Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1855-04-05
the mask OF gayety. He did not know
that often, in the darkness and silence Of

the mask of gayety. He did not know
that often, in the darkness and silence OF
night. she had stoler to the door Of his
room. listening intentIy if haply she
might catch the fsiutest echo of s;,h.
ana then. shivering-a and rembling, crept
back to her couch again, to weep and
moan until the morning. He did not
Know INA! once she had found ,he door
aJaf' and Knowing by his quiet and resu
Jar Breathing that he was asleep. had
eiAisd softly into the room, and watched
him through her binding tears. lie did
not know that she had bent over him.
until her raven hair had mingled with
his own; that carried away by an ire.
sis'iole impulse. she mad stopped until
her lips touched his. and that then, fright.
ened and absshed, she had flown away
like startled bird. He dreamed of her
that night. He thought that she was in
his arms. showering soft kisses upon his
lips and brow. All had he but known
mat 1T WIS not oil Dream"
ihe.e was now but enc connecting
pnk between them, and that was their
child. Her they both worshiped. The
naPpiest moments Mr.. Fletches knew
were those in which he sent for little
Katy. and snatching her up in his arms
bore her TO the library. and kept her for
hours together. listening 20 her artless
prattlipg. and receiving and returning
her fond caresses.
One day, while he was playing with
her, shesburst into tears for some .rifling
cause. and her father reproved her. telling
her it was naughty to cry"
"No. not naughty. mamma cry. Nam.
ma not naughty" said the child, shaking
ne; bright curls very decidedly.
"Mamma cries! What does mamma
cry fort" asked Mr.. Fletcher, while his
heart beat quickly.
katy not know. Mamma kiss Katy. !
and mamma cry--oh. very bad !" she re.
piled. clasring her small hands toge,h !
Poor mamma Kate sorry-pepa sorry, /
TOO 2"
MIR. Fletcher clasped the little tell
tale to his heart. bu. he could draw moth
ing more from her. Perhaps if she had
looked closely in her fathers face. she
might have thought papa. cried" TOO
The little fairy was the only connect /
ing link between them. and a. length
that was also broken.
They were a. large party enc even
ing. when q messenger came fox them. |
Their child was very i'll. With blsnch-
ed cheeks and trembling hearts they hur.
- r., =.
most malignant form, had laid its with
eripg hand upon their darling, aud in less .
,hon twenty iouI hours they knew that |
there was no hope-their sweet little |
Katy must die!
There were four days ond nights OF
OF that ms,her sorrow. fer the expression
Of which earth has no language. blessed |
God that il was over--tEai the little !
quivering limbs were still, and shat Ike
tiny hand that had ciasped her fingers so
closely all through the deaths,ruggle |
would no longer be tossed wildly in fierce
paroxisms of pain.
They stood by the :iny coffin; bu, not
together. Their tears fell like rain upon
the little pale face that lay within Il; but
they did not mingle. Each enc alone
wept over thsir dead. and slirank from
intruding upon the grief of the other.
Oh, i, was very. very terrible "a dead
child in the house. and the father and the
mother mourning each in separate !
room each feeling that their estrange /
ment was worse than death, and yet US
ing no effort to prevent the gull that lay
between theni from growing broader and
deeper
Katy was buried The single sun.
beam that illumined their life path faded
AWAY, and sll was darkness.
ITo BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.