Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-07-30

the unbelievable had happened. ! saw
something that" He stopped snort
his lips parted.
She waved her hand in the direction
Of the Buddha. Have you never petl-
toned your too solid friend oVer there
to unrayel the mystery for you! III
the quiet Of certain lonely, speculative
hours have you not wondered where
you had seen me before-long, long
before the night in London? In all the
years that you have been trying u
convince yourself that Frederic is not
your son. has there not been the VISION
Of"
What are you saying to me! are
you trying to tell me that you are MA
tilde?"
IF not Matilde, then who am l.
pray?" she demanded.
He sank back, frowning. 1T cannot
be possible. | would know her a thou-
sand years from now. You annot
trick me into. believing But IN
Gods name, who are your" He leaned
forward again, clutching the edge OF
the table. by heaven, / sometimes
think you are a ghost come to haunt
me. to torture me. What trick, what
magic is behind all this? Has her
soul, her spirit, her actual being ound
a lodging place in you, and have you
been sent to curse me for"
, She rose halfway out Of her chair
, leaning farther across the table. yes
James Brood, I represent the spirit OF
: Matilde Valeska, If you will have 1t 80
r Not sent to curse you, but to love you
; That's the pity of it all. swear tc
you that it is the spirit of Matilde ina
urges me to love you and to spare you
now. It Is the spirit of Matilde ina
stands between her son and death. bu'
1t Is not Matilde who confronts YOU
4 here and now, you may be sure OF that
Matilde loved you. She lOves you now
even in her grave. You will never d.
able to escape from that wonderful
love of hers. II there have been time
and heaven knows there were many
| know-when l appeared to love yo'
for myself, | swear to you that wa
moved by the spirit of Matilde. /
am as much mystifed, as greatly pu2
zled as yourself. l came here to nat
you, and | have loved you-yes. ther
were moments when / actually love
you"
Her voice died away into a whisper
For many seconds they sat lookln
into each others eyes, neither pos
sessing the power to break the strang
spell of silence that had fallen upo
them.
mo. 1t is not Matilde who confront
you now, but one who would not spar
you as she did up to the hour OF nc
death. You are quite safe from ghos'
from this hour on, my friend. Yo
will never see Matilde again, thong
=. you look into my eyes till the end
time. Frederic may see, may feel tn
spirit of his mother, but you-ah. nc
You have seer the last of her. HI
blood is in my veins, her wrongs are
he my heart. It was she with whom W
fell in love and 1t was she you marie
a. six months ago, but now the curtain
er lifted. Don't you know me now, Jane!
Can your memory carry you bat
t%wenty-three years and deliver W
from doubt and ~perplexity? Loo
ia. closely, l say. l was six years o
then and"
on Brood was glaring at her as Of
an stupefed. Suddenly he cried out In
loud voice: Heaven help me, "
la. are-you are the little sister? IT
little Therese?
She was standing now, leaning (
ng over the table. for he had shrunk doy
into his chair.
1.-THE little Therese, yes! Now
to you begin to see? Now do you beg
mt to realize what l came here to do? NJ
GU do you know why l married you? Is
Tor It clear to you? Well, I have tri
1t to do all these things so that l mig
i'm break your heart as you broke hers
1t came to make you pay!" She "
in speaking rapidly, excitedly now +
uld voice was high.pitched and unnatul
Her eyes seemed to be driving b
mo- deeper and deeper into the chair, &c
> a ing him down as though with a giar
the hand. THE little, timid, heart-brol
ely Therese who would not speak to y
he nor kiss you, nor say good-by to
cry when you took her darling sister av
ven from the Bristol in the Kartnerr
on more than twenty years ago. All, h
tor loved her-how l loved her!
how l hated you for taking her a,
oct. from me. Shall l ever forget that "
ding night? Shall l eve forget
nro. grief. the loneliness, the hatred I
dwelt in my poor little heart
night? Everyone was happy
A.. whole world was happy-but was
~ was crushed with grief. You "
,,,.b taking her away across the awful
and you were to make her happy
they said-ai-e, so said my belo
JOYOUS sister. You stood before
.So altar in st. Stephens with her
%" NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ey
nn, thing. l heard you. l sat with
80. mother and turned to ice, but b,
=, ~ you. All Vienna, all Budapest said
49,. YOU promised naught but happines
49,, each other. She was t~wenty-one.
80 was lovely-ah, far lovelier than
~ --ALoI Dhntooronh LIVING fhar,