Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19


= that Damaris Sylvester discovered
her sisters secret. Then it came
through a chance muttering in the
night-a night when Damaris had been
unable to WOO much-needed slumber.
And for the first wild moment the girl
was torn with passionate resentment.
She said that 1t was more than hard
that 1t was unfair
A shaft of silvery moonlight lay
across Ellen's face as Damaris turned
restlessly. The pale lips were .mutter-
ing in the gentle raving of dreamland.
Halliday, Halliday" said the soft,
sweet voice; Il love you, dear; ah! so
much"
What was she to do?" asked the
younger sister as she lay staring Wild
ly at the moonray that outlined her
sisters face in halo of silvery sheen.
what could she do?" she cried to her
own heart; but there was no answer
there. AS much as a woman may
know anything, she knew that Halli-
day Wentworth had left England
fancy-free. He had not spoken word
of love to any woman-he had been a
good comrade, a real chum to the two
sisters, but that was all. What was
she to do?
The slow hours crept past on silent
wings. The moonray slanted past the
peaceful face. and disappeared, but
exceedingly, torn to the very soul with
the agonizing truth that she had heard.
Ellen loved Halliday wentworth! The
shock of it stopped the waking girls
heart beats and filled her with a
strange, resentful trembling. Ellen
had won so much in life-she might
have spared this one thing for her sis
ter. 1t was hard, indeed, Damaris said
within herself, that she, who had never
thought twice about any man until
Wentworth appeared, should have her
simple love dream shattered to pieces
thus summarily.
Dimly she saw herself consigned to a
life of endless gloom. The one precious
thing that had come to her must be
banished utterly. She must bolt out
all the delirious visions that had gone
far to make her life happy, and resign
all that she had hoped for. Ellen loved
NEWFOUNDLAND there was only one
thing she could do-she must yield to
Ellen's need.
But how was it to be done? She had
no knowledge of Wentworth's where
abouts. All she knew was that he had
gone away on a wild expedition, far
away into the heart of the African
Hinterland. No message she could
send would be likely to find him-if
she found him, indeed, how was she
to tell him all that had occurred?
For 1 couldn't send letter to him,
she said slowly, land say that Ellen
loved him-that he must write and tell
her he loved her. Why, it would be
the madness of a fool! And the prob
abilities are that he doesn't care one
jot whether Ellen-ah! or I!-eVen
think of him. l don't know anything
about his life. He may be plighted to
some woman we have never heard or
What can l do?'
And her brain answered her-noth-
ing. No, there seemed nothing to be
done The secret that she had dis
covered unwittingly must be preserved
an utter secret-and things must take
their natural course. But-Ellen was
the sufferer, Ellen who was daily grow
ing weaker, as though eaten inWardly
by a deadly canker. Only the night
before the elder sister had spoken OF
those frightful pains above her eyes
ELLEN was marked out by disease; was
doomed to lifelong suffering-and-she
loved Halliday Wentworth!
The full day offered no solution TO
the crowdng, chaotic problems. Pres
emily Ellen stirred slightly and opened
her heaVy-lidded eyes, wincing slightly
as the blazing light shot across them.
Then she sighed heavily, and felt with
her wandering hand for her sister S
fingers.
II had such a heavenly dream she
whispered, and soft flush overspreau
her checks and neck. ION, Damarls'
[ wish / dare tell you"
The Younger sister crowded down the
moments resentment and Sentiy
smoothed the tumbled hair from the
flushed brow. ,.,,