Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-21

'We must have a dress rehearsal tomorrow,
said Mabel. Your get up, Aubrey promises
well, come and look at your wig and beard"
She led him to boudoir, where the proper
ties" had been unpacked As he entered the
room, his attention was at once arrested by the
photograph of man. beneath which an inscrip-
ton caught his eye The handwriting was SINH
lar to that of the letter which Mabel had so hur-
riedly concealed. the letter causing Aubrey such
deep discontinue.
He paused to look at the kindly face, recall.
ing story he had heard in connection with the
portrait.
''This is the man, he said, 'who proposed to
you when you were seventeen. the friend you
could only regard as a brother
NTabes lips trembled slightly as she replied:
eyes, he was very good to all. At one
time he was often here; you see he my
fathers great friend. His affection for me was
most unfortunate, after | refused him, he
never came to our house again"
\ thrill of Jealousy smote Aubrey sharply.
Though he was the accepted lover Mabel chose
to keep her correspondence with this old ac-
quaintance a secret buried in the recesses of
her heart Desperate curiosity, sharp gnawing
pain, and sudden mistrust, made Aubrey Sut-
ciffe resolve to watch and wait
Mabel was too preoccuped to notice any
change of manner. She sought her fathers So
ciety, and sat beside him, with her hand pressed
lovingly on his arm.
Father, you look very tired" she said: ''you
must go to bed early and rest.
She spoke with little motherly air, kissing
him tenderly He nstnctively marveled that
the girl understood his great WEAKNESS, which
he had succeeded in hiding from his busy, cheer
full wife, Mrs Embury, given up to entertain
ing her many guests, noticed nothing wrong, nor
perceived that he watched the smiling faces
round him like one in a dream. Now and again
the dazed expression changed to look of I'M
spoken fear.
''You are right little girl he said Il am
very tired Don't think of me. | shall slip up
stairs early, and you can all have merry even!
ing / have only another headache, | expect to
be better in the morning"
Never, since their engagement had Aubrey |
felt far awas from his pretty fancee, conscious
that he no longer held the key of her innermost
thoughts. How often in the past had they re-
solved to tell each other everything. Now she
was the first to break the compact, to shut him
out ruthlessly from her confidence and trust.
But not until they parted for the night, and Ma
bel vanished up the winding stairs did his last |
hope die She had taken the secret with her,
to pass long restless hours in its company, with |
no consolation advice from the who loved |
her with all his heart and soul, who pined for
the unspoken word, in bitter silence, in broken
faith.
He had felt sure that she would explain that
sentence in the letter, The fact that
she had finally disappointed him made sleep i'm
possible when he, too sought the quetude of his
own room.
He sat by the open window listening to the
singing of the nightingales feeling something mo-
mentous about to occur. He fanced his
nerves were affected by the troublesome fancies
that letter aroused he was so i'll at ease, he
could have imagined almost any disaster happen
ing before daybreak The garden below. bathed.
in pale moonlight, had rather a ghostly appear
ance. Here and there an old stone figure peered
from among Towering bushes while the moon
beams played on the sun-dial, as if to rival the
rays of its namesake light
Suddenly, Aubrey started and thrill of in
tense excitement sent the blood coursng wildly
through his veins. He could hardly believe his
eyes, for there, below, on the gravel walk, stood