Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-08-22
"She loves me best.
~ - - L an cnrT.N-


retOrted the Major.
so am l ;" rejOined Maurice prompt
". "All the same you can hardly ex,
pect me to give up to David the glrl
/ love, and who loves me. But why
does Mrs. Dallas support Davids
suit?"
Ask her to explain that, my dear
lad"
I did so, and she referred me to
you"
Major Jen wriggled uneasily in his
seat, and carefully knocked the ASH
on his cigar. He disliked telling what
appeared to him to be a silly story,
but. as such story bore strongly upon
the present position Of things, and
as Maurice was impatiently awiting to
be enlightened, Jen was forced to put
his scruples on one side and speak
out.
IF what I relate appears impossi-
BILE. don't blame me-" he said abruptly.
land l feel certain that you Will
laugh when I tell you about Voodoo!
THAT word again!" cried Maurice,
in a puzzled voice. Dido used 1t when
we met Etwald; she repeated 1t TO
me before I left. Voodoo! Voodoo!
What does it mean, Uncle Jen?'
African witchcraft! Obi! Fetish
worship! The alteration Of the bad
spirit who catches mortals by the hair.
Anyone of these things explain the
meaning Of the term.
"H'm!" said Maurice. at is devil
worship pure and simple"
Yes, and Mrs. Dallis knows more
about it than is good for her"
But you don't mean to say that
she believes in it?"
MY boy" Jen laid his hand upon
the arm of the young man; when
you reach my age you will find that
there is no limit to the creduilty and
folly OF human beings. When l was
I stationed in the Barbados, many years
ago. met Mrs. Dallas"
"Oh. so she is an old friend OF
yours,"
Yes, I knew her in the West Indies
/ shortly before Isabella was born. 1t
/ was through knowing me-" explained
/ the Major, that she came to this
neighborhood and rented the Wigwam.
| You see, Maurice, was one Of the
! few people she knew in England, and
she remained near me for company
sake, and''-here the Major hesitated
and because she was afraid Of her
self" he finished significantly.
Il don't quite understand
81 shall explain, and it is lucky for
I YOU that Mrs. Dallas gave you permits
( sion to ask me for an explanation,
otherwise I should have been forced,
fr5m a sense of honor, to hold my
foorc that If
| Isabella marries anyone but David her
/ death will take place
| Whose death? Isabella's or Mrs.
| Dallss's?' -,on, Man.
4 "Tbe latter. You must AnO"' We We.
rice continggsSS well born and we'll
i-Sa,.sIs5 he an extremely ignorant
Liz ,,-o-,sn She was brought up mostly
\ nv Dido's grandmother, who was the
most accursed old witch in Barbados,
or out of it for the matter Of that. This
1 old bag inStilled into the mind Of Mrs.
/ Dallas all kinds of superstitions, i'll
; which she really believes. When the
I grandmother died Dido became nurse
to Isabella, and private witch of the
Dallas household. She is clever-won-
derfully clever-and she has continued
her grandmother's system Of terroris-
ing both Mrs. Dallas and Isabella"
Yes; ] can see that, Uncle Jen. and
1t is for that reason I want to marry
Isabella, and take her away before her
mind is deranged further by that old
fury"
We'll, the old fury sees what you
want, my dear lad, and so she is de-
termined that Isabella shall marry Da-
] V-fH an1 - Il,
aims she went through some hCcus-
| pOcuS Of deyiltry, or fortune-telling. or
/ incarnation, and discovered that if Is
abella marries you, Mrs. Dallas will
die"
And does Mrs. Dallas believe that
rubbish?' asked Maurice, incredulous-
/ ".
Implicitly! tell you she is ignor-
/ ant and superstitious Come what
/ may, she is convinced that your mar
| riage with Isabella means her own
/ death; so you may rest assured. Maui
| rice. that she will never, never accept
/ You as her son-in-law."
81 understand" said Maurice. with a
/ shrug. 1T seems hopeless to contest
I this decision Of a diseased and feeble
mind. / can understand Dido stopping
my marriage, as she wants to retain
her sinful influence over Isabella: I
can understand Mrs. Dallas, weak and
silly, being dominated by this negro
Jezebel; but | can't understand why
David is chosen as the future son-in-
law II he marrieS Isabella. he will
no more put up with Dido than
should have done"
OF course not; I can't explain the
reason, replied Jen. shaking his head.
But YOU know all that I know. Maui
rice; and YOU can see that il is hopeless
for YOU 10 attempt to marry the gir!."
I'm not so sure Of that" retorted
Maurice; q love Isabella. and come
what may I intend TO make her nv
wife"
But what about me-" said a voice
outside the open window: what about
me?' And momentl alter David. in
dusty riding dress, stepped into the
room. He looked disturbed and angry.
and his strongly marked face bore
traces Of agitation and haunting
thoughts.
Disturbed by the unexpected appear
ance Of David. and seeing from his ex-
preston that he was bent upon makine
himself disagreeable. Jen hastily inter
posed 70 prevent quarrel between
the two young men.
What David? back again." he said
ignoring the question asked by Sarby.
so you did not stay to dinner?"
NO. replied David shortly. 81
didn't He flung himself into chair
aud resumed in significant tone
Lady Seamere didn't ask me, and if
she had l couldn't have accepted in
this dress. Besides, I am not the man