Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-14


 Tt doesn't snake anu dtfercnce," T tn- sisted. - and it was his fathers best wish, his dearest hope, that there should be a wedding" . ,.,,.. :.
 The precipitation from my forehead ran down into my eyes, and it was cold.
 ''He was dutiful son, by all ac- count,' continued Derringer, land would undoubtedly marry to please his father even if it broke his own heart and the girls. Happily, however, there would be no such double catastrophe, for the girl loved him."
 .''She loved me?'' exclaimed. "Sibyl loved me? The thing isn't possible. Why, man, I was a brute to her. The only shadow of kindness I ever showed her was to sing sad songs to make her -cry.'' .,. ..@
 "The girl loved him." said Derringer firmly. "She couldn't remember time when she hadn't, and, being the right sort of girl at heart, she was afraid he would pretend to love her in order to please his father. The idea became a nightmare with her-a night and day mare. So she hit upon a plan in the midst of her desperation. It seems that her looks had undergone remarkable change since girlhood, so that she felt quite sure the young man would not recognize her. He had never paid any attention to her when she was child, and, besides, there's a sort of family peculiarity-I didn't quite understand about it-defc;ency of vision or some thing like that. But you seem to see all right" e. .
 'I see too well,' said I. 'It's the same with my father. It was so with his father. We see face precisely as it Is, and if it changes in the least it is another face to us. We do not carry with us the vague and varying images of those we know, which serve best for purposes of general recognition. We hold one accurate picture, and it either fits or it doesn't. Do you un- derstand? I probably know more about your real looks than any other fellow. who ever saw you. But if you should dye your mustache a shade lighter I might pass you on the street without a notion that had ever set eyes on you before.' H
 'I think the young lady endeavored to express some such idea," said Der ringer. You may readily believe that I was in no condition to grasp com plicated subject. However, be the ex- planation what it may, the young lady was perfectly convinced that the gen tleman in question would not know her. She had resolved to play strange comedy with him.. We'll, she played it in New York and was not satisfied with the result. At least that is the rational inference. So we have had the second act, with a changed scene, and the romance has come to a perfect conclusion" Tt has?' I cried. ''Why, man, haven't spoken a word to her. l have not been within hundred yards of her."
 He shook his head and smiled sadly.
 'I have no right to pry into your af- fairs," said he, ''but I should be insane and blind if I did not perceive how completely you have come under her spell. Otherwise it is obvious that I could not have told this story to you. Yet because I am the loser and am going away, I really wished to speak one frank word to you. I believe that you are a fine fellow in every way. I know that you will do as near right as any man can, and you have my best wishes, my most earnest congratula- tions"--
 His voice was unsteady with emo- ton.
 "Derringer," said I, you've gone completely off your head. You're right as to Miss Lamoine, of course. I was q fool not to have seen it before, and if we had had this conversation in New York I'm afraid you would have seen me dance jig in the presence of your grief. But that's all changed now. That imp of brother"-
 "Lunatic," he cried, "he isn't her brother! Don't you see that she has merely taken Miss Lamoine's name She borrowed her friends personality with the connivance of the Cushings, but she was and is Sibyl Wayne. The Miss Lamoine whom you and I have met is no more a sister to Jimmy than to the man in the moon." .~
 I shook my head, holding it at the same time in my hands.
 "It doesn't make any difference" I insisted. Shell always be his sister so far as am concerned. Jimmy has set tied me. knew the boy was an ennis sary of the devil as soon as saw him. And he has done his work we'll. You wouldn't believe that: such a trif1e,could