Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-05-24

beautiful in her white wrapper. with
her black hair w bound and fastened
back with n net. She came and sat by
| nee on the sofa
HE is asleep now" she said. antici-
| pating my question ~ hope it will
| last long enough to rest his poor dis
tracted mind and his weak body. 1t
| all comes from the shock of that bad
mans visit last night He will not
talk with me about it-but in his sleep
he cries out his name, and prays him
not to speak of me-and o, Mon Dieu,
| it is horriblei Can it be that this hid
eous man is my brother?''
ST fear it is so. Mr.. Dorion told me
SO. He said that he came to the plan
| tation near Vicksburg when you were
| an infant, with your father; that he
was always called a son: and that it
| was supposed, when he went away
during your childhood, that on account
of his evil course your father had hired
him to leave
"Ah, mel have no memory of him.
Why does papa fear him?"
Il wish l knew"
''These things are dreadful. What
are we to do-what will become of us?''
do not despair. We may never hear
of that man again.
"Ah, you do not know the condition
that poor papa is in! 1t is pitiful to see
him. He begs me not to leave him; he
calls on Conrad not to betray him"
He is delirious.'
mo, no; it is in his sleep. Since last
night, it has seemed to me as if l could
never be light-hearted or happy again.
| 1t seems as though some dreadful
calamity was threatening U.S.
lyon want rest and sleep yourself.
You must not be SO sad
''Am l sad? Well, think of it. Here
is papa, sick with fright from that man:
he will die suddenly, some time, the
doctor says-and then there is nobody
to protect me or care for me. Mr.. LIE
Fevrc, perhaps-but he is so rough,
though his heart is good. 1 am
/ troubled"
All this was merely the natural out
pouring of the heart, by one whose life
had always been sunny, who had not
| known what grief was. II was my OPP
portunity; could not neglect it. My
heart beat fast as 1 took the plunge.
There is one to protect you, Coralie;
there is one who would die for you but
who hopes to live long for you. Have
you not thought of me in this
| trouble?'
She looked down: her long black
1ashes lay on her fair face.
Il did think of you" she said. But
1 did not know how you felt toward
me-
Not know I echoed. Gould ]
have told you palmer than by my
looks, my actions, my very silence?
Shall l tell you now that l love YOU
dearly, and will stand between you and
all peril?''
She looked into my eyes: her head
was on my shoulder; my arms were
about her.
30 Dorr, is it true?" she whispered
Il have dreamed it, but never dared to
think it. Is it really truc?"
We sat and talked until the twilight.
l do not know how long: only know
that the world was lost to both of us
in that time. Why should l repeat
here what we said, the vows we ex.
changed, the air castles we built:
With lovers and first love the way has
always been the same since the days Oh
Eden before the serpent.
Coralie at length started up.
Let me go,'' she said. II have been
too long away from papa. If he has
walked he has missed me-
She looked to the door, and gave a
start. My arm was still about her; my
hand held hers. The figure of a man
stood in the doorway. The blinds
were open, the windows were up; the
brilliant twilight Illuminated the
room. 1t was the bent and bowed fig
ure of Pierce Bostock. leaning on his
! canes. He saw US; he saw our attitude
/ had become used to his moods, to his
stern and fCrbidding facial expires
siOns; yet must confess that nothing
had seen in him to equal the blank
dismay, the CONSERVATION. with which
he saw Coralie in my arms