El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-27

VA she was barely 20 years old
and lord Algernon Musgrave
her fiance, was SO greatly affected that
for months his old friends watched
him every day and night, fearing he
might attempt suicide When the first
sorrow and despair subsidized a little,
he left London and sought seclusion
in the loneliness of Westmoreland in
an old castle, with immense square
towers, surrounded by walls and moats
and hidden in an immense forest.
Musgrave had loved Miss Ada Cor
donley from the first moment he saw
her, with love deep and intense She
was slender and graceful, her arms
were exquisitely moulded and her neck
firm and round. and of dazzling
Wilderness. Her eyes were large and
lustrous, but the most characteristic
feature Of her face was the unusual
distance between her nose and her
upper lip. She was bright, gay and
musical
Algernon only needed to speak and
Miss Gordonley understood and re-
turned his feelings The period of
their engagement had been long, but
exceedingly happy. Two weeks be-
fore the wedding a sudden attack of
sickness ended the young girls life.
and transformed lord Musgrave into
a state of mind bordering upon tnsan
ity.
One evening as he was walking
along the edge of the wood, he sud-
denly stopped, pale and trembling. A
human form stood before him. 1t was
a charming young girl, her every fea-
ture a distinct duplicate of Ada's. He
would have thought her an 'hallucina-
ton if he had not noticed that her
eyes were more bold than those of his
dead fiancee and that she was dressed
like a peasant girl.
As soon as he got back home he
sent for his oYerseer and described the
girls appearance to him.
She is good for nothing" said
the overseer as he shook his head
Because of her I have several times
been tempted to evict her father, who
has been one of our tenants for more
than 20 years, but 1t is not just to
punish the parents for the sins of their
children. This Jane is q hoyden; she
drinks and never goes to church,
spending all her evenings with the
toughest rascals of the country"
Greatly agitated, Musgrave broke
off the conversation and for three
days he did not leave his apartments.
When he did go out it was to see Jane
Matthews. He strolled about for a
long time without meeting ner, but
suddenly he found himself FACE to face
with her again.
He would never have thought it
possible that two girls could resemble
one another so much. She vas ex-
actly Of the same height as Miss Cor
donley. her eyes, her complexion, her
neck and even the long distance be-
tween nose and lip were like his late
sweetheart's. The voice alone was diff
ferent, for James was coarse and she
spoke with an abominable accent
From now on there began for lord
Musgrave an intoIerable existence, for
an irresistible desire drew him to-
wards this girl, whom he knew to be
stupid brutal, coarse and given to
drink, but who was nevertheless a d.
vine image of his lost love.
He was afraid of her, afraid Of be-
Lraying the memory of his fiancee, |
afraid of falling in love with this |
beautiful mask, though he knew the |
real face behind it. If that should |
happen, what would become of him? |
The two women would melt together |
n his mind and the vi1est would /
efface the purest.
Having loved nobly the most incom- (
parable of girls, he was in danger of |
himself just because of this |
eve. Still his thoughts were always |
with Jane, though he was well aware |
# the bottomless pit on the edge OF |
which he stood.
He had only exchanged a few COM
nonplace remarks with the girl when |
me day he asked her to come to the
,astle. The next day she presented
lerself, bold and self-conscious.
He looked at her long and offered |
Ter a handsome gown on the condi-
ion that she should wear ii when she
ame to see him. 1t was made from
silvery brocade and Ada had worn
t at the last ball they attended to-
sether. Her parents had given it to
fusgrave in memory of her.
Thus attired Jane appeared before
Algernon. Her beautiful shoulders
nd white arms were bare. She was
10 longer a peasant girl, but Ada
sordonley come back to life.
"Sit down and say nothing" Mus
rave commanded.
She obeyed. The rays Of the setting
un fell through the many colored
eaded glass windows shown upon the
ntique furniture, the oaken plinths,
he arabesQues of the ceiling and the
rmors along the walls. A rose col
red ray fell upon Jane Matthew's
ace.
Musgrave devoured her with his
yes. He felt as if Ada was once more
live and near him.
Suddenly she said in her coarse
dice:
May I go now"
1t was a rude shock. It seemed to
Iusgrave as if somebody were dishon-
ring his dead fiancee Accidentally
r perhaps by design a revolver lay