The Carlisle independent., 1915-06-17


 something that" He stopped short. his lips parted.
 She waved her hand in the direction of the BHddha. Have you never peti- tioned your too solid friend over there to unrayel the mystery for you? In the quiet of certain lonely, speculative hours have you net wondered where you had seen me before-long. long before the night in London? In all the years that you have been trying to 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 I. pray?" she demanded
 He sank back, frowning. It cannot be possible. would know her thou sand years from now. You cannot trick me into believing But. in Gods name, who are you?' He leaned forward again, clutching the edge of the table. By heaven, I 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 found 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, represent the spirit of Matilde Yaleska, if you will have 1t so. Not sent to curse you, but to love you. That's the pity of it all. I swear to you that it is the spirit of Matilde that urges me to love you and to spare you now. It is the spirit of Matilde that stands between her son and death. But it is not Matilde who confronts you here and now, you may be sure of that. Matilde loved you. She loves you now, even in her grave. You will never be able to escape from that wonderful love of hers. If there have been times and heaven knows there were many, l know-when I appeared to love you for myself, I swear to you that I was moved by the spirit of Matilde I-I am as much mystified, as greatly pug zled as yourself. came here to hate you, and I have loved you-yes. there were moments when I actually loved you"
 Her voice died away into a whisper. For many seconds they sat looking into each others eyes, neither pos sessing the power to break the strange spell of silence that had fallen upon them.
 No, it is not Matilde who eonfronts you now. but one who would not spare you as she did up to the hour of her death. You are quite safe from ghosts from this hour on. my friend You will never see Matilde again. though you look into my eyes till the end of time. Frederic may see. may feel the spirit of his mother, but you-ah, no! You have seen the last of her. Her blood is in my veins, her wrongs are in my heart. It was she with whom you fell in love and it was she you married six months ago, but now the curtain is lifted. Don't you know me now, James? Can your memory carry you back twenty-three years and deliver you from doubt and perplexity? Look closely. I say. I was six years old then and"
 Brood was glaring at her as one stupefied. Suddenly he cried out in loud voice: Heaven help me, you are-you are the little sister? The little Therese 2"
 She was standing now, leaning far over the table. for he had shrunk down into his chair
 The little Therese, yes Now do you begin to see? Now do you begin to realize what came here to do? Now do you know why l married you? Isn't it clear to you? We'll, I have tried to do all these things so that I might break your heart as you broke hers. I came to make you payl" She was speaking rapidly, excitedly now. Her voice was high-pitched and unnatural Her eyes seemed to be driving him deeper and deeper into the chair, fore ing him down as though with a giants hand. The little, timid, heart-broken Therese who would not speak to you. nor kiss you. nor say good-by to you when you took her darling sister away from the Bristol in the Kartnerring more than twenty years ago. An. how I loved her-how 1 loved her! And how l hated you for taking her away from me. Shall l ever forget that wed. ding night? Shall I ever forget the grief, the loneliness, the hatred that dwelt in my poor little heart that night? Everyone was happy-the whole world was happy-but was |? I was crushed with grief You were taking her away across the awful sea and you were to make her happy. so they said-ai-e, so said my beloved. joyous sister You stood before the altar in St. Stephens with her and omised-promised every thing. l heard you. I sat with my mother and turned to ice, but I heard you. All Vienna, all Budapest said that you promised naught but happiness to each other. She was twenty-one. She