The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-05-25
tcoNTINuED.1

1t is but a week yet, and there are pc.
culiar circumstances, ! can understand
perfectly possible, under which person
might suffer such an accident as this
poor creature has and not be missed SO
soon. Suppose, for instance, were to
announce to you that was going away
down at the end of the street and break
my neck"--
Il should know all about it in two
hours" interrupted his sister. "No,
Julian, no; you have spoken about the
friends, but you have not thought of the
enemies The blind in this case are will
fully blind, Julian, depend upon it,
willfully blind "
'Pshaw," said Maxey, 'that is go
ing too far altogetheri Better invent
some other theory. Suicide is more
probable. "
"Ridiculousr' was his sisters COM
ment.
VERY well, suppose this: Suppose
that she has always been an idiot just
as we see her now; that her friends had
taken care Of her, but that she had be-
come burden upon them; that in
moment of neglect she escaped and wan
dcred over the edge of the bluff; that
they knew it when it was too late, but
forbore to interfere after the mischief
was done we'll knowing that it would
make no difference to her and not wish
ing to be bothered longer with her sup
port. What different aspect would the
case present than it does now?"
"A cruel, heartless theory, Julian,
and you ought to be keener than that
too. l am ashamed of you'll What of the
pocket turned inside out the trampled
snow and the man who ran away?"
Appearances are often deceptive.
Thieves are not the only people who turn
pockets inside out. Men run or walk for
other causes than guilty conscience.
Besides, the fact that she was an idiot,
not being known to the thief, would
not prevent his waylaying her in
lonely place. I"
''You don't believe what You say, Ju-
lian. This girls outer garments fitted
her. They were made for her. Idiots are
not provided with street costumes
This was clincher. Maxey, worsted,
as usual, in an encounter with his sister,
made an irrelevant reply and turned his
attention, with momentary irritation, to
Dr.. Lamar.
''Do you think, too, that this girl had
no friends?''
The same suggestion which had before
caused the philosophic physician to
wrinkle his brows again disturbed him
in similar manner. He suddenly bent
a meaning look upon the artist as he
made the deliberate reply:
For good reasons. have more than
once suspected it. "
Maxey started. He became at once
imbued with the suspicion which trou-
bled Lamar. He grew excited at once.
"That is something had not thought
Of 1t would explain everything.
Possibly said the doctor, resuming
his view of the river.
"And it would prove that Twas some
thing too hasty in allowing her to be
brought here rather than to the hos
pital. If really believed it, would"
"Julianl' Miss Maxey rose to her
feet, with flush in her face and dam
gerous light in her eyes. She went on
with increasing rapidity of utterance
and unstoadiness of tones. The words
eame so fast they Seemed almost to choke
her.
''What you are saying is heartless,
cruel unmanlyl You made me a prom
ise, Julian Maxey. Do you think have
forgotten it? Do you think will allow
this helpless, innocent creature of whom
one of these days You would blush to
speak with the slightest disrespect-do
you think would allow her to go, after
what has been, believing as firmly do,
that hospital would be the death of
her? Oh, it does seem as if all the world
were determined to turn the back on this
poor, defenseless girl consider the re-
fusal of those Somerset people to keep
her In their house any longer when they
knew it would be dangerous to msve
her utterly barbarous.
''It.was brutal to think of sending her
into great, cold hospital where every.
body is sick and dying and the doctors
experimenting with thespatients. Yes.
DIR. Lamar, I'm very sure of it. I've
been told SO on excellent authority, and
if it hadn't been for me she'd have gone
fhere, too, and now-now after all
you've said, Julian Maxey, for you to
begin and talk about hospitals and
nnd-oh, it's too heartless, and / think
you ought to be ashamed of yourselves,
both of you, to sit here and-well, do
what you will Do your Very worst
shall not lift finger to stop you'll /
shall not say one word in remonstrancer'
just trifie excited and hysterieal,
Ellen Maxey, but you look exceedingly
well with the tears sparkling on your
long dark lashes and your cheeks aglow.
DR.. Lamar turned with considerable
surprise from his survey of the river,
but she was gone before he had an op-
portunity to admire her.
1.-The deucei'i calculated Maxey,
with faint sigh at the Thought of his
own subjusation. We'll. she will have
to stay, that's all. y
.sThink so?"
ooh, there's no doubt at all about it.
When Ellen begins to act like Lady
Macbeth, know what's coming. But
she's good sister, Eustace, added the
artist feelingly, land the best girl that
ever lived. And then, l dare say, very
probably she's quite right, quite right
indeed. "
"she causes yySS;a, however, to take a
great responsibility, :" said DIR. Lamar
gravely.
Il don't understand you. y
But you will before very long, for,
mark my word, Maxey, the patient will
make you trouble. "
Maxey started.
| "What do you meana"
"I mean. said the physician, sim
ply that. You don't Imagine she will
lie there always as now? You must
know that she has body that has no
disease as we'll as brain that has. Sup.
L.. 4.