The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1911-09-01
The Resemblance
When Miss Ada Gordonley died she

SO greatly affected that for months
| his old friends watched him day ant
| night, fearing he might attempt sui
| eide. When the first sorrow and de
spair subsidized little he left Londor
! ard sought seclusion in the loneliness
of Westmoreland In an old castle
with immense square towers.
Musgrave had loved Miss Ada Cor
donley from the first moment he saw
her, with a love deep and intense
Afgernon only needed to speak and
Miss Gordonley understood and re
turned his feelings. The period Of
their engagement had been long, bu,
exceedingly happy. Two weeks be
fore the wedding a sudden attack OF
sickness ended the young girls life,
and transformed Lord Musgrave into
q state of mind bordering upon insan.
ity.
One evening as he was walking
along the edge of the woods, he sud.
denly stopped pale and trembling. A
human form stood before him, 1t was
a charming young girl, her every fea-
tu-e distinct duplicate of Ada's. He
would have thought her an halluci-
nation if he had not noticed that her
eyes were more bold than those of his
dead f1aucee and that she was dressed
like a peasant girl.
AS soon as he got back home he
sent for his overseer and described
the girls appearance to him.
= "She is a good for nothing" said
the overseer as he shook his head.
because of her l have several times
been tempted to evict her father, who
has been one of our tenants for more
than twenty years, but it is not just
to punish the parents for the sins Of
their children. This Jane is a hoy
den, she drinks and never goes to
church, spending all her evenings
with the toughest rascals of the coun-
try"
Greatly agitated, Musgrave broke
OF the conversation and for three
days he did not leave his apartments.
Mathews. He strolled about for Il
long time without meeting her, bu;
suddenly he found her.
He would never have thought 1t
possible that two girls could resemble
one another SO much. She was 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
different, for James was coarse and
she spoke with an abominable &C.
cent.
From now on there began for Lord
Musgrave an intolerable existence, for
ansirresistible desire drew him toward
this girl whom he knew to be stupid.
brutal, coarse and even given to
drink. but who was nevertheless
divine image of his lost love.
He was afraid of her, afraid of be-
traying the memory of his fiance,
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
In his mind, and, the vilest would ef-
face the purest.
Having loved nobly the most incom-
parable of girls, he was in danger OF
degrading himself just because Of this
love. Still his thoughts were always
with Jane, though he was we'll aware
Of the bottomless pit on the edge OF
which he stood.
He had only exchanged a few COM
monplace remarks with the girl,
when one day he asked her to come
to the castle. The next day she pre-
scented herself bold and self-con-
scious.
He looked at her long and offered
her handsome gown on the condition
that she should wear 1t when she
came to see him. 1t was made from
q silvery brocade and Ada had worn
It at the last ball they attended to-
gether. Her parents bad given 1t to
Musgrave in memory of her.
Thus attired, Jane anpeared before
Algernon. Her beautiful shoulders md
white arms were bare. She was no
longer a peasant girl. but Ada Cor
donley came back to Ife'
'Sit down and say nothing Mus
grave commanded.
She obeyed. The roys OF IT, sc ting
sun fell through the many colo~ed
loaded glass windows, shore upon the
antique furniture tie c2ken rl'r+hs,
the arabesques of tie c2:!.Eg and he
armors along the v2lls. A rose
colored ray fell upon J ne ,IGthhew's
face
Musgrave devoured her with his
eyes. He felt as il Ada was once
more alive and near him.
Suddenly she said n he coarse
voice:
MAY l go now?'
1t was rude shock. 1t seemed to
Musgrave as II somebody were dishon-
oring his dead fiance. Accidentally
or perhaps by Ges gn revolver lay
near his hand.
He raised his arm
The beautiful form, dressed in its
sHvery gown was on the floor motion
less.
Outside the ravens were crying.
Then everything grew silent.
Lord Algernon MIsgrave wiped his
forehead. His eyes were wild and his
hands trembled. To get out of the
room he had to walk across the dead
body, but as he did SO he felt happy
to think that he was now freed from
the terrible SPELL and that from now
on he could without any remorsc al
ways think of the girl he was never
to see again-Edmond Jalon in the
Buffalo Enquirer.