Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19

Oh MS sentences. linen Sne DenL TO ner
work and wrote on and on, never paus-
Ing. Not until the night was far spent
did she rise from the table and gather
her work together. She read the long
letter through from beginning to end,
correcting a phrase that rang untrue,
smoothing off the whole Then she
folded the sheets together and slipped
them into an envelope Nell was asleep
when she finally retired, and agaiI
the shaft Of moonlight was across the
drawn and weary face. But as Da-
maris watched, a smile of wondrous
sweetness curved the dropping lips and
Ellen whispered a name half in awe
"I've done right" sobbed Damaris
passionately; i've done right"
CHAPTER III
"Nell?"
yes"
Come here. There's something
wonderful happened. There's a-a-'
How can / come to you? II can't
I'm blind. blind!"
Damaris went swiftly toward her
sister and caught the hands that
plucked frenziedly at the shade over
the sightless- eyes.
"Tm sorry, dear. I didn't think.
you think that ls?" Ellen took the
cracking envelope with its strange
odor of foreign things. and trembled
weakly. She lifted the letter to her
eyes. but dropped 1t again with
groan. She could see nothing of it
all about her was dense blackness.
TITS a letter." she said after a
while. 'Is it from father? 1t smells
like one of his" Then she caught her
breath strangely and her hand flew to
her throbbing heart.
"Damaris, don't stand there laugh
ing at my helplessness! What is III"
All! but II was worth all the decep-
tion and the heart-tearings to see the
wonderful smile that crossed Ellen's
face then.
From Halliday? For me?" She
whispered the words in awe, and her
smile died away into a strange con-
tortion. Then a strong sob shook her.
For me? And I can't read 1t! Oh!
it's hard, Damaris; it's hard!"
But you can have 1t read, Nell.
See. I'll read 1t for you now"
mo, don't tear ii open, Damaris See,
let me do that. I can feel my way.
There-oh, I can't bear to have 1t out
of my hands"
But after a little she was persuaded
to relinquish the closely written sheets,
and then she listened in breathless ex-
pectation.
TITS wonderful Nell" half sobbed
Damaris n minute later "He's-hes
in love with you, and he's written to
tell you so. Listen"
As Ellen listened all the black sor-
rows of the past month fell from her.
In a low, feeling voice, Damaris read
out a manly protestation of love for
Nell. The letter told of long heart
searchings in the solitude of an Afri-
can JUNGLE of yearnings for the
knowledge that one woman loved the
writer To the listening girl 1t was
as If Halliday himself were actually
speaking the words. Every sentence
rang with the sound of his own voice:
There were curious little turns OF
speech that she remembered so we'll
little idioms that were Hallidays own
Damaris read on and on without a
tremor in her voice.
"I-I can't believe it," sobbed Ellen
presently. as Damaris turned a page.
'It's too wonderful. Oh! Damaris,
when will he be home? Does he say?
But he will come home, won't hep
For a moment Damaris' voice fall
tered slightly for she had never
thought of this development in her
scheme. What IL the newly aroused
hopes should be shattered at their
birth by the knowledge that the man
Ellen loved could not yet return?
She thought hurriedly for moment,
and then she read on.
$50 he can't come home? Butt
think it's best so, after all. Yes, l
wouldn't like him to be untrue to the
trust reposed in him by those he's
serving. I'm glad he's such splendid
man. And, besides. it's better so.
wonder il | ought to tell him I'm
blind? If don't, he'll never know until