Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-08-13


nouncetnent, but lit died away, and she
spoke in earnest tones ii hope from nv
heart that your future may be an unclouded
one, but it is serious thing Ito trust your
happiness to the keeping of one, my dear
cousin, and it should not be done hastily
| sNorshas it, dear Annie, in our case, for
! Alice and myself have loved each, other
from childhood you not remember the
day on which you told me, with blushing
cheek S and timid tones, OF your enga cement
to Harry? Well, at the time, could Scarce
ly refrain from telling you that, Alice had
promised at some future day to be mine,
bat vt e as she wished itskept secret ! was in
honor bound not to mention it, even fo j oti.
Mr.. Flemming opposed our engagement,
and at his wish finally made the voyage
to Canton, with the promise from him that
If she continued to love me upon my return,
he would no longer oppose our union. I re-
turned to find her true, God bless her! new
er had doubted her for moment, and
now s.sr.= t.E @st
Hush! did you not hear groan!' @
mo, Annie-how wild you looh, child
you ale nervous it was only the creaking
Of sutter, imagine
In vain Charles Nugent tried to convince
his cousin that it was freak of the imaei-
nation; and when he parted from her be no.
ticed the burning color of her cheeks and
the brilliant light Of her eyes, and thought
she must be strangely weak for SO slight a
cause to have effected her so violently.
Trembling in every limb, Annie Falkner
| dragged herself up the stairs, and weak and
exhausted she threw herself upon the couch,
moaning to herself
81 am very I'LL am very i'll, and no
enc to love me-" These tones went to
/ the heart of the husband, who was now
bending so tenderly over her, while large
tear-dFops fell upon her face from his eyes
ike rain
'Annie, my darling-my own, God
knows how love you.' She did not an
swer, but moaned on s...-t
4 am very I'LL am very i'll, and nc
one to love me-
7bO you HOt lcuT III SN 0tl wiz
my gentle, patient, Anniel'
There was no answer save those moan.
ing words, and they pierced the husbands
heart like arrows. He bowed his head
beside her pillow-nestling his face to hers,
murunuring . S..
sOh! God forbid that have killed her.
AS the burning heat Of her face met his
la yuil2lv II nftnr nraccino n
his fingers upon her pulse he ushed Iron
the room, and sent Immediately for tht
physician.
Upon his arrival, Mr.. Falkner's wors
fears were confirmed, for his wife was pro-
nounced in high stage of brain fever
Days passed, and during that time of delr.
iun, had there remained one doubt in the
heart of the husband as 10 the devote d
love Of his wife, it would have been re-.
moved; but only too we'll was Henry
Falkner convinced Of the injustice which
he had done her. Now how bitterly he
recalled all her Winning ways even her
fearful hours in their first year of mar
riage he saw only arose from love; and
he despised himself when he remembered
how easily he had admitted the monster
suspicion into his breast, and with what
cold and cutting words had he checked the
tender tones of his pure and guileless bride.
at length there came day when he
was denied admittance to her room. 1t
was the crisis, and only the nurse and
physician moved noiselessly through the
darkened chamber In the room without,
the father, mother and sister sat motionless
their pale faces and compressed lips tel
ling plainly the ogonizlng anxiety of the
hour. In her chamber, upon her bended
knees, Aunt Eleanor prayed earnestly,
but in tremulous tones for The life Of the
(rail being in whom the happiness Of SO
many hearts were centered; and bowed in
torluring suspense beside the door Of the
sufferers apartment, the husband listened
if he might catch the breath Of his now
idolized treasure There was the sound Of
n hand upon the door-it opened cautious
Iy, and shut-face to face stood the physi-
clan and MIR Falkner. To Mr.. Falkner's
earnest gazette the the eager questioning
of his look-the physician shook his head
slowly (whle the tears started from his
eyes) and passed on. Upon the stairs Mr..
Carroll overlook him. sz &
'Doctor tell me, is there any hope?'
i fear MOI! she seems gradually grow
ing weaker, and think will hardly sur.
vive the night Mr.. Carroll's groans
pierced the kind physicians heart, and he
clasped his hand warmly as he said
4 will return in an hour, Mr.. Carroll,
nd in the meantime, it is barely possible
there may be some favorable change
When Mr.. aFalkner read his answer in
the physicians face, he gave no outward
signs Of the agony within. Without even
a groan, he passed the Threshold of the
chamber, where the angel of death was
even now lowering, and bending over her
pillow, he pressed his lips wildly to hers.
She moved uneasily, and murmured some
words in so low tone, that he could net
catch them although he strained every
nerve to hear. ---,-
Aunt Eleanor came into the room, and
stepped quietly 10 the bedside. 'How Is
she now, nurse?' she said.
She is dying, Think answered the
nurse, in whisper, but it fell like thun-
luring crash upon Mr.. Falkner's ears.
sDying! he said, my Annie dyamg!
Oh. Goa in Heaven take me tool! There
came a gentle answer to those loud wild
/. -. a. ,,oica of the invalid |