Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-04-19
(!:|.ilE; !. SECRET;
"- .. :. . Or ,:s-urNDER a. SPELL ~.S
ii , .. ~. ~>c~~>~~~~~~~@
.- ~.-.: =. BY. JEAN: WARNER. -;

/ Aid Xet-and yet. what. was the
charm about that pure, sweet face,
that made it stand out purcr and fair
er from the very shadows that sur
FOUNDED it, ,..::s
And an artist, should he paint her,
He woulHspa1nt her unaware. =.
!, With a halo round her hair
j.. 1T was With something of 4 poets
feeling that Herbert regarded Sybil.
4ehU1lgh she was far removed from him
forever. though another claimed her
heart and hand, even the pangs of
hopeless love and hopeless loss could
hot dim in his memory her beautiful
Image. She would always be his ideal
OF all tEat..was lovely and pure in wo-:
clnanhood-an ideal that from affair he
: iilisht' worship, though her could never
hope to win.
His heart. was sore this morning
sore with the wound Of first disaD-
pointMcnt. All the other pain seemed
lest in the thought that Sybil was re-
moved from him forever. He had no:
right te defend or protect her. She be-
longed TO another-was pledged to an
ether: to one-the words seemed
branded. into his. very ~soul-=to one
y whom sire loved, hon9 s'le' d: and. must
Poor. child! perhaps, it was peril to
this loved one that overhung her young
life like u ,darksome cloud; perhaps it
Was grief: at separation; perhaps for
tune froWned upon a too ambitious
love. or perhaps friends forbade hap
by union.@ i<a
The pain in his own heart made Her
bert generously sympathetic with Syb-
lis anguish. Love must ever be mer-
rciful to love -'''
He passed into the library He had
always, since his return from college,
had his own desk and chair there The
mornings: mail had been brought in,
and his letters were awaiting his Pc
rusal. ! eA... :
There were several from old chums-
one. on delicately-tinted paper. from
: pretty cousin, a begging epistle, and
then a rude envelope. addressed in a
cramped..:: alnezt illegible hand, to
..::Herbert::TClfye. ::
So IFe:ai6i;pe11ad with some surprise, and
read the following lines
Sill am not one to strike in the
dark. and so l send you this to warn
you that desperate being, who fears
neither: God nor man, has taken the
law into his own hands and is deter
mined upon justice. Beware Of me,
for l have. determined Upon my rights
at any eost-at any cost! "a. ~: -
.... Basil Clive''
'sBasl Clive!" repeated Herbert, won
deripgly ''And VIII othe dickens is
Basil Give? The only one ever heard
Of died five-and-twenty years ago. 1t
| can't, be that Fannie's dream is so
quickly realized. and the grim old gen
tlenan UP stairs has really stepped
down from his canvas into life? Faith
err: and Herbert looked up to his pa
| rent. who at that moment entered the
room. II have. received a. very: singu-
lar letter from person who signs him
self BASIL Give.
"Ah!" Mr.. Give bent over his let
tiers for moment, perhaps to conceal
, the gray pallor that crept over his stern
face. There is a desperate sort of
character who goes by that name, and
has endeavored several times to claim
relationship with us; but he is an i'm
poster. whose pretensions it is much
better not to notice. Let me Sc his let
ter
Herbert handed it to his father. who
glanced over it quickly, then tore it into
shreds and flung it into the waste
basket.
''4Al bombast!' he muttered. THE
poor fool has been mad on this subject
for years and years.
"Strange never heard of him. said
Herbert. 49,
II preferred that you should neither
hear nor speak Of him. continued Mr..
Give. with that darkening Of his brow
that his daughter disliked so much.
He is nothing to. u.s. He is a low.
born. low-bred ruffian! And if he or
his should ever attempt to cross my
threshold, 1 would spurn them from it
| like the dogs they are!'
1t was rare thing for the polished
Mr.. Give to use such rude and forcible
language. and Herbert looked up at
| his father in mute surprise, m -: -.
But a fairer picture than he had ex-
pected to see met his gaze.
| Just on the threshold Of the library
stood his sister, her beautiful face
bright with dimDling smiles, and one
white arm thrown around the slight,
sylph-like form Of Sybil, who. with her
pale delicate features and floating
ndlf. IOflneu SUCH d graceful contrast
to Fannie's blooming loneliness.
Here she is, papa" cried the petted
darling Of the household. 81 made her
eat some breakfast, ands he feels ever
so much better Sybil, this is the dear,
darling old duck of a father that !
have told you so much about; and
papa. this is the dearest friend have
in the whole wcrld-Sybil Wraye."
Courteous gentleman that he was
Mr.. Give. senior. was obliged to rise
and acknowledge so naive an introducs
ton.
81 am happy to meet my little daug'l
ters FRIEND he said, stepping forward
and holding out his hand to the girl
whose delicate beauty at once disarmed
even paternal criticism.
But the Clark frown still fingered
around his brows. and Sybil, glancin2
4 into that stern naughty ceuntenance.
Daled'and shuddered:aand. ere he coulG
touch her had. fell fainting at Robert
Gives feet.