Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-05-31
He! r'.'Hear1tI's.=:::
Secret.
BY JEAN WARNER. !.

said Miss Marian,. rising: to go.
'eThink and feel as you please; but, il
YOU will take an old friends advice,
keep your thoughts. and feelings, to
yourself, People. will: judge by ap-
DeaIanices. and 1. am afraid that it
|. Would have taken more than the dig
nifty Of the name,of Cliye to have boil
stored up the very shaky antecedents
Of your friend. Miss Wraye. But as
I told Miss Felicia last evening, when
| she was wondering that your papa
could have been so blind, it's no -af-
fair of mine. Goodbye, dear. Don't
nope any longer or. twill spoil your
beauty. l met Fenton out riding last
evening, and he. was savage at yOul
seclusian. Don't try. such a reckless
fellow too far. You know men can't
take either friends or sweethearts like
women canon trust" 49,. .,
And Miss Marian trailed her lilac
silk flounoes from the. room. leaving
| the air heavy with her perfumes and
poisoned by her malice.
Fannie went to tie window. as if
she; would breathe a purer atmos-
phere. Marian's, visit seemed to have
oppressed her. body and soul.
Miss Grey was an adept in adopting
invisible thumb-screws, and knew just
how far to stretch her victims on the
rack. -.
How different she was from her
brother. Fannie thought, remorsefully
There was something soothing. calm
ing about Laurence Grey's presence.
How grave. and Kind. and brotherly,
he had been on that awful day when
he had brought her home stunned and
desperate. with the first shock Of
SYPHILIS death!
- sybfFs death-death! Aye. Fannie
had at length brought herself to think
Ito speak the dreadful word-Sybirs
+ DEATH. - .;
!, Death! 1t was "A new. strange
thought to this young creature, so full
of life. so buoyant with hope. 1t was
/ a thought from which she had hither-
to shrunk appalled,. -
But for the first time within Fan
MES knowledge-for her mothers
l. death was only dim childish: mem-
oryi to heroine near and dear to her
had crossed the shadowy threshold.
I and it no longer seemed to her utterly
unknown ground. IS
What was this death through Which
sybil had passeda What was this veil
that had so suddenly fallen between
her and the. friend whose hand she
had clasped. whose. lips she had
pressed. whose voice. She had heard,
only a few brief weeks ago? And now
-noW-Fannie looked out dreamily
into the gathealripgs. twilight, and. as the
purple shadows grew. deeper and deep
er, she strove to solve the mysteries Of
the great heYeafter4s-could: Sybil see
her now? Was the barrier between
then: so impossible that the dear one
gone~4,efere= couf d'=irave no knowledge
of. no. sympathy. with, those who sor-
rowed so. blindly and deeply for her
+ loss? Surely it would be unlike gen
tie terder-hearted Sybil to utterly for.
get. =
Great tears were rising into Fannie
Gives eyes as she looked UP into that
purple distance that sparkfed already
/ with ten thousand pal1id stars, each
feeble light; so her books had told her,
coming from world as great, as Won
derful, as we'll ordered. as our own.
WAS. it in, one of. those that, the
homeless .wanderer had at last found
a home? Was # g.. :: $50
=: Fannie. started and trembled. Her
overwrought nerves. quivered; at the
slightest shock;- and-and there was a
rustic in yoniier curtained recess, that
concealed the long closed door-a
movement. step. and, oh heavens!
was the veil. indeed. liftedAthe; bar
rier. .passed? For, paler; more deli
cate. more etherially beautiful than
when: on earth, Sybil herself stood! be-
side her. :: ;.';:4'- - u - &
:sFannie4:dear Fannie!'2 and the
sohbiEg. awe-strlck girl was .clasped
in an embrace SO loving and tender
that 1T dispelled all fear. Dearest.
truest.- best Of friends! L. could not
leave You forever without a last good
bye!" ~: So: " '-'.'- @'S'+',f d "
. "sybil.'' whispered Fannie In ac.
cents that trembled between joy and
grief, '''oll;; T have grieved SO for you.
Have you. indeed, gone from us for
ever? Oh darling, tell me?"
'Hush!' said Sybil, solemnly. t'Dar
Fling. II can tell YOU nothing othing.
Ny lips are sealed-sealed to the past;
sealed'-she added. with. a strange
sadness in, her tone-'ssealed ITO the
future. can only come to take last
kiss from the sweet lips that have
spoken so often words of love and
cheer to me. I come my darling, to
| say fareWeli-a last FAREWELL!
care you dead. indeed?' asked Fan
ME. with shudder. "Sybil, Sybil,
are you dead?"
"Aye, deadr' answered sybil, in her
strange, sad tone-"dead forever! The
stiffness of death is far, far better
than the struggle, the moan the pitiful
agony of life. Aye, I am dead, dar-
| ling-dead!"
'And are you happy asked Fan
| ME. in an awe-struck whisper "Sybil,
darling, you do not look happy"
81 am at peace" was the grave re-
| ioinder-"at peace for the first time
since 1 knew the sorrow and troubles
| Of life. Let that suffice for you, dear
est Fannie: am at peace!
s.Herbert-poor Herbert" said Fan-
ME, with burst Of grief..>l "Oh Sylfl,
in the strange iwofM to which you
have passed, have you no thought OF
him? How can you be at peace. when
you have left one on earth SO broken
4 heartfelt"
Did some earthly memory flush Tor
moment the white repose OF that
| lovely face? Did some earthly tender