Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-08-20
5INFIRE.
By JULIAN HAWTHORNE.
IcoNTINUED.l

her. have no reason to suppose that
she loves me-Qults the contrary And
what, after all, Is this mystery OF in
trigue that invests her but a sheer In
vention of myoWn? have seized upon
know not what hints and inuendoes
and appearances and have welded them
together with the srdor Of al impas-
stoned Imagination into an ingenious
chain Of clrcumstantial evidence.
A tenth rate lawyer IN frontier vii
lags would pull IL all to pieces in five
minutes OF cross examination. He
would prove TO the satisfaction of the
dullest Jury that there existed not the
slightest reasonable ground for nv sus-
picions and inisrences; that was wan
tonly maliRnlng my uncle, my brother
and my innocent cousin, whose sup
posed Gypsy extraction was due solely
10 her happening TO be good looking
brunette. The Jury would bring me In
guilty Of malicious libel, without leaV-
ing their seats, and l should be SEN
fenced without having q word TO say Ia
my own defense. And this is Frank
Mainwarlng, Esq, M. d.
At all events / ought henceforth to
entertain a profound respect for this
imagination OF mine, the power Of
which I have never until now appre-
cialed. II is certainly the most effec-
tive feature of my character, apart
from which l possess no life or activity
worth mentioning. Ii Is not only my
imagination that has made me fall in
love, but were the attributes which
have imagined 10 invest my lady love
proved to be noneXiStent should IN
douOtedly cease TO feel the slightest in
terest In her. IL is not herself that
love, In other words. 1t is something
that I have endowed her with-some-
thing proper 70 my own mtnd-in
short, myself And cannot l love my
self without going into rsptures and
heroics and I know not what more or
worse? Decidedly, Frank Mainwarlng,
ESQ. NJ. D., you are neither more nor
less than q fool!
Slnire has Just left me.
She did not stay long, and l do not
know that either Of US said much, but
it has made great difference. She
entered abruptly and swiftly, with a
stealthy, ophidian movement that
somehow reminded me Of Saprani. All
the flush and the mockery and the
brightness were gone out OF her face,
which was ivory pale and with a sort Of
rightly in its beautisul lines. All her
life seemed TO be In her eyes, but they
did not flash or sparkle. They absorbed
light and gave none forth.
was sitting In the big armchair at
my writing table, and before could rise
she was at my side, and her hand, light
IL pressed on my shoulder, kept me
down. put up my hand and took hers
in 10. Presently she half seated herself
on the arm Of the chair. She was
breathing deeply, but for several mo-
msnts she did not speak. Her hand
was cold, and its grasp upon mine ner-
vously frightened and relaxed and tight
eued again without her appearing to be
aware OF IL. l had never felt her so
near TO me. do not mean physically.
l felt as II We were living one life.
III am mistaken In you, tell me
uow!" were her first words.
looked up and received her down
ward gaze. don't remember making
any verbal reply. We were In = mood
20 speak without speaking.
Suddenly she began to sob. "Oh,
how helpless l am" she mOaned brok-
emily aud passiOnately. 81 meant to
make him pay the uttermOst farthlng.
l promised myself 1 swore 1t! Why
did l ever see you9 He is your brot her!
he is your brOther!"
II have no brother, Slndre" 1 said.