The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-12-29

i
| has worthy partners IN it's high es-
! tate' Il - -, @5 i n. \. Iez ~ }
! Perhaps" said the young lady, dub,-
4 ously;; ssbut women cannot argue about
their feelings as cleverly as men. We
j get notions without knowing why; and
though, of course, it is an absurd idea,
L could not help fancying from the first
that this Miss Wraye was !, not the
friend t.that--that your mother would
4 have chosen for her child. "@, r~es2s {ss'@}a.s
."And pray, why notg' asked Herbert.
Surely you have some reason for "a
:: conclusion so very injurious to a young
lady?' g. s@,%,,:.4s ge.4 ~
! do you ever arrive at a conclusion
( without reasoning, Mr. Clive"' was her
meaning reply. "But, since you force
me to be explicit, will lsay that, from
! all l have seen and heard Of Miss
!, Wraye, I should be very 10th to admit
her to an intimate companionship.s I
prefer FRIENDS whose present and past
j are less shrouded in mystery. I am too
! frank, perhaps; but, surely, our old
! friendship gives me the privilege Of
i speaking the truth. only say honest
ly what others say less kindly, though
more cautiously. There, you are biting
your lips! have offended you. For
give me if / have presumed too far. I
! promise that this. subject shall never
; again be broached between u.s."
/ They had reached the gate at Grey
:, lawn while, she spoke, and as she
paused and held out her hand, with an
expression Of wistful anxiety in her
beautiful eyes, Herbert felt almost re-
morseful at the indignation her words
had awakened. -
! This lovely girl was a true friend.
She spoke frankly and fearlessly, and
did she not speak the truth? What did
: she know Of Sybil, save that she was
fair, and sweet, and gentleS Had not
! Madam Fleury warned him that there
was an impenetrable cloud around her
,, pupil? Nay, had not. Sybil, that very
i evening told him with her own lips
that there was shadow upon her path
way, curse upon her life? And yet he
. had suffered her to be sister to his
; sister He had asked Ter to be the wife
! OF bis bosom-his better, dearer self.
!; He loved her-loved her!
/ Miss Grey might we'll scott at the log
! 1c that could condense itself into such
brief words. He loved her. and would
believe nothing, hear nothing, think
!! nothing against her. He loved her and
that was proof, reason, argument-all!
Very coldly he took the little jeweled
: hand Miss Marian extended to him.
Very grave and courteous was his brief
responses: -.
II could not take offense at such dis
! interested friendship, Marian, even
were disposed to do so. Still, I think
you judge her too has lily and too harsh
t1o \
delicate nature that wells itself in Wo-
manly reserve Good-nightw he added,
with forced playfulness, "and don't be
jealous, Marian" y 10
She shook her head, laughingly, but a
dark change came over her face. as he
disappeared from her sight. The soft,
beautiful eyes grew hard and fierce,
and bitter srlile curled her full, red
lips.
"Is he hooking me, I wonder? Can
he know what he says? Not be Jealous?
All, he little guesses the demon this
night has Weakened in my heart! He
loves her-loves this sly, white-faced,
silent girl-this girl Of whose past and
present he knows nothing. All, Mr..
Give, have heard of this mysterious
pupil Of Madam Fleury's before! You
forget that I, too, have other friends
than your foclih, light-headed sister.
Aye, 1 have learned something of Miss
( Sybil Wraye, and Il will learn more.
How his face flushed, how his eye
! flashed, 1T my words! All, 1t was Joy,
! fierce joy for me to see him vince at
my thrusts! Yes. yes! If know not
how to win his heart, pknow how to
! wound it. Aye. and I will wound
sharply, relentlessly, with deadly aim
wound it to the core!'
She entered the house. It was nearly
=! midnight. and her father was very reg
) ular in his hours; but tonight light
burned i'll his study, and the sound of
voices told her he was not alone.
AS she passed up to her own room
he stopped for a moment in the little
passage that connected the office with
the main house wondering, with FEM
mime curiosity, what important client
was honored with an audience at this
untimely hour, for Mr. Grey was a
rigid adherent to system, and it was Of
his rules to transact no legal business
after o'clock s--1st% .se.- IT
! AS she paused in the shadow, the
study door opened land the light within
revealed one Of The noblest specimens
Of manhood she had ever seen A tall,
sun-browned man, with crisp, iron-gray
curls shading a massive brow, and
1 whose herc11lean frame was not disfg-
fured by his easy, careless garb, stood
i upon the threshold, evidently taking
4 leave Of her father Il :ga ! #.%l
4 .'And you can do nothing for me
I Well, expected as much, 2 he was say
I ing, bitterly; though they told me. you
Il were no toady of that purse-proud hyp-
! ocrite on the hill. II could make it
worth your while to take the case in
hand" 3s : -f.z II / i s&:5s$;.t{s &
4 Il doubt it, was the wary old law
i yer's reply. You have no case at all,
" sir, as understand mo proof. no wit.
4 nesses, nothing but your own unsup-
i ported word. 2 81 @ s75l .:j
. "Do you call me liars'' was the
+ fierce rejoinde 45 ia
"By no means, = was the cool reply.
a On the contrary, I am personally in
i clined to credit your story, wild ana
! improbable as it would seem if ] at.
I tempted to prove it in court Of just
! Ice. For you have no proof, repeat it
{! sir--no proof! 1t would be simply mad.
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