The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-06-15

OO AOO you KNOW bu6J-b1hB-
"Ohl Uncle, you cannot mean it
you cannot mean that we've are"
l stopped, unable to put into words the
horrible suspicious that filed my brain.
Tell me-tell me! What do you
mean9"
He stepped close beside me and, in
a hoarse whisper, said:
THAT Nello and your sister Annie
are one and the same OW haze mar
ried yOWr sister!"
AS these awful words fell upon my
ear, g cry-the wall of a broken heart
filled the room. Nello had heard, or
guessed the truth, and now lay white
and motionless upon the floor. Uncle
lifted her and bore her to a cot near by.
Then turning to me, in a voice laden
with unspeRkable anguish, he said:
"Gol my son-for the sake of this
poor girl, gc--go at oncc-go far away
somewhere. Draw on me for funds;
write to me-but do not return-not
until I write you"
1sprang to my feet, ran to the couch,
dropped upon my knees beside the still
form, and with a heart bursting with
despair, rained kiss after kiss upon
the cold, white lips. "NelIo-my oUife-
my stster-fareUeU forever!
SpriDging to my feet, I dashed from
the room-trom the house-out into
dark, starless night.
Six months passed away. During
that time no words, no pen, can describe
the agonies-she tortureE- I suffered
day by day. Wandering from place
to plaee-ever on the move I finally
found myself in San Francisco. From
there it was my intention to go to Mel
bourne, Australia. With this object
in view, I went down to the wharf to
purchase a ticket and make all nee
essary arrangements regarding a pas
sage; but learned that the steamer
would not sail for an hour or more. To
while away the time--anything to keep
my mind Employed purchased a pa
per from anews boy. CHANGING listlessly
from column to column my eyes fell
upon an item that caused me to start.
Again and again I read the words, I'M
able at first to grasp their import.
"Could they-could they be intended
for me-me" I gasped. Dashing the
paper to the ground, 1 sprang TO my
feet and ran for the nearest telegraph
Office. The item that had so upset me
and caused such strange proceedings
on my part, read>as follows:
HARRY-Come home at once. All smistake.
Only happiness awaits you.-UNCLE R.
The wires had hardly finished tick
ing my message to Uncle Richard be-
fore I had boarded an outgoing train
and was on my way home, where I ar
rived a few days later. Ny Uncle met
me at the depot, and his first words
were a gentle reproach:
"Why did you not write to me as l
told you9' he asked. "Here we have
been waiting for you for the past five
month. Hush! I know what you
would ask. It was all a mistake-that's
ALL" .
He drew me to one side and told me
the following wonderful story:
mick Stephenson" he began,
cleared up the mystery. It was about
q month after you left that the doctors
at last discovered the cause of his
queer state; but I will tell you of that
later IN. They we're, however, unable
to render him much assistance, and he
died a few days later. But a few hours
before he died he sent for me and made
q full confession. AS I had suspected
all along, he was at the bottom of all
our misfortunes. Thinking that your
father had given me information detri-
mental to his interests, he had avenged
himself by poisoning the spring. Your
sister Annie, he said, he took away,
but she, too, died before he reached
his camp, and after removing the gold
heart from her neck, he had buried her
not far from the Pass. He also stated
that he had drowned my wife with his
own hands and carried away my baby
May, and had turned her yer to his
maiden sister to bring up, apparently,
as his own child. You know the rest.
Nello is my long mourned for baby
May. You married your cousin, not
your sister,"
During the latter part Of this strange
revelation, we had been walking leis.
urely towards the river bank. AS
Uncle finished speaking we seated
ourselves in his fat-bottomed canoe