Year: 1877

>. W, l. IL - AOoO1A
beauties par excellence of the country around ;
and almost the first question asked visitor
or new conner in the neighborhood, would
be, "Have you seen the Miss Lyndhursts yet p
In the eyes of their father they were both per-
fection. No man, according to his judgment,
ever had been, or ever again would be, the
possessor of two such lovely, amiable, and
thoroughly good girls. Evelyn still continued
to be slightly his favorite. She was his baby,
his fondling. and it was amusing to see the
tall, womanly y-looking figure of this cherished
daughter perched, as it frequently was, upon
his knee, while she pulled his whiskers and
cured his gray hair, and teased him in any
manner that she fancied. Though she no
longer rode on Rogers shoulder, yet she ty-
rannized over him as completely as ever, and
the old man always declared that nobody
could refuse Miss Evelyn anything; it was a
way she had" it was her way, it was q
very winning way, and none felt inclined to
quarrel with her about the use she made of it.
Rose never showed or felt the slightest jeal-
ousy of this homage paid to her attractions ;
indeed she was quite as ready to yield it to
her as was any one else, and the most perfect
affection existed between the sisters, who SEEM
ed as though they could not live without each
other.


The intimacy between the Lennoxes and
themselves remained unbroken, and day
rarely elapsed in which either message or a
visit did not pass from one house to the other.


One afternoon, Evelyn, wishing particular
ly to see Miss Lennox, and give her mes
sage from her sister, which she had forgotten
to deliver on the previous day, had her pony
sadded, and set off alone on her errand for
neither she nor Rose ever considered it neces-
sary now to have an escort in going over a
road they were as familiar with as this.


On arriving at Los Pinos ranch, she was
surprised to find her usually calm friend in q
state of evident excitement and agitation,
though she eudeavored to conceal these symp-
toms, and to appear as easy and unconstrained
as usual. Evelyn, thinking that some family
matter might be disturbing her, or that she
might have heard some disagreeable news, of
which she did not care to speak, forbore ques-
tioning her on the subject, but hastened her
visit, so as not to intrude longer upon her
privacy than would be agreeable, and soon
rose to take her leave.


"Don't be in such hurry, my DEAR" said
Miss Lenrox, holding Evelyn's hand in both
hers, as she lay upon couch, always her ref
uge when anything had shaken her nerves.
II know you think me in queer mood this
afternoon, but there is no reason why you
should not sit longer. Indeed, it is relief to
have you with me, for something has lately
happened which quite disturbed me- though
perhaps 1 am foolish to mind it so much"


81 was afraid you we're feeling ill.," rejoined
Evelyn, "and that might be in your way"


"Not at all. I have been unusually well
to-day, only this-this shock has unsettled me.
Oh! dear. Evelyn, did you ever have
great dread, which has so long been forgotten
or laid aside, that you fancied it would return
no more, suddenly spring up and confront you
again when you least expected it2"


NO." said Evelyn, shaking her head. III
cannot say that ever did,"


"Well, it is dreadful feeling. Once upon
time, seven years ago I think it is, this sort
of fear got possession of me. 1t was some
thing 1 thought I might have to do, some
thing involving, perhaps, the life of another
person, that I was afraid of, and the idea
haunted me for long while, and made me
wretched. At last, however, circumstances
combined to weaken the recollection of this
dread, and finally drove it away, almost en-
tirely. Only in my nervous moods it would
sometimes come back, but not with such dis.
tressing force as at first. But to-day it has
been revived, and with it all the old horror
used to feel. Oh, Evelyn, how would you feel
if you fancied a PERSONS life might be in
your handsf"


II should feel terribly, of course" !" replied
Evelyn. "But, Miss Annie, how can such
thing be possible in your case!"


"It is very possible, my dear child-though
may be needlessly alarmed about it, l may
never he called upon to give my testimony.
1t would be relief to me to tell you the
whole thing, but dare not. 1t would not be
acting rightly or prudently, and would not
speak of it even to my father"


"Why, doesn't he know?" asked Evelyn,
surprised.


"No indeed I have never breathed a
syllable of it to him and never shall, if can
help it. I must keep it absolutely secret in
my own breast"


"Why, it's quite mystery" said Evelyn,
unable to repress a little laugh. For in the
first place It seemed to her something quite
inconceivabe that the languid, inactive Miss
Lennox, with her nerves and her ailments,
and her fussiness, and her secluded way Of
living, should be the possessor Of any such
dreadful and unmentionabe secret, and she
could not help thinking that it was only the
sort of melo-dramatc light in which she was
apt to regard things that made her take so
solemn view of it,


"Yes, and indeed wish that there were no
cause for mystery" said Miss Lennox, in a
melancholy tone However, it's my fate, l
suppose, to have this dreadful responsibility
put upon me, or at least the continual fear of
it, which is nearly as bad. Pray Heaven my
apprehensions may prove unfounded I have