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T pr 7* n n»’!r f-C-Tt! * m*A 1 • 1 • 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,