Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-01-16

.tme O{c4ll hi1 your< ~ MS sl0,
and ak Ter ii love 6ie e1lyI lister, Ids
beautiful AlsheI foN bid sake, wheh,
with % name 81 Ms sstert yemblng
On his lips, he crossed the dark river
and was gone. ussfs goa So
Mrs. Lee was in Mabel's room many
times during those two days, and with
my child-instincts, and perhaps an un-
usually keen perception Of motives and
faces, I understood arhy Mabel never
mentioned her sister-in-law, and ken
ned there was not the kindly feeling
existing between them that would make
them happier in each others presence.
Beautiful she was, really beautiful.
but there was a patronising air as she
spoke Of Mabel that aroused strong
feeling of dislike in my heart for her:
I afterwards learned she had married
Alfred Lee, because, the only child Of
wealthy parents, who INDUCED her
slightest whim, she had loved Alfred
Lee as well as she was then capable OF
loving anything, and married him, yet
not forgetting that it was Helen Waldo,
the heiress, who had welded the poor
clerk in her fathers immense mercan-
tile house but l did not know this
then, and only watched Mabel shrink as
she laid her jewelled hand on hers, or
smoothed away the waves of hair from
her brow. ~ - ....', -
1t was night, long past my hour of
retiring, when stole to Mabels side to
look on her again ere | sought my
couch, ut the foot of hers, for | would
not leave the room. and they did not
urge it. ssa s-.. sazsss -se-1
Mabel turned and looked at me; the
blue eyes had at length Enclosed, and
now they looked dreamily out from their
black fringes, and smiled on me,
sweet, sad smile.
"Raise me up on the pillows, Maude
dear, and tell me, have they buried AL
fred yet - ass aE.se..
! did as she babe me, and thinking
to divert in a manner her mind from its
great grief, I told her had laid flowers
in the coffin.
"Yeu saw him, then, Maude, and
will not wonder at my sorrow, but [
must rouse myself, for this is foolish
and unlike Mabel Lee" and pushing
me gently from her, she got up and
walked to the mirror, gazing at her
pallid face, and smoothing back with
her slender hands her tangled hair.
I"We will 60 back to NJ to-mor-
row, Maude, for I cannot stay here
longer, and you, my child, must 60 to
rest should not have let you remain
up so late had I been aware Of the
hour" and walking back to the bed,
she threw herself YEARLY down, and
thanking me for my endeavors to make
it comfortable, closed her eyes as though
sleeping, yet looking so very wretched,
I stole to my little cot, and wept for
the woe that had f lien upon my friend.
I had thought Ter sleeping, else my
tears had flowed silently, but she called
Inc to her and taking me in her arms,
kept me all night in her bosom, the last,
alas that I ever slept with Mabel.
The next day, Mrs. Lee, after vain
ly urging longer stay, sent us in her
carriage to the depot, where a few
hours ride in the cars would bring us to
F., NJ ,-.a- v
We were both robed in deep mourn
| ing, both orphans, and without rela-
tive in the world, and as Mabel entered
the center car and found vacant seat
it was the whispered opinion of our
neighbors that We we're sisters. |
could not imagine how any one could
think my homely features and diminu-
tive form could in any way belong to
Mabel, and told her so, but she smiled
and looked so lovingly upon me, I slid
my hand in hers and murmured "dear
Mabel" -. ~ ,
I remember jar, and Mabel's arm
thrown around me lifting me over the
seats, as with a terrible crash we went
among the grooming heap beneath us.
In half an hour, stunned and bcwil-
Idered, I was borne to the open air,
which finally revived me, and / gazed
wildly around for Mabel.
I found her with the assistance of a
gentleman, a physician on the cars,
who escaped injury, and wal. aiding
those not so fortunate. In answer to
my entreaties he sought Mabel and
found her crushed between the seats
she had lifted me over, in that first mo-
ment Of danger, and gently disenga-
ging her from the broken mass around,
carried her out on the grass, where he
left her with me, while he went to send /
help and attend to other sufferers. !
In few minutes he returned and
lifting Mabel in his arms aud bidding |
me follow, bore her in his strong arms
tosa carriage near by and took US both
to his own home, some five miles dis
tant, near the next station. He told
me on the way, Mabcl's father was All
old friend Of his, d college chum, and
that Mabel should be cared for at his
house. told him how SIZE had lifted
me over the seats, and the good doctor
wiped his eyes as esaid, ssshe is anoal
Bile girl, and saved your life, my itldj
one, for your friend will never be d.
to lift even your slight weight again
she must die, young and beautiful as
she is, - and he laid the dropping head
higher against his shoulder, and held
her tenderly as a father would have
done, until the carriage stopped andshe