The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-01-05

On. that the way the wind lies, ID
II. Gneer up, my boy! There's as good
tis sl 10 the sea as ever were caught.
Cheer up! There's nothing much the
matter with the young lady. Betrothea
TO another, eh ? Told you SO, did she !?
When M 81 ,@'
Last night answered Herbert
lowering his voice. Il wanted to speak
to you conf entially, sir, knowing that
YOU would be prudent adviser, as
well as skilled physician to the young
lady. fear there is some severe an
gulsh or fear pressing on her mind that
may unsettle it. What that sorrow IS.
DO not know, nor have i now any
right to inquire; but, by lucky chance,
y was down by the river last night,
and saved her from suicide, on which
she seemed madly bent; and her at
tack this morning makes me doubly
anxious about her. I fear. indeed. that
some secret sorrow is. driving this girl
mad" .~.~ ~ W = 1t
The doctors brows knit in a per
picked frown. -,
Secret sorrow, Ell? Romantic fol-
de-rol! Why, the girls nothing but a
baby, STRIP
"she is eighteen" answered Her
bert, graYely; "and at eighteen wo-=
man is no longer child"
$50 much the worse, young man-so
much the worse. She ought to be, if
she isn't. Eighteen fol-de-rol! She
ought to know no more Of secret sor-
row than Of Syriac; she ought to think
OF nothing but ruffles, ribbons. and
rolly-poolies. Your sisters the sort Of
girl for me; but I'll wager my head
that in six months from now some
young fellow makes a fool of her, and
sets her to thinking of love, moonshine
and secret sorrows. Bah! it makes me
sick. Sorrow comes quick enough,
young man, and dark enough, and
ugly enough, without pack Of young
fools playing at it before their time.
Now, what the deuceShas this golden
haired baby to do with se~-et sorrow"
And the doctor rubbed his nose in
way that showed he was quite excited.
Il cannot tell you, SIR" Herbert add
ed, sadly. II am not in her confidence.
only know that there is some trouble
OF which she cannot or will not speak,
preying on her mind, and driving from
it all peace or happiness"
"HUnph!' grunted the doctor.
"Where are her father and mother!
They'd better take her home and set
her to making pinafores! She'd best
go home, sir-best go home"
II do not think she has father or
n.otEer,' answered the young man,
Thought fully. "She never srkaks of
ether
SISTER. brother. uncle or aunt, then"
said the doctor. incoming around these
hills, isn't good either for body or
mind. She'd better go home at once,
and I'll tell her so,''
II fear her home is not a congenial
one.", answered Herbert. 'tI fear the
sorrow that seems darkening her young
life may have it's handspring there; I
fear-God knows what I fear! But
would that I could feel assured that
Sybil had one tide friend in the world
one heart that beat for her as purely
and unselfshly as mine"
you're a fine young fellow" said
the doctor, blowing his nose violently
on a huge bandanna-"a very fine
had son like you. Most of the milk
sops, nowadays, go about as cross and
pettish as spoiled children if a girl hap
to it like a man, anu it shows you're
the right mettle. The truest lover is
always the truest friend was in
love myself, sir, onee-laugh at me, If
you please-but [ was genuinely in
love forty odd years ago. It was
young love and foolish love, and it
turned out to. be a very unhappy love,
for the girl didn't care @ snap for me;
l>,,+ %
love to me. 1t made me what I ana
sour, grabbed, cross old fellow. But 1t
left one place in my heart soft enough
to beat in sympathy to tale like
yours. You can trust me, young man;
I'll be friend to that little friend Of
yours in there. I'll try to find out her
trouble. whatever it is, and help her,
if I can; aud won't do it altogether
for your sake, either. Look here!''
The old doctor drew worn old leath-
err case from his vest pocket as he
spoke, and, opening it, showed it con-
tanned smaller one Of velvet ANA gold.
Touching spring, the last case flew
open, revealing a picture within-a
picture exquisitely painted on ivory
a lovely girl in the first bloom Of
youth.
Herbert gave one glance Of swift sur
prise at the picture, and then ex-
claimed /:
"svbil! sybn! it is sybil Wraye her.
self!'
mot Syhil Wraye." answered the OLD
man, gently. "No, no, sir-this beautl.
full form has been Wondering in the
dust for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. This is
Sybil Lee. the woman loved, as she
looked when 1 Lowell her. Our lives
drfted apart; I could never find her
never could trace her, after that one
brief summer that witnessed my first
and only dream. have heard whis.
pers of an unhappy marriage, of a sub
seuuent desertion, but she was too
proud. too reserved to let her sorrows
reach even friendly ears. I have never
heard from her, never seen her. since
the evening I poured out my love-tale
in her ear; and gently, kindly. deli
cately, she rejected my suit. This like
ness I painted from memory, when
her image, was still fresh and un-
diInmed in my mental eyes. ItWas an
ideal Of loneliness that Of late years |
had learned to think only an ideal, I'M
till today. Before you spoke to me I