The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-04

beam disturbed a perennial quiet that
was yet not peace.
The room was like q wide, deep
well Of night, the haunt Of teeming
shadows and sinister silences.
Little, indeed, was visible beyond
the lonely shape that brooded over
1t, the figure of an old man motion
less in great, leather bound chair
His hair was as white as his heart
was black. The rack Of his bones,
clothed in thick black dressing
gown with waist-cord of crimson silk,
from the thighs down was covered by
black woollen rug. He stared I'M
blinkingly at nothing: man seven
eighths dead, completely paralyzed
but for his head and his left arm.
Presently faint clicking signal dis
turbed the stiffness. Seneca Urine put
forth his left hand and touched one
of row of crimson buttons embedded
in the desk. Something else clicked
this time a latch. There was the
faintest possible noise of a closing
door and a smallish man stole noise
lvsH!y into the light, paused beside the
desk and waited respectfully for leave
to speak.
"Well?"
~ telegram, sir-from England"
Give it me-"
The old man seized the sheet of vel
low paper, scanned it hungrily, and
crushed it in his trcmulous claw with
gesture Of unccntrollahln emotion.
Send my daughter ]udith here"
Two minutes later young woman
in street dress was admitted to the
chamber of shadows.
You sent for me-, father?"
"Sit down"
She found aud placed a chair at the
desk. and obediently settled herself
in it,
"judith-tell me-what day is this?"
My birthday. | am twenty-one."
And your sisters birthday: Rose,
too. is twenty-one."
Yes"
You could have forgotten that" the
old man pursued almost mockingly.
do you really dislike your twin-sister
SO intensely"
The girls voice trembled. "You
know" she said, I'VE have nothing in
common-beyond parentage and this
abominable resemblance Our natures
differ as light from darkness"
And which would you say was
Light"
Hardly my own: I'm no hypocrite.
Rose Is everything that they tell me
my mother was, while 1.-THE girl
smiled strangely-"I think-I am more
your daughter than my mother's."
A nod Of the white head confirmed
the suggestion. ut is true. I have
watched you closely, Judith, perhaps
more closely than even you knew.
Before l was brought to this"-the
wasted hand made significant ges-
ture-I was a man of strong pas
sions. Your mother never loved, but
rather feared me. And Rose Is the
mirror of her mothers nature, gentle,
unselfish, sympathetic. But you, Ju-
dith. you are like a second self to
me-"
An accent of profound satisfaction
Informed his voice. The girl waited
in a silence that was tensely expect
ant
Then, II on this your birthday
were to ask service Of you that
might injuriously affect the happiness
Of your sister,
The girl laughed briefly: "Only
ask it,"
"And how far would you go to do
my will?"
Where would you stop in the serv.
ice Of one you loved?"
Seneca Urine nodded gravely. And
after brief pause, Rose is in love-"
he announced.
oh, l KNOW know" the father
affirmed with a faint ring of satisfac.
ton. 81 am old, a cripple, prisoner of
this living tomb; but all things I
should somehow come to
know IN course of time,"
It's true-that Englishman she
an acquaintance with on the
Riviera last year-what's his name?-
Law, Alan Law"
In the main,' the father corrected
mildly, you are right. Only. he's not
English. His father was Wellington
Law. of Law & Son"
She knew better than to interrunt
but her seeming patience was belied
by the whitening knuckles of a hand
that lay within the little pool OF blood.
red lieht
And presently the deep voice rolled
on: Law and / were once friends:
-hen-it came to pass that we loved
one woman, your mother. won her
AL but her heart: too late she real
led 1t was Law she loved. He never
forgave me, ror l him. Though he
married another woman, still ne held
from me the love OF my wife. could
not sleep for hating him-and he was
no better off Each sought the others |
ruin; it came to be an open duel be- |
tween Us, in Wall street One OF us /
had to fail-and | held the stronger
hand The nieht before the day that /
was TO have seen my triumph, I /
walked in Central park. as was my /
habit 10 tire my body so that my brain /
might sleep. Crossing the East drive I
| was struck by motor-car running 1
at high speed without lights. | was /
picked up insensible-and lived only
TO be what / am today. Law tri-
umphed in the street while lay help
less; only a living remnant of my
fortune remained TO me. Then his