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Show ITTT - --! TTrtT A 3& i; A Strange Occurrence ! TO please Agnes. I have promised prom-ised to pet down In writing our strange experience. Although Al-though we have I old It to n few people since Its happeiilng.we have found no one able to explain In any way this curious occurrence, nnd I con-fess con-fess If It . .id been experienced by nny one elie than myclf J would not have believed It. Some few years rigo, at the request of my dying brother, 1 went to live la bis house. Being nlotie In tho world save for him and his two sons, I gladly took up my residence within bis hospitable hos-pitable walls, nnd, having conceived a great fondness for my nephews while caring for my brother during the few months he lingered after my coming, I yielded to his last wish and the request re-quest of the boys nnd promised to enro for them as long as they should need or wish to have me. There could luirilly be a greater contrast con-trast between two boys than between these two. Harold, tua elder, wns, nt tho time of which I write, about twen-ty-threo years of age; tall, dark, Intensely In-tensely reserved, quiet, self-contiolled. Ills brother, s-otue twenty months younger, Impulsive, quick-tempered, demonstrative, open, affectionate. I never saw such strength of purpose ns thnt of llnrold'x. Kven ns a young lad ho permitted nothing to slaud In tho way of bis wishes, but so quiet was bis persistent effort one was hardly, hard-ly, If nt nil, conscious of a determltia-tloii determltia-tloii which won In spite of every obstacle. ob-stacle. Many and many a time I saw tho boys clash over opposing desires, but It wns always Then who yielded. Yet he bad plenty of Mtength, ton, but II loving heart as well. At this time of which I write Unreal Un-real crash and lest of strength had come through love for the same girl. n niece of mine by mnrrlnge. nn orphan whom I had adopted nnd who had come to live In our pleasant house. It hml gradually come to u tense strain between the brothers. They hut illy spoke to each other at table, and took care never to meet a way from It. If by chance their eyes met for an Instant In-stant they were quickly loweied again, neither being willing to show to the other his real feeling. Agnes, being like a daughter to me, I finally decided to speak to her about the matter and called -her to task for her encouragement encourage-ment of them both, and urged her to choose between them and end the btralu of uncertainty. "Ob, Aunt l-'nnuy," she cried, "I wish I could. Indeed I do. I don't encourage either one. 1 nut never alone a moment mo-ment with one but IiiMiintly the other follows, nnd they 00k as If only will kept them fiom tearing each other to pieces. I feel 11 s If I could shriek sometimes, the effort to keep peace Is so great. Oh. It is dieadfiil, dreadful! And what good times we used to lmo together! Why did they ever love me? 1 don't want anybody to love me" And she cried like a baby, her head burled In my lap. "I'oor little one." I said gently. "It Is hard for yo 1, 1 know. But surely yon must prefer one to tin other. It seems to me before this trouble came you Used to like one the better," and I raised her chin and smiled into her bweet blue eyes. She flushed ami her head dropped. "I used to think Then was the deareut boy," she half whispered; "but. lomi" how, Harold"liesltiitIui'ly. "I don't know what lf is he has a power 1 can't resist, nnd yet 1 can't think It love, for as soon as he Is gone I feel as If a load had dropped from me. I mil afraid of him, untitle, lie frightens fright-ens me wltn his black looks: I never can say to him thai I don't low lilni. It s all I can do to keep from s.iylug thnt I do." Kvery day Ineieaseil the tension. Meals were passed in a wrelehed silence si-lence thnt poor Agnes tried to lelleve with pitiful little attempts at gayety Which Then made an effort io second, but to little purpose. All thiough the day Agnes clung to me In a sort o' desperation, followed me around with n look In her eyes that wrung my heart; but I was helpless to change matters. I Dually determined to leave the bouse for a time at least, taking Affiles with mi, when 1111 urgent busl-Bois busl-Bois n.Htter called Harold away fur iMeral vlays. The whole household seemed to breathe mote easily when he had gone. It wns only by tho re- mtm ' I Hi 1 m .....I I 1 . moviil of the "weight that we realized how oppressed we had been. Instantly my girl seemed to revive nnd Theo to grow more .'Ike the gay, happy boy of past years. I had nil nlong felt that these two were suited to each other, nnd, with nil my affection affec-tion for Harold, felt' be was not tbo mate for my gentle girl. So, being n woman, and therefore n matchmaker, I managed to leave tlinm together, also sent them for 11 walk In the garden nt twilight. When they enmes In I saw nil wns well between jhem, and when they sat down, one on each sldo of me, and began to pay me compliments, me, an old woman, of course. I know all was right. So presently they confessed con-fessed their happiness, wlta blushes nnd shy glances at each other, to gain courage for the telling, I never saw such a look of hate nnd rage In my life as that which flashed from HnroldV face when the news wns told him on bis return. "We nil know what happens whe. tho cat Is nway," bo said hnrshly, and in nn Instant, recovering re-covering himself, he wished them all happiness and kissed Agnes upon the brow with apparent brotherly affection. affec-tion. No one seemed to distrust him but myself, and I said nothing to spoil the happiness of the two so dear to me. It was 11 week Inter that, coming Into Agnes's room, I found her lying face down on the bed sobbing her heart away, nor would she listen to my comforting nor tell me her dls-tiess. dls-tiess. "She had promised not to tell and she wanted (o be alone," she moaned, and wns still moaning when Theo rushed Into the room, bis face so white It startled me. He did not seem to see me, but looked only nt Agnes. "You have nothing else to say to me, Agnes?" he asked, hoarsely. "For the last time, I ask you for the chance to defend myself. liven the criminal nt the dock has that!" She shook her head. "It's no use, Theo. I have seen the pioofs. You couldn't explain nw'ny the truth." "It's my brother who has done this," ho cried out bitterly; "done It to get me out of the way. And I am going. But I tell you this, you shall never marry him. I will prevent It even If I am iliiiiil. I swear It!" And, turning turn-ing quickly, he rushed from tbo room. Her cry of pain and wretchedness followed li tin. "Oh, whnt shall I do, what shall I do! I can't believe It! And yet 1 saw the proofs, auntie, I saw the proofs. ' And so she cried pit-eously, pit-eously, over and over. When I bad comforted ber n llttlo I looked for my boy. but nowhere wns he to be found. He had goue, nnd gone without a word. Time passed slowly. I never wns told the reason of tho trouble; and, though I distrusted Harold, I had 110 cause to accuse htm. I pleaded for the absent one, but llnally ceased, seeing it was useles". AVIiat I had long expected enme Io pass. Agnes proiuls-ed herself to Harold. Har-old. AH her pretty animation was gone, nnd In the same listless way she did everything now prepared for her wadding. Often, as I looked at them, her wouls of an earlier time came back to me; be did. Indeed, seem to have 11 strange power over ber. even her thoughts were echoes of his. It was about t o'clock the evening preceding the day set for the wedding. wed-ding. Agnes nnd I were sitting In the little morning room, which opened on a porch that led Into the garden. She wns sitting at my knee and I was smmthlng the golden head that lay so wearily on my lap. Suddenly we heard a step on the jioieli nnd tho next Instant In-stant Then stood before , With a u Unit told only too eloquently of the secret hinging so long hidden. Agnes sprang to her feet and rushed toward him. He slopped her with a gesture. "Do you still belle o me guilty, Agnes?" Ag-nes?" "Nn, nn!" she cried, "and even If 1 did I would forgive you. 1 don't care If It's true or not. Oh. Theo, how long j on have been away!" "And you mean to marry Untold tomtit to-mtit row. But I say you shall not. He shall tell the truth ami clear mo of the vile charge. If he had beaten mo fairly, fair-ly, I would have been glad of Jils happiness, hap-piness, no matter nt what cost to myself. my-self. But he planned and lied deliberately deliber-ately to iiiln me, and I shall force him t coufeui It to you. Then you may choose between ns wlen wo stand I'nlr nnd equal before you, and not till w arc equal shall I seek you," And without nuother word or look ho left tho room. Trembling, we fat where he had lert us, oppresred by wo knew not what, wnltlnj for something, we knew not what. Suddenly n cry broke tho stillness, so sharp, so distressing, the servants enmo running from every part of the house. Agnes and I bun ed down the hnll to Harold's study, the sounil linv-Ing linv-Ing seemed to come from there. W' tried the door, but found It locked. With n nameless terror I coulu not hide, I ordered It burst open. We rushed In, Untold was lying across the rug unconscious, but living, ns 1 found io my Inllnlte relief. No otheij soul wns lu the room Tho windows: were down, the key on tho Inside of the door. Nothing vns disturbed, everything every-thing ns usunl. Questioning of the rervnnts brought no news, liven thoug two bail been In the hnll at tho time "boo nail passed through. They declnrei' they had seen no one. Cui'Inusl." enough, though the ground was damp fiom n recent rain, there wns no sign of a footprint nen ' the porch where he had entered. Tho gardener, 011 being questioned, vowed that no ot c nnd passed him, though he had been working on thnt sldo of the House nt 0 Vclock nnd had been all afternoon. So strange were these accounts. Agues nnd I did not speak of Uur experience. The servants were In 11 state of ierro where anou'.er word ofjeystery would have sent them all packing. There wns nothing to do but wait anxiously for Harold to explain ex-plain It to us. About 0 o'-lock bo slowly wnked from bis stupor, looked around fearfully, fear-fully, and, seeing only me, beckoned feebly for me to come closer. "Where Is Theo, Aunt 1'nn?" he whispered. "He Is not here, dear. Shall I call him?" - Ho shuddered. "No, no-I'll tell, I'll. toll!" ho gasped. "Agr.es, send Agnes." She came nt once. He clung to her hand ns If for strength. "Theo Is not guilty," ho whispered, weakly. "I I lied about him I loved you so I Uiought ho h.nl played me fnlse In winning yon when I was nway. It wns not true what 1 said. I promised prom-ised him I would tell I loved you loved " He sank back on the pillow. Agnes's eyes met mine. JIo had seen hint, then! It was two dnys after that, according accord-ing to bis wish, wo sent him nway with n faithful nurse. We never saw blm again. He traveled far abroad, seeking seek-ing In vain to regain health and happiness, hap-piness, and when news of his death came to me u few mouths ago, I could but thank God tho poor, waywaid heart had found peace nt last. The day after he left, Agnes nnd 1 were sitting lu the same room nt the same time discussing for 4he hundredth hun-dredth time tho mystery, when we heard a commotion nt tho door, then steps coming rapidly down tho hall, the door burst open and Theo stood upon the threshold. Tho hug ho gave mo nssitred mo that this was 110 spirit and tho meeting between himself and Agnes I need not tell, nor tho discussion discus-sion of bis strange r.ppearanco three days before, which ninazed nnd puzzled puz-zled blm as much ns It did us. To this day wo have not understood It, nnd he has never been able to explain It. no being nt thnt time three dnys' Journey nway at London. "I don't nndersta.id It, Aunt Fnn." he said. "I only know this that after I bad rushed away from you and had thought quietly about It all (I had plenty of time In which to think on that long Journey to Africa), I determined deter-mined to make one more light. No sooner" did I reach port than I started back home again on tbo next steamer, ns anxious to get back ns I had been to leave. I loved her so dearly I determined deter-mined I'd not run nwny, but fight It out to tho last. When I reached London Lon-don I snw In tho paper n notice of the wedding, and tho feeling I wns too Into was such agony ns I hope never to suffer again. So great, 1 havo no rec ollection of what happened afterward till I found myself on tho train coming here. Do you think my wish wns so Intense It forced my spirit out of my body nnd sent It nhend to plead for 1110?" he added reverently. "I don't know, and I can't understand It, but thank God I was In time. My little girl would never have bee happy with Harold, poor boy poor boy!" Virginia Vir-ginia AVestbiook, lu New Orleans Picayune. |