The Virginia enterprise., 1913-04-18

because she was selfish. hystssie1l,
(dishonorable coward. Horrible %
such abasement would be. Il Il Wers5
her duty, she could do Il; what she
could not, what she would not do, was
to tear the veil from the pure and
mystical passion which had been the
flower Of her heart. mot If it cost
me my SOUL" she said, with the fro
zen quiet Of despair; 1T is awful. but
can't do it!''' One thing did remain: :
she could remove the picture. That
false witness Of what had never been
should CO. No eyes should ever fall
on it again. It should never deceive
more. She walked toward it firmly.
She lifted her hand-and it fell. Il
can't!" she moaned. '1'll do it to-
morrow" She could not remember, in
years, so weak compromise offered
her conscience.
But she felt sense of respite, al
most relief, once having decided, and
she recovered her composure enough
to go to her chamber and bathe her
eyes. While she was thus engaged
she heard a knock. 1T Is he," she
said quietly; well, the sooner the bet
ter
It was he; he had come earlier than.
he expected, he explained; he was
most grateful for Miss Wings kind
message. He looked like his uncle, as
Sthe members of family will look
| alike. He was not so tall: he was not
! so handsome. Perhaps most people
would call him more graceful. And
his English was faultless; he must
have spoken it from his childhood. In
the midst of his first sentences, be-
fore they had permitted him to take
| chair, his eyes travelled past Miss
! Wings face. She perceived that he
saw the picture; she knew that she
grew pale; but, to her amazement,
calm like the calm which had wrapped
her senses on the day of her finding
the picture, closed about her again.
II beg pardon?" said he.
Eyes, that is Count Won Buffers por'
trait" said she, in clear voice. with
out emotion. He was not so COM
posed. "Then it was you," he said.
Following her example, he took a
chair and looked earnestly at the pic
tured face. when Miss Raimund
spoke of you so warmly, l noticed
that the name was the same, and
determined to inquire, but it seemed
to me unlikely. Yet it is. Miss Wing
have message to you, Hom my un
| cle."
! 81 was with him when he died."
| That was a strange thing to hear
when the message Of his uncles death
had come to him in another country;
she hoped that her brain was not 60
ing to play her false.
1T was fifteen years ago last July,
you know. never knew how many
details you received, or only the bare
fact in the papers"
Fifteen years! fifteen years! What
was that date he was giving? That
was the day on which she sailed fol
America, the day after-what was that
story he was telling Of visit and a
fire and a child rescued and an ac'
cident? But still she listened with the
same iron composure. The next
words she heard distinctly.
1T was like him to lose his life
that way; and he did not erudge It.
Yet it was hard that should be the
only one Of his blood with him. He
could speak with difficulty when he
told me to take lock Of hair and his
signet ring to you. He dictated the
address, himself, to me. You must be
sure and take it, he said. 1t Is to
the lady that hoped would be my be-
trothed; you must tell grandmamma
about it, too. She has my picture and
she knows-but tell her'-and then.
think his mind must have wandered e
little, for he smiled brightly at me, say
ing, I'll tell her myself and then the
doctors came. He said nothing more
only once, they told me, he murmured
something about his betrothed. But
had the ring; he took it of his finger
and kissed it and gave it to me. Child
as was, knew that it was sacred.
wrapped it in the paper, and after
ward I put the lock Of hair beside 1t
So soon as l could, went to Heidel
berg, to tho sension. You had gone
and there was no address, no trace
Il left my address with the coun
tess"
my aunt is Dead" said the young
German gravely. Il would not criti
cize her, but she had her own choice
of wife for my uncle; I do not think
one could trust her with addresses
I'VE all gave ours to her to give to
Frau Muller"
THAT is why, then, l could not find
you. My grandmother also tried. But
you were gone. l thought Of the
banks, long after, but I found moth
ing. Often it has seemed dreadful
that you should learn of this only
through the papers. But could not
tell whether-anyehing. When came
to America, confess it was always ii
my mind always carried my un
cles little packet with me. will
have it sent to you.
Excuse me-" said Miss Wing gent
ly. "Will you please bring me the
glass of water-I-am afraid-1 CAM
walk to It,"
But she would not let him pour the
water on his handkerchief to battle
her head. She slipped the water, and
very pale, but quite herself, brought
him back to his own matters. She
found that it, was cousin, miscalled
an uncle, in the German manner, who