The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-01-23

One morning / found an array OF
trunks and travelling bags in the
hall. For a moment / thought she
might have returned, and my heart
leaped gladly to my mouth. But who
should come forward and clasp me
warmly by the hand but Guy-Guy
Brand, her brother-returned from
the Cape.
"Guyi" I exclaimed.
Bob, old fellow, you scarcely ex-
pected to c me, did your" be said,
seeing my look of astonishment.
Indeed l didn'tp'
/ might have added that, next to
seeing Kate, his was the most wei.
come face l could have seen
Come, Bob" he said, taking me
by the arm in the old familiar way
of u college days, II have much to
say to you"
He took me to the room-the Ii
brary-where / had my last inter-
view with Kate. How often I had
SilC6 ISCdlleu IL!
"We are old ohums, Bob, he said,
land l am going to speak to you
frankly. / am far from a spiritual
list, hypnotist or anything of that
kind, but there must be a commu-
nifty of spirit between us. for I find
that, though SO far separated from
each other, we have been on the
same track"
1.-The same track" I repeated,
scarcely knowing what to make of
this strange preliminary.
"Yes, ON the same track. First
answer me one question-are you
still enamored with Miriam Now
bray?"
/ was staggered by the question.
How should he know that I had been
enamored with Miriam Mowbray?
He was searching me with his eyes
as he spoke. Apparently satisfied
with the scrutiny, he put into my
hands a letter-a letter to him, dated
three months back, from his sister
Kate.
I can soar ely tell you the aston
ishment with which l read it. I was
the beginning of it. l was the end
of it.
1t set forth the confessions I had
made to her of my love for Mir
lam Mowbray. 1t magniied a thou
sandfold the little service ! had
done for Guy in the past, and it end
ed by an appeal to him to give me a
fair field in trying to win Miss Now
bray's hand. Was there ever suoh q
letter penned from sister to brother?
"Well?" he said when I had fin.
ished reading it.
II cannot understand it. I am al
together mystifed," answered.
Just SO. Let me throw a little
light on the situation. You did not
know because it was a secret, but
before I left England for South
Afrioa-before, in fact, the illness
through which you helped to nurse
mel was the fortunate lover of
Miriam Mowbray-fortunate in one
sense, but unfortunate in another,
since Mr. Mowbray would not at
that time acknowledge me because /
had not made a position for myself.
Now do you see why Kate wrote to
me?"
II understand, l stammered.
my answer to the letter was''-
"Oh, you needn't say, Guy. Iseei 1t
ALL" olasping him by the hand.
Your answer to that letter was,
"Let my old chum go in and w.n,'
but I have lost. And your"
"Can I say that I have won, Old
fellow"
Eyes, Guy yes. I am not afraid
of hearing the truth. My illusion is
quite gone. 1 can only wish you
what your noble sister wished me-
good luck in your wooing. By the
bye, would you mind handing me
that album at your elbow?"
Guy handed it to me, in some sur
prise at my sudden request.
Thanks" I said. Pardon me
one moment"
I quickly turned over the pages
again. I need not have done so, ex.
Dept to further convince myself that
l was an ass.
l saw at once the portrait in which
Miriam Mowbray was absorbed on
that night when / was deceived into
believing that she loved me. I had
put the pencil mark ON the page at
which the album was open, but I
had left entirely out of the question
the portrait on the opposite side,
which was the portrait Of Guy
Brand.
AS old chums we had been placed
in the album facing each other.
Kate had, of course, seen my mis-
take, but rather than wound my
feelings or my vanity-whioh was
it?-had not limited a suspicion of
the truth.
Love in more senses than one is
blind.
The same day I discovered that
Kate was returning home. I gained
permission to be her escort.
How gladly I winged my way to
n1rhan fo,1rd hor ccowaolxy ~