Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-10-21

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and unrolled it. Apparently the
paper was of foreign manufacture,
and the characters on it, although
English, did not seem to be inscribed
with any of the materials in COM
mon use in our country. With in
I }describale feelings of wonder and
awe he read:
| Coercion is abhorrcnt to us. Ncx thv
offspring no longer. 1t is our command.
I-THIBEr, AUG. ~"
a message from the Mahatmas i'm
far-of Thibet, and dated that very
day! Could there be trickery? he
wondered, and to place the matter
beyond the shadow of doubt he
made an exhaustive examination of
the room and its contents. The
window was fastened, the door was
locked and the chimney closed, and
there was no other opening in the
walls. Continuing the search on his
hands and knees, under the table,
chairs and couch, he covered every
square inch of the carpet, and then
rose convinced that the room con-
tanned no living being besides him.
self.
And there on the table lay the in
disputable evidence that time, space
and brick walls were as nothing to a
Mahatma. Was there ever such a
charitable creed that the innermost
circle should interest itself on be-
half of one who had openly ex-
pressed his opinion that such mani
| feStationS were boShn?
The next meeting of the Theoso-
phists, before whom Mr.. Shirley de-
tailed the circumstance and produced
the evidence, unanimously agreed
that his bodily health and perhaps
his very life might be imperiled if
he still persisted in opposing the
wishes of his masters.
They implored and abjured him
to relent, and worked on his feelings
to such an extent that he went home
impressed with an awful sense of
some impending doom, some terri
bic calamity that was about to burst
on his offending head.
III.
Meanwhile the situation had be-
come as unbearable to Sydney as it
had to Doris, all their plans for COM
municating having 80 far failed, the
natural course of events having ia.
ken turn for which no provision
had been made. a love so intense
as his could stand the separation no
longer.
That very afternoon he would 90
boldly to his house and ask to
see his beloved; her father might
say or do as he pleased. The reso-
luton once formed he was in a state
OF feverish impatience to put it into
practice. He would start at once.
And start he did, wondering what
reception he would receive at the
hands Of her parent, and hoping
ne might not he invested with the
Order of the Boot. But Providence
had prepared for him surprise, one
or those kaleidOscopic changes which
ever make the "best laid schemes
of mice and men gang aft aglee.n
Scarcely had he reached the gate
when telegraph boy ran up and
handed him message. Sydney's
first thought, of course, was Doris
then some dire disaster. AS soon as
his impatient hands had ripped off
the covering he read:
"Comc at once in friendship,
RICHARD SHIRLEY"
An invitation from the very man
whom he had been mentally pictur-
ing as Kicking him out of the house.
Say l'll be there like a shot" he
said to the astonished messenger
then recollecting himself, mo an
sWer," and the next instant he was
n hn or
train. His reception surprised him
as much as much as the telegram
He was welcomed at the threshold
by Mr.. Shirley aud taken into the
study, his host beaming with affa-
bility. After few preliminary
haws" and vicious clearings of his
throat, Mr.. Shirley addressed him
thus:
In refusing your ardent request
for the hand Of my daughter / be-
lieved that l was acting in the best
interest of my only child. l know
nothing against you indeed, much
to your advantage; but the princi-
pie reason that induced me to tako
the course that / did was your
openly expressed disbelief of mat
ters which you could not possibly
be the judge. Young man, read
that" and with dramatic flourish
he handed him the message.
After minutely detailing the cir
cumstances of its arrival, he con-
tinued
"ln compliance with the command
therein expressed 1 have sent for
you to give my consent to your
union with my daughter, and | am
not without hopes that the mysteri.
Gus message you have before you
may be the means Of converting YOU
by its tangible existence and the for
giving nature of its contents"
Sydney gazed at the paper bewil.
dered, speechless. This was a com
plete floorer.
Well, now, go to Doris, she
awaits you in the drawing-room.-
Leave the paper here. 1t is too pre-
cious to trust out of my sight. |
have to go out now on business, but
II you will give me a call, Say to-
morrow evening at eight o'clock, |
shall be prepared to discuss matters
with you"
1t is needless to attempt to describe
the rapturous meeting of the re-
united lovers. Those readers who
have experienced such blissful mo.
ments can picture it for themselves.
and those who have not may rest as
sured that to them the gates of
Paradise still stand unrevealed.
The next evening Sydney kept his
ann0intnant pifh NJ Ghi.Inx, .,Looa