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V OL. XIX-NO. 878.
ATLANTA, GA., NOVEMBER 19, 1892.
i'KsCE: S2.0(i A fEAR.
.'{ STOIi r OF LIFE IX TIIESOUTH, AND OF AD VENTURES IX XE W YORK CITY.
By Mary E. Bryan.
vWritten exclusively for Ti!r: Suxnv South,q ranam soon became engaged. Ruth wrote
t.v .Mrs. Hnan, who has been regularly engaged y. atlier inea letter begging her to make Claud
lor this paper.]
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.
T’ne story opens‘at Lakewood, a village which
has lately developed a ‘•boom.” A large invited
party—land speculators and members ot the
press—are expected to come from the city of
Altaniont (.ten miles oil; to attend a barbecue,
etc. Among the Lakewood people assembled
at the station to receive them are the young
mayor, Charley Carroll; sybil Andrews, the
orpnan daughter ot his step-mother, and Sybil's
cousins— Ruth and Claude Ashton; the lormer
supposed to be engaged to young Carroll. 'The
excursion party arrive and are conveyed in
waiting carnages out to the 1’ark, the mineral
springs and iho “Twin Lakes”—Sunset and
M , sue. Among the guests are Colonel Stanley,
chief editorial writer on the “Altawont Ad
vance.” Katharine Lari, who is also employed
on me paper, and ilugn U ranam, a well Known
writer and lecturer—reputed to be a ‘‘man's
man,” but lately much attracted to handsome,
dashing Hiss Rarie. Sue loves him passiOD-
ateiy, bur net uuist for admiration has led her
into' a sentimental lliitation: with CoKuel Stan
ley. It is suspected by his wife, whose suspi
cion is today continued by ber hudiug a letter
written by Katharine to her husband, which
Miss Laric had dropped from her uochet She
reads this letter to Graham, Whose half-devel
oped love for Katharine is turned to contempt,
ivixss Larle reproaches him for his coldness; he
repels her, but does not tell her of the letter.
She recklessly sets herself to attiactjoung
Carroll, who she Knows to be the lover ol Ruin
Ashton, though Ruth’s uuty to her dissipated
old father postpones the marriage. In tne even
ing a gypsy scene is part of the entertainment.
G ranam is much attiacted by the beauty and
sweet singing of sybil as the gjpsy countess,
lie is toia her pathetic story, tuat she is the
daughter of Shirley Andrews, who committed
suicide alter having been convicted for KilLug
a rich banker, who had insulted Ins wife. Kath
arine refuses to have her lortuue told by the j
mock gypsies, and goes oil* defiantly with Col ,■
one! Stanley to lind the “Hermit,” a strange old ,
man wno lives on a tiny island in Mystic Lake.
She is told he has the gift of reading the future.
They lind him in his hut in tne swamp—a tall,
beni. ligure with long gray hair, lie refuses to
tell her anything, saying he is no wizard, but j
beiore she leaves tails into a brief trance and ;
loretells that her coming nere is ill-fated ana
that she will wreck herself and all connected
with her. On their return they lind Mrs. aian- J
ley and young Cairoll just landing on the |
island, having come in search of them. Airs.
Stanley takes Katharine aside, tells her of the
letter, and assures her that if she dares to re
turn to Altauiout, she Will bring public uis-
grace upon her anil dismissal lrem her posi
tion. as Alls. Stanley turns off to join her Hus
band in the boat, she gives Katharine the hall-
mocKiug advice to stay at Lakewood and many
its young mayor.
Katbaime, left oil the island with Carroll,
gives way to her despair, lie believes in her
avowal of innocence, and carried away by pity
and passion, begs her lo stay heie as his father s
guest and to marry him tomorrow. stie con
cents; ami they are mained iu the village
church next uay by Carroll's lather. Sj bills
bitterly indignant because of Ruth, who, how
ever, reascuies her, and though liter own heart
is crueiiy pierced, begs Sybil lor Charley’s sake
to countenance the marriage—in order to pie-
vent unkind comment. T lie two girls stand
beside the Driue when she is married. The
marriage proves unhappy. Katharine still loves
G.anaiu and she is passionately jealous oi Sybil,
whom she demures lie shall never marry, iartly
to divert herself, partly to hurt Ruth and Sy bil,
she sets neisell to laselnate young Claude asli-
ton, who lulls ceeply in love with Her. She finds
Ins poetic Homage very soothing to lier vanity.
Tic almost lives at Alystie Lodge. Carroll, look
ing on him as a boy and a “woman’s pet,” sus
pects nothing, syoiliemonstrates with Clauue,
out only with the lesult of estranging i.im and
increasing Katharine’s hatred oi her. Sybil
contracts typhoid lever through nursing a poor
woman, On the night oi the crisis, Ruth is
called away to lier paraljzed lather, and Katha
rine contrives to rid herself of the liaise and to
he the only watcher by the unconscious gill. A
terrible temptation assails her. if she uoes not
give the uieuiciue and the treatment urgently
unjoined bv the doctor, Sybil will die. ft she
dies, not only will a hated rival be removed
Irom her (Katharine's; sight, but she will come
into command ol money which she craves in
order mat she may leave Lakewood and live
elsewhere. Sybil ia heir; by her grandmother’s
will, to valuable property, which ieverts to her
guardian ^Carrol ; il she dies beiore coming of
age. „ ,
ibis money is a great temptation to Kath
erine ; so she decides she will not give the med
icine that the doctor has lett lor Sybil. The
sick girl lay moaning iu pain with the very
Lemon of fever uriukiug her breath of lile.
lint Katherine, heaiiug a slight noise, turned
hei head, and there in the doorway stood the
Hermit of Alystie Lake. “Has the vision come
too late? is she passed beyond my help?” he
murmured. Willi his long bony finger he
pointed to the half-open door and Kamering
siaggeied towards it and lied to her loom. The
Hermit hastily prepared and administered the
long neglected meuiclnc, and Sybil fell into a
peaceful sleep. Youth and a nne vitality helped
bybil to regain her strength- Slie and Huge
r
leaye the place. Katherine would not do so,
but used more arts to blind her husband. A
crisis came at last. Charley returned home
earlier than usual one day, and heard Claud
singing a most impassioned love song to his
wife. He drove him from the house; but Kath
erine met him elsewhere. Bybil found this out
home, because she has found she cannot love
the man slie is about to marry, Graham doubts
the genuineness of this; and an expert confirms
his belief that it is a forgery. Graham is then
sure that Sybil has been murdered, lie has the
lakes dragged and oilers a large reward for the
recovery of the body. Meanwhile detectives
are engaged on the case. Katharine laughs
scornlully at Graham’s search for the body of a
girl she says Is alive. Ruth does not know what
to think, hut one night three weeks after the
disappearance she wakes up and sees cr thinks
she sees Sybil standing in tbo window. The
figure vanishes at once, lmt Ruth finds on her
pillow a curl of golden hair. When she shows
this to Claude, tie is overcome With terror. He
declares it is the spirit of Sybil—that she is
dead. Ruth connects his terror and his wild
words with the circumstance, that on the night
of Sybil’s disappearance Claude came home at
midnight in the storm fearfully agitated and
exhausted. A vague dreadfuY suspicion
seizes upon Ruth. Meanwhile many of the
ed his life. In his trials, Charley turns to Ruth
as of old, She gives him cordial sympathy, but
repe's any warmer feeling. He plunges inte the
excitement of a political campaign. His speeches
goad his opposers into bringing up and vitaliz
ing the old suspicion that he lias somehow des
troy Sybil Andrews. This is told to Samp Ciane,
the half wit—blindly devoted to Svbil, and lie
mades several attempts upon Carroll’s life. One
night, lie waylays him in a lonely hollow by the
roadside, to shoot him as he rides home. Ruth
frustrates this, risking her life to do it. Carroll
is tliril’o 1 with joy to find by that she still loves
him. One day Ruth is amazed to receive an en
velope post marked London, and addressed in
Hjbil's writing The envelope contains a card
on which is pencilled, “You have put me out of
your heart, but I have not forgotten you.” She
is overjoyed, hut her hopes are crushed a few
days later. Samp while hunting squirrels, has
found in the hollow of a tree.Sybil’s well -known
ebony comb and a Moody handkerchief. He
takes these to Graliam. who at once has ttie
AND YOU NEVER SAW ME BEFORE ! AH! SHOULD OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT;’
and determined to hasten her own marriage
and leave lier once pleasant home, that had
now become so hateful to her.
One night, three days before Sybil is to he
married, she and Ruth are at the widow Crane’s
whose daughter had just died of black measles.
The neighbors imagine it is small-pox, and
there is no one to keep watch over the dead and
nurse the living but the two girls—until od Si
las Green comes in, Ruth is obliged to go home.
Sybil says she must stay until the hermit brings
the coffin, Ruth meets Charley and tells him to
go to tlia cottage and take Ruth home as it is
dark. This he does; but when half way home,
he returns to tlio cottage with a message from
Sybil, leaving her waiting in the path, besides
his horse. v> lien be returns the horse is still
there, but Sybil is gone. He thinks until next
day, that she is with Ruth, but she has disap
peared. She is sought for everywhere. Gra
ham is sent for, and deep anxiety prevails,
Next day brings a letter mailed in Altomont in
neighbors rt fuse to believe that Sybil has gone
away of her own accord. There are curt whis
pers among them which Katharine hears. She
determines to give a reception and invite all ol
lier husband’s old fiiends, among them Claude
and Rutb in order to silence gossip. She visits
Rutli and begs lier to come. She asks to see
Claude and Rutb reluctantly take her to Ills
room* He has not seen Katherine for weeks,
during wnich time he has become almost a
melancholic.
Katharine’s recej tion is largely attended,but
fails of its object, l’eople look at ber with cold
disgust. Claude tries to sustain himself, but
is overcome with agitation on hearing recited a
poem portraying the anguish of a haunted
spirits. Katharine secs he cannot bear he strain
of his life here and she advises him to go away,
“I cannot go alone,”he says,and she answers.you
shall not go alone. The next day Claude takes
leave of his sister, and the day following Cnar-
ley brings Ruth a letter from Katharine, mailed
in Altamont, iu which she says she has left him
which Sybil writes to Charley that she has left forever, and expressed sorrow at having blight*
ground about the tree dug up. A body is found
which it identified as Sybil’s and the jury of in
quest renders a verdict that results iii the arrest
of Chailey Carroll for the murder of his ward.
CHAPTER XXIV.
“What face is that?’’
“What a face, what a look, what a likeness.
Full on mine.
The sudden blow came down, till all
My blood swam, my eyes dazzled and I sprang.”
—Aurora Leigh.
Ruth found but little difficulty in
obtaining' an entrance to the hospital.
Katharine had given her own written
permit for admission, signed by the
superintendant. But she wished
first to see the physician who had
Claude’s ease in hand, lie was busy
and she had to wait for some time in
the still', formal reception room.
He came at last—a large calm man,
with keen but kindly eyes behind
gold-rimmed glasses.
She told him she was the sister of
his young patient in room 22, and she
had came from her home in ihe South
to see her brother. lie was not looking
for her; she was afraid that seeing him
might be too exciting.
The man of skill shook his head. “No
my dear young lady,” he said. “We
would be glad to have him excited by
something—pleasantly, or even other
wise. Lie is sunk in a kind of apathy
that is very detrimental to his improve
ment. lie takes no interest in any
thing. IIis state puzzles me. I t seems
to be a reaction from some long period
of mental strain—the effects of which
he has forcibly suppressed. Can you
tell me whether he has passed through
such a peiLod?”
“He has.” Ruth answered.
“AhI I thought so; I gave that anal
ysis of the case to I)r. Stromm, our su-
perintendant. lie thought it rather fan
ciful, but we younger physicians are
taught to look for the root of obscure
maladies in spiritual causes. 1 hope
your coming may rouse your brother
from his apathy, and give him the in
terest in living which he seems to
have lost. 1 will introduce you to the
head nurse of the department
He lead the way up stairs. In the
hail he spoke to a comely, intelligent
looking young woman in a nurse’s
brown uniform and becoming white
cap and apron.
“Miss Paul, this lady is the sister of
your patient in room 22. She has
come from (lie South to see him; take
her to him, it you please. Stop; it may
be better that you go in and prepare
him for her visit.”
“I think it would be better,” said
the pleasant-faced nurse. “If you will
sit here a moment, 1 will let him know
you are here.
She went away, and returning in a
few minutes led Ruth to the room
where Claude lay, on the whitest of
beds; his own face scarcely less white
than the pillow it rested upon.
“The news of you being here seems
to have roused him more than any
thing we have tried.” the nurse had
said to Ruth before she opened the
door.
Perhaps this accounted for the faint
color in his face and the animation in
his eyes.
His lips trembled as she bent and
kissed him, forcibly holding lier own
emotion in check. She sat down by
him, and talked to him in the quietest
most matter-of-fact May she could
command, as though it were an ordin
ary tiling for her to run up to New
York to see her absent brother—and
to find him in a nice quiet place like
this—a little weak to be sure, but soon
to be himself.
How did you know I was here?” he
asked
“Oh, I saw Katharine and she told
me.”
“You saw Katharine?”
There was an eager wistfulness in
the look he gave her.
"Yes, I went to see her. She was on
lie point of coming here to bring you
these grapes and this lovely bunch of
violets. She gave them To me to take
to you; she will come another time.
The anxious look on his face gave
way to one of relief.
You do not despise her?” he mur
mured. “I thank you for that. She
has been so good to me. Poor Kathar-
ne.”
Ruth pressed his hand in silence.
Presently she said : “You are very
comfortable here?’’
CONTINUED OX SECOND PAGE,