Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-05-31
THE DOUBLE CROSS
By ARDENNEs JoNEs-FosTER.

BLESS you, no; not blood relatives.
Ivan is my uncle by marriage, and only
great-great uncle at that, his wife hay
ing been great aunt to my mother"
One night and once again, as we
walked beneath the heavy screen of the
park trees, shadow fell in front of us
the figure of woman, it appeared to
me-and as quickly did it fit away
again. | remember having twice re-
marked it to Ivan. On the second occa-
sion the shadow came just as we were
replighting our troth and naming the
day. started, considerably frightened.
Ivan calmed me.
sit was nothing" he remarked; "only
branch of that tall tree swinging
across our path"
"But if it had been-if it could have
understood-if it could have spoken
that shadow would have heard our
pledgesw
"And you are ashamed of them, my
darling?"
"No! oh, no, Ivan. Only l am a crea-
ture of such silly suspicious. My nation
my dear Swedish people-are some
how imbued more or less with belief
in 'eerie things as the Scots say. 1t
may be fault, but it was born in me.
Even when l was child my old nurse
used to tell me tales of strange gnomes
and hobgoblins, saying that they swarm
ed about us, and the lesson seems to have
followed me. So do not chide mew
His answer was that which he always
gave when pleaded for grace.
He kissed me-
The shadowy figure had faded into
space.
AS it was his custom to confide all of
his little adventures to me, he found il
quite in his turn of fancies one evening
to relate little incident that had that
morning lerped into his life. tt ham
pened fully fortnight after my receipt
of Olef's letter. Ivan had returned home
long after his usual hour.
What kept you so long, Ivan?" asked
as he came down to dinner.
"a most peculiar circumstance, my
darling Cesca," he answered. 81 was
passing along Broadway, near Canal
street, to my Office when young man
met me. He carried a travellers bag in
his hand and had evidently just arrived
from a journey. AS our eyes clashed he
stopped suddenly. shocked. it seemed, by
momentary pang in his head-vertigo
it looked like to me--threw up his hand,
quickly passed his fingers over his brow,
nl11tnhal n ct hic fhrnnt ,f 1,ax would fao,
open his collar to relieve a strangling
sensation, and losing consciousness he
reeled and fell. As he came to the
ground 1 supported him, and with the
aid of passerby we carried him to a
little shop in Canal street. But as he did
not survive | had him conveyed to the
hospital"
But that did not keep you all day.
Come, Ivan, confess now."
"Ah," he answered, lit took up three
or four hours of my time, and as my
office duties require measured amount
of attention each day | was obliged to
stop there until got through with my
correspondence.
accepted his explanation.
"But the mans nameT added. "You
did learn that"
"How could r. He had not come to
his senses when l left him."
But he must have carried papersg'
"If he did they were locked in his bag"
"How old was he?"
"Perhaps five-and-twenty."
"American?"
"a foreigner, l fancy"
ga foreigner!" l cried. My head
reeled. "What if it had been-but such
nonsense! 1t could not have been Olef
You know Olef, Of course! You We're
born next door to him, or he to you.
rather"
"What put that thought into your lit
tie head?" he laughed. Besides, this
will dispel your presentment," and he
handed me letter addressed to him, re-
ceived that morning, postmarked Stock
holm. read it.
Ivan Trolsky:
SrR-As have failed to get an answer to my
letter to Mile Cesca Melin, have my fears that
she might not have received it. believe that she
still. remains in America If you should see her
kindly say that / made no effort to arrange her
business affairs, and that her securities still re-
main with her solicitors. My bride and start
for tour of Norway tomorrow. Please give my
best wishes to Mile. Melin, for whom / hope the
richest of lifc's blessings. Most sincerely
OLEF MEI.N
And SO dried my eyes and set another
seal of hate upon my heart, to lock out
forever the image of him who in my
girl days had learned to Lowell