Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-06-02

There was no reply from my COM
panion. L glanced at him, and 1 hope
that never again shall see in q mans
face such awful evidence of contending
emotions as 1 read in his. There was
more than assent to my proposition IN
his eyes; there was absolute appeal.
He nodded.
''Yes. do, for Gods sakeP' he mutter-
ed. 1T is beyond me-"
l left him standing in the doorway.
and approached the crouching figure.
Are you ill?' L asked, speaking as
gently as possible.
laid my hand softly upon the
shrinking form. The girl, feeling my
touch, raised her bowed head and toss
ed back the weight of lustrous hair.
looking at me with two dull. mourn.
full blue eyes, in whose vacancy read
the clue TO her strange actions.
mo, 1 am not ILL.," she answered. in
soft minor key. "No, not i'll, but
oh! so dusty-so, so dustyp' with dainty
disgust. IF could only have a cloth
to wipe away the cobwebsI They are
choking me, you knowI I'd like TO
wipe my hands, too; they're all wet
with dampuess-seev'
She held up two tiny palms, and. as
stopped to warm them with nv own.
shrank back in horror-they were
stained with a deep crimson.
Mr.. Chester" l cried, forced to the
appeal, come heree He approached
reluctantly. 1 suspected that he feared
recognition, and continued, in an aside:
"You need not be afraid; she is quite
insane"
1 could see that my words were a
great shock by the start with which he
heard Them Then personal feeling
gave way to humane solicitude.
Alice" he said gravely as he stood
beside her, do you know meY
yes" she replied, nodding and smil-
Ing, ''of course! How do you do?
Once upon time a spider spun a cob
web and king watched it--you are
the king. Couldn't You give me a dust
er?"
We saw that any attempt upon her
Intelligence was useless, but she was
amenabIe to persuasion. She shrank
somewhat from Darracott, but had ap-
Darently conceived strong condolences
In me. She was very docIle with me.
and allowed me to coax her into com.
pliance with my suggestion. The first
or these regarded her hands, which at
once proceeded to bind comfortably
with strips torn from my own hand
kerchief and that of my companion.
The wounds were neither deep nor very
painful, rather abr.-ysions than wounds.
indeed; caused, 1 afterwards assured
myself, by her own assaults upon the
window against which we had seen her
leaning.
1 was In the midst Of this occupation
when Darracott. who had peen stand
ing by, gloomily regarding the opera
ton, suddenly and roughly interrupted
it With an impulsive movement he
deposited the lantern upon the floor
and, STOPPING, laid his hands impetu-
ously upon my own.
Let me do thatp' he calculated
rudely. Drop her hands. 1 cannot
bear to see you touch themr'
looked at him in surprise, and the
girl gave a wild cry and crowded nm
to me as If for protection. NV wo,
mans heart was stirred with pity for
her, and threw an arm tenderiy about
her shoulder. Whatever her offence
had been, her mala6y had wiped it out.
She was guiltless in her affiiction as a
child in its ignorance.
NOT returned, warming to my role
as felt the wretched creature nestle
conhdingly within my embrace. "She
Is my charge; win not abandon her"
You shan?' he exclaimed; and TO
my surprise discovered that his eyes
were filled with hatred and passionate
determination. "Ycu shall not take her
in your arms. I will not have it. You
do not know what she isp' He placed
a hand on the shoulder of each of Us.
as IL by main force he would draw us
apart. But / held the trembling girl
safe clasped in my arms, and so cir
united by the hands that
would have severed US, / looked up and
put to him the first question had ever
uttered concerning the mysteries of
those lives with which destiny had so
closely associated me.
Then you shall tell me-" L cried,
who is She"
moment he hesitated, glaring
f1ercely down upon US both; then lie
gave short, dreary laugh, as OF one
sick at heart.
''She is my wife," he said.
At that instant, I am sure the I'M
balanced mind Of tire stricken girl tenn
read1usted itself, and she rec
ognised him. Astcaishment, and per
haps more intimate and personal SEN
sation, had caused my clasp somewhat
to relax its hold. Before I could re-
cover from the shock of this unexpect-
ed intelligence my arms were empty.
The girl had bounded to her feet aud
was speeding to the door. l gave q
cry. 1t was echoed from the TIRES
hold. There, barring the deserter's
further progress was a figure / knew
well-the stunted, dwarfed, dropping.
repulsive figure OF Mrs. Mayberry!
A ray from the lantern falling upon
the heads of the two women disclosed
a feature which they possessed in com
mon that seemed to denote the exist. |
ence of a tie of blood between them.
Ihat sunny, ripping cloud of hair that |
ell ike mantle of cioth-of-gold about |
the shoulders of the girl was but the |
counterfeit OF the decorously-arranged
'resses which crowned the head OF the
woman. That inherited trait betrayed
near and unmistakable relationship.
looked quickly, interrogatively, ct
Oarracott. He nodded gloomily.
Her daughter" he muttered. eyes.
ny wife and her daughter
transferred my gaze to the door.