Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-10-01

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: Anne" he cried "you will come !"
"Yes, since you both wish it."
"Thank God !" he calculated and tn
first look of compoSure had seen came to hi
worn face.
And now, that this is settled. Frederick
go to bed"
He rose up in silence but the ghastly palo
of cheek and lip, as he prepared to obey me
so shocked and startled me, that I abrupt
checked his departure. Unmanly and pitabl
as it was, there was no mistaking his intens
fear of solitude and in his weak and unstrun:
state did not feel that I dared to force it OF
him.
" ON not going away yet" 1 said. al
you prefer to stay here, will wheel this sofa
! forward, and yon can lie down, before the
I fire."
He accepted my offer eagerly
am not used to strange rooms an
afraid should not Sleep" he muttered.
| He lay down, and | threw cloak over him
| sat down in sight of him and read He was
in reality weary and worn out ; and before
half an hour had elapsed he had fallen asleep
We sat out together next morning, and
reached London by nightfal My sister met
us at her own door, and looked again on the
face | had not seen for nine months. 1t might
have been nine gears, it was SO changed /
could have passed her in the street uncon-
scious that she was kith or kin of mine
| restrained my surprise and pain until we
were together in my room. Then | stood up
and faced her,
Caroline, what does this mean ?"
She had been trying to talk and smile. At
my question all feigned composure gave away.
She burst into tears and answered me. |
might have guessed it. She was breaking her
heart over the change in her husband
He is never unkind to me, but all day
long he terriGes me-" she sobbed. :" L dare
not leave him-he will never sit alone for ten
minutes, from morning to night He is so
wretched himself that it half kills me to see
him. Oh, Anne what is the matter what
Is the matter with him ?"
/ tried during the day that followed to dis
cover the answer to that question. Alas,
when | thought at length that | had discovered
it, it was no answer that | could tell his
wife. Everything / saw forced upon me the
conviction that the crushing weight upon Mr.
Hallam's mind was some crushing remorse.-
Day by day tried to forget and thrust it back
the more vehemently it forced itself upon me.
/ began to live under the pressure of strange,
chill horror.
We passed fortnight miserably enough
Mr.. Hallam never left the house. Almost his
entire time was spent in silence and inaction
STOPPING over the fire. If he was reused
or spoken to, face of such infinite despair
would rise before US, that many time its
expression wrung my heart. Sometime a
momentary Frightening in his look would
cheer us for few seconds sometimes, and
that alas, more frequently, his dumb, listless
misery would warm into wild and feyerish
excitement.
We never left him, for his strongest terror
was that of solitude. Day and night Caro-
line or / sat with him. He had been fond of
music, and even yet he seemed to take some
thing like pleasure in it, Heavy as our hearts
were, | therefore often played, and his nearest
approaches to content seemed during the mo-
ments that he sat listening to ME.
A fortnight had passed thus at the end of
it one evening this happened
1t was dark, but we had no candle the fire
was burning brightly, and had gone to the
piano. and sat there playing. Mr.. Hallam had
risen from his seat and was pacing the room
Caroline had come to my side
l. Woo oOlliJ, uilu ouuuCiliy IOul
my sisters lips cry rung through the room
Before | could speak, white with terror, and
with outstreched arms, she started from her
seat. | sprang up too. / could see nothing !;
the room was all as usual but, while gasping
cut her husbands name, she staggered one
step towards him, and then fell Before she
reached the ground caught her in my arms,
but she had tainted.
Frederick, help me !" called.
He was standing before an open drawer
looking wild and excited but at my call he
came.
"What is it ?"
"She has tainted (; raise her up
He stopped and raised her. / bade him fol-
low me, and went towards the door but when
reached it he had not moved. Turning round
saw him still standing wildly gazing upon
and passionately kissing his wifes white
face
did not speak, and in two or three mo-
ments he came and joined me, and we LETT the
room together We went up stairs, and he
laid Caroline on her bed Then l rang the
bell and summoned help. A servant came to
me at once. | bade her see to her mistress,
and leaving them hurried back down stairs
Mr.. Hallam had gone second or two be-
fore ME. l found him again in the drawing
room, when | noislessly re-entered, before
his escrutoire, where he had stood when Caro-
line tainted. He was STOPPING towards the
fire, examining the muzzle of pistol by its
light.
stole up behind him and before he was
conscious of my presence l had caught his arm
with the strength of both of my hands. He
turned round, wild eyed and furious
"Let me alone !" he shouted Devil let
me alone p
He tried to shake himself free do not
know whence my strength came, but against
his power, kept my hold.
"Lay down that pistol y cried.