The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-01-23

sense Of something new anu terrible
rising between him and the suddenly
beclouded future? Let US follow him
to his lonely hotel room and see if we
can solve the puzzle.
But first, does he understand his
own trouble? He does not seem to-
For when, his hat thrown aside, he
stops, erect and frowning under the
flaring gas jet he had no recollection
of lighting, his first act was to lift his
hand to his head in gesture Of sur
prising helplessness for him, while
snatches Of broken sentences fell from
his lips among which could be heard:
what has come to me? Und0ne In
an hour! Doubly undonei First by
face and then by this thought which
surely the devils have whispered to
me. Mr.. Challoner and Oswald! What
Is the link between them? Great &C d!
what is the link? Not myself? Who
then or what?"
Flinging himself into chair, he
buried his face in his hands. There
were two demons to fight-the first in
the guise of an angel. Doris! I'm.
known yesterday, unknown an hour
ago; but now! Had there ever been
a day-an hour--when she had not
been as the very throb of his heart,
the light of his eyes, and the crown OF
all imaginable blisses?
! This was no passing admiration OF
youth for captivating woman. This
was not even the love he had given
to Edith Challoner. He did not know
himself. There was nothing in hi.
! whole history to give him an under
! standing of such feelings as these.
He, Orlando Rrothersou. had never
thought much of love. Science had
been his mistress; ambition his lode
star. Miss Challoner had reused
well, his pride. He could see tina,
now. The might of this new emotion
made plain many things he had passed
by as useless. puerile, unworthy of q
man of mental caliber and might. He
had never loved Edith Challoner at
any moment of their acquaintance
ship, though he had been sincere in
thinking that he did. Doris beauty,
the hour he had just passed with her,
had undeceived him.
Did he hail the experience? 1t was
not likely to bring him JOY. This
young girl whose image fioated in
light before his eyes, would never love
him. She loved his brother He had
heard their names mentioned together
before he had been in town an hour.
Oswald, the cleverest man, Doris, the
most beautiful girl in western Penn.
sylvania.
He had accepted tie gossip then;
he had not seen her and it all seemed
very natural-hardly worth mo
ment's thought. Put now
And mere, the other demon sprang
erect and grappled with him before
the first one had let go his hold Os
valid and Challoner! There is more
than Fates caprice in Challoner's in
terest in a man he never saw. Had he
found the connecting link? Had il
been-could it have been Edith? The
preposterOus is sometimes true;
could it be true iii this case?
He recalled the letters read to him
as hers in that room of his in Brook,
lyn. He had hardly noted them then
he was so sure OF their being for
geries, gotten up by the police to mis-
lead him. Could they have been real
the illusions of her mind. the breath,
ings of her heart. directed to an &C
tual o. D., and that o. B., his brother!
Oswald had been east, Oswald had
even been in the Berkshires before
himself. Oswald Why it was Os-,
wald who had suggested that he
should go there-gO where she still
was Why this second coincidence, il
there were no tie-if the Challoners
and Oswald were as far apart as they
seemed and as conventionalities would
naturally place them. Oswald was a
sentimentalist, but very reserved
about his sentimentalities. If these
suggestions We're true, he had had q
sentimentalist's motive for what he
did. AS Orlando realized this, he ross
from his seat, aghast at the POSSIBLE
ties confronting him from this line OF
thought. Should he contemplate them?
Risk his reason by dwelling on sup
position which might have no founda-
ton in fact? No. His brain was too
full-his purposes too important for
any unnecessary strain to be put upon
his faculties. No thinking! investigat-
ing first. Mr.. Challoner should be
able to settle this question. He would
see him. Even at this late hour he
ought to be able to find him in one Of
the rooms below; and, by the force OF
an irresistible demand, learn in a no.
ment whether he had to do with n
mere chimera of his own overwrought
fancy, or with fact which would call
into play all the resources of an hiti1-
erto unconquered and Gndaunted IA
ture.
There was a wood-fre burning in
the sitting-room that night. and around
1t was grouped number of men with
their papers and pipes. Mr. Brother
son, entering, naturally looked that
way for the man he was in search OF,
and was disappointed not to find him
there; but on casting his glances else
where, he was relieved to see him
49,