my boy, may marry,
and laugh the old vendetta into the
grave while you are both still young"
''That is as had hoped and planned
too; but read that, Sibley."
He drew tho letter from its envelope,
and, finging it across the table, snt
modify toying with the empty en-
velope. On the flap Of 1t was tho broken
impress of martlet.
Sibley Fairbanks read the letter
flung across the table to him once rap
idly, then more slowly, and, as he read,
the bcwildered contraction of his
brows grew moro and more decided
Finally he looked confusedly across at
Dennis.
do l understand that my child,
Ninette Fairbanks, was taken to Glen
burnie by her aunt. your brother John
Lorimer's wife2"
$50 it seems"
And her mother2 The whole thing is
so mixed"
"Cursedly So" said Dennis, holly,
land unless you can unravel 1t no one
else can, Siblcy. It is an internal COM
plication, invented to perpetuate an
old WORKOUT feud, and to keep Ida and
rvself apart"
81 don't see 1t that way Perhaps
am growing stupid about the whole
business
Dennis Lorimcr leaned towards him
bescechingly:
'Fairbanlks, for Gods sake tell me
the absolute, the entire truth. Was the
woman who married my brother John
the mother of that child? Don't you---
can't you see how black it all lool;s?"
For second Sib1ey Fairbanks looked
rs if he We're ready to return to the
family traditions and throttle this
slight boyish Lorimcr in front of him.
Then he answered him with such fierce
eaFnestness that there was no doubling
his impotuous statement:
what sort of a foul fond do you take
INC 1Or, LOrlmerI WhGn you asked me
If had over been married I quailed,
because my married life was such a
miserable failure. I tumbled into love
with beautiful but absolutely heart
less woman within three months after
leaving home. l had about thousand
dollars then from tho sale of my riding
horses. We got along smoothly enough
while that lasted. When 1t was all
gone-when-bahl there's no necessity
for washing ones soiled linen in public
Il went off to look for work. wrote
back regularly enough But-well.
got back hero about q year ago. heard
my wife had gone to Europe, traced
her as far as the steamer-no farther.
Up to the moment you showed me that
letter Of Ida's had been unable to dis
cover the whereabouts Of my little girl.
That was what I was staying here for"
"And Johns wife9"
''Must have been Amelia's sister.
There was Nora Hemway. received
one letter from Amelia after my
4 a..