The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-02-16
Ter ca TT S
..I won't 1ispel your illusion dear,
BY J FAN w ARNER.

you Will take an OLD frlenQS auVlce,
keep your thoughts and feelings to
yourself People will judge by ap-
Dearances, and I am afraid that it
would have taken more than the dig
nifty Of the name of Give to have boil
stored UP the very shalky antecedents
Of your friend, Miss Wraye. But as
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 it will spoil your
beauty. I met Fenton out riding last
evening, and he was savage at youl
seclusion. Don't try such a reckless
fellow too far You know men can't
take either friends or sweethearts like
women canon trust" Y:
And Miss Marian trailed her lilac
silk flounces from the room, leaving
the air heavy with her perfumes and
poisoned by her malice. = :
Fannie went to the 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!
SYPHILIS death-death! Aye, Fannie
had at length brought herself to think
to speak the dreadful word-Sy bills
death!
Death! 1t was 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 Fam
MES knowledge-for her mothers
death was only dim childish men,
DRY to heroine near and dear to her
had crossed the shadowy threshold,
and it no longer seemed to her utterly
unknown ground.
What WAS this death through which
sybil had passed? 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 few brief weeks ago? And now
-noW-F'annie looked out dreamily
into the gathering twilight and, as the
purple shadows grew deeper and deep
er. she strOve to solve the mysteries of
the great hereafter-could Sybil see
her now? Was the barrier between
them so impossible that the dear one
gone before could have 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 sparkled already
with ten thousand pallid stars, each
feeble light, so her books had told her,
coming from a world as great, as Won
derful, as well ordered, as our own.
Was it in one Of those that the
homeless wanderer had at last found
a home? Was it
Fannie started and trembled Her
overWrought nerves qulvered at the
slightest shock; and-and there was a
rustic in yonoer curtained recess, that
concealed the long-closed door-a
movement. step, and, oh, heavens!
was the veil. indeed, lifted-the bar
rier passed? For, paler, more deli
cate. more etherially beautiful than
when on earth, Sybil herself stood be-
side her.
"Fannie-dear Fannie!' and the
sobbiEg, awe-struck girl was clasped
IN an embrace so loving and tender
that it dispelled all fear. dearest.
truest. best of friends! I could not
leave you forever without a last good
bye!
'sybil!" whispered Fannie in &C.
cents that trembled between joy and
grief, ooh, I have grieved so for you.
Have you, indeed, gone from us for
ever? Oh, darling, tell me?'
"Hush!' said Sybil, solemnly. ''Dar
ling. | can tell you nothing nothing.
My lips are scaled-sealed to the past;
sealed''-she added, with a strange
sadness in her tone-"sealed to the
future. I can only come to take a last
kiss from the sweet lips that have
spoken so often words of love and
cheer to me. I come my darling, to
say farewell-a last farewellv' T.
care YOU dead, indeed?' asked Fan
ME. with a shudder. "Sybil, Sybil,
are you dead?" 81. r. y. 49,.
AYE, dead!' 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-deadv' .- III
"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 I knew the sorrow and troubles
of life. Let that suffice. for you, dear
est Fannie. I am at peace!''=
Herbert Herbertr' said Fan
ME, with burst of grief. ooh Sybil,
in the strange world to which you
have passed, have you no thought Of
him? How can you be at peace when
you have left one Oh earth so broken
hearted 2"
Did some earthly memory flush for
a moment the white repose of that
lovely face? Did some earthly tender
ness tremble in that low. sweet voice?
HERBERT she echoed, very softly.
Does Herbert grieve?'
this heart is broken, !" answered
Fannie Sobbing HTIa has grown