Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-03-22
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! HER HEARTS SECRET;
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/ --=-~=--===-.~s Or, UNDER A SPELL .~.~--
i...4-.~ =. 4: BY JEAN WARNER.
.,,-s0 Or, UNDER A SPELL.
BY JEAN WARNER.

tlle udFu-eafnnu tribute OF her success
i with a quiet bow, and turned away
without blossom or bud to sweeten this
hour Of girlish triumph with promises
| sweeter still.
t. Who was this .Sybil Wraye? Herbert
glanced at the bouquet he held in his
hands. He, had purchased it for his
sister, but Fannie was laden down
with flowers now '"' 50
So, without waiting for sober sec
ond thought, the young man scrubbed
on card the name that had so awak-
ened his interest and dispatched the
bouquet, by a polite usher, to. Miss
Sybil Wraye
| He saw the swift look of surprise
| that passed over the girls pale count
cnance as the flowers were handed to
her; he noted the faint smile dawn
upon her lips, and then change into a
culver of pain; he caught one glance
at the wondrous gray eyes hidden be-
meath those silken lashes, and a
strange, pitiful tenderness stole into
his. heart.
Poor child - friendless, sorrowful
child! How young, how lovely, how
! lonely she was! What charm was it
that seemed to set her apart from all
the others? What fascination drew
his. gaze to her fairs delicate face?
He had seen thousands of women far
more beautiful, thousands more at
! tractive; yet this pale. slender girl had
awakened emotions in his heart he
had never felt before
Good gracious, brother!' and Fan
MES merry voice aroused him from his
dream, "are you mapping in this dark
J corner? have been looking every
where for you. Do carry some of
! these flowers, and my fan, and my di-
ploma. Oh, dear, dear! 1 am so excit-
ed and nervous, and delighted, that l
scarcely know what l am about. To
think that my stupid school days are
| over at last There! good gracious,
| some horrid man has nearly torn my
dress off. BERTHE, did papa send me
the bracelet he promised me, and do
you think the dear old darling will give
me a summer at the springs?
''Take a long breath, Fan-do,"
laughed her brother. II can't answer
forty questions at a time. Why, ten
minutes ago you were very model of
elegant composure. I was gazing at
you in silent and wondering admira-
tion.'
''Don't be aggrayating, brother,
please pouted the pretty graduate.
"9ou We're not looking at me at all, or
need not have searched the room
over half a dozen times to find you.
There were plenty more gallant cava-
Tiers ready to escort me. but [ had an
! especial reason for finding you; and,
dear me! that reminds me-where is
she?" cried Fan, looking around her
with sudden self-reproach. 81 declare,
I have been in such futter that lost
sight Of the darling girl entirely. It's
just like her to go off in some dark cor
ner by herself; she is so sensitive.
Take care of all these things BROTHER
and the needless girl dropped books,
diploma, fan and flowers in q careless
heap at his side. IT must go find
Sybil."
And, without waiting for another
word, Fannie Give, whose charming
impulsiveness had been a very thorn in
Madam Flcury's flesh, darted off
through the gay crowd to search for
her forgotten friend.
The audience was dispensing now,
and so many admiring friends stopped
the pretty graduate with compliments
and congratulations that it was some
time before she could follow the OBJ
ject of her search.
SYPHILIS harp was covered, and she
was gone; the stage was vacant, and
the busy groups, laughing and chat
ting in the spacious salon; there was
no sign of the golden haired songstress,
whose bewitching melody had a few
moments ago held the gay audience
spell-bound.
A long. covered balcony led from the
drawing room to miniature conserya-
tory; where the madam gave elegant
lessons in botany, and here it was that
Fannie at last found her friend.
She was standing beneath the shad-
ow of some dark-leaved Egyptian
plant (whose classification had defed
all the researches of feminine science).
and the fair, fower-ike head was bent
over a bouquet of snowy blossoms she
held in her hand.
"sybil-dear sybilr' cried Fanny,
springing forward to her side, "what
are you doing here, you naughty girl,
all alone? Why did you run away
from me? Herbert is here. and
Something in the death white face up
tnrrad to hers. made the impulsive
girl pause a moment. and then ask.
quickly: care you ill. darling? Are
you suffering? What is the matter,
Sybil?'
Nothing" was the slow reply
nothing, am very well, Fannie. You
should not have sought one like me,
dear, in the hour of glad triumph.
Yet it is like you-like you, and only
you.'
at was like me to rush off in my
headlong way and leave you to NOPE
here by yourself!' said Fannie. re-
morsefully. "Come. darling; Herbert
has the carriage waiting. wrote
them all that was going to bring the
sweetest. dearest girl in the world
home with me. Let us go change our
dresses, so that we can take the even
ing train, for know that dear fellow
is Tuning himself into fever at our
delay, even now"
A quick change passed over SybiPs
face-a spasm, whether Of pain. terror
or fear, 1t was impossible to tell.
"No, no! don't ask me. Fannie. my
dearest kindest old friend-don't take
me with You to your home. 1t is bet
ter for you, for me, for us all. to part
naw-now 7 cannot IN with VOL l.