The Shasta courier., 1865-02-11


looking at him with sweet, childish, vacant
expression, that was touching ip its helpless
ness. ." must call her Something" he
thought, as she stood apparently waiting for
him to speak her name shall be Mary"
Are you be ter, Mary, and will you sit in
this chair ?" f
She paid no attention to the inquiry, but
took the offered seat, and began silently
rocking herself to and fro. 1t had such a
ghostly effect to see her there by the lamp
light. robed in the long white drapery, with
her beautiful face still pale, though no
longer deathly, rocking herself in silence,
that Ashley felt sensation very like fear
thrill through him. He must do something,
for he could not bear this. He took up a
book, the first that came to hand-it was an
English one-and offered it to her, asking if
she would like to read.
She took it with a childish smile, and lay
ing it open upon her knees. began to futter
the leaves backward and forward, playing
idly with them
GOOD heavensp' said Ashley to himself,
I" she is mad, imbecile at any rate; must
do something with herr
But it was impossible for him to think with
her before him, and taking her by the hand
he said Now. Mary, you must 60 back to
bed. and tomorrow"
She did not wait for the end of the SEN
tence, but rose at once to do as she was bid
den, threw doNn the book, and letting fall
the coverlet that had enveloped her, walked
quietly back to the inner room.
Ashley fastened the door and felt as if he
were going mad from sheer bewilderment.-
She must have clothes the very first thing.
nd = thaz- 20 10,
taking some one into his confidence Even
if he knew where to go for them, he knew
nothing of what a woman's clothes should be-
1t was evident, then. that some one must be
told of the extraordinary adventure, and it
was equally evident that it must be woman
in whom he confdcd, as herequired practical
help of kind no man could give him.
The morning dawned before he could ar
range any settled plan, and finally he
decided that he could not, if he would, rid
himself of the charge of her, therefore she
should remain in his house, and he would tell
all to the woman who acted as his house
keeper. who chanced to be absent at the
time, but whose return he was expecting
that very day. He would bind her to secresy
by the most solemn oath he could devise,
and if she failed to keep it, why-it any rate
he was in a terrible scrape, and this seemed
the best thing to be done. The woman
returned early in the day, and Ashley at
once told all, and implqred her assistance.
To his great relief she agreed at once to do
all that lay in her power for the unhappy
girl, and i few arrangements made. Ashley
left the house i5r the day, determined to
shake off the unpleasant impression which
the whole thing had made al on him.
Returning at night. he found Mary com
fortably clothed, and looking less pale and
i'll. His housekeeper told HIM that she had
been dressed like ohili, having apparently
no idea of assisting herself at all.
1T would be impossible to describe r.nrte
ly how intelligence dawned, and grew swiftly
in the poor girls mind. 1t was not a
gradual growth from infancy, but canie in
fitful snatches. The goeatest change came
first, when her face frightened from its
sweet, blank vacancy of expression at Asst
leys approach, and then she began to wait
upon him like a loving child. lie devoted
himself to her very tenderly. almost as
mother devotes herself to her child, and with
infinite patience taught her 30 read and to
write She learned also to sew, and was not
unskillful in such woman's craft but what
he taught her was learned quickest. best.
Two years passed, and Mary had developed
so rapidly that she was hot much unlike
other women in knowledge and requirements,
but she had no memory of anything before
her trance Ashley told her the whole Story,
and urged her to try to recall something of
the time before, but it was in vain; her
memory was clean gone. And the present
time was 50 happy that they cared little for
the past. She was something so entirely. to
him, even her life she owed to his care, and
loved him so intensely, there being no one
in the world that she knew or loved besides,
that they could not fail to he very happy;
and the mystery of the bond between them
enhanced its charm.
They were married, and still she lived in
the same privacy az before her husband and
his love sufficed for everything, and she shrank
from entering world of which she knew
nothing. Astley's acquaintances had long
ago decided that if he was not mad, he was
at least eccentric enough to make his society
undesirable, and had fallen off one by one.
leaving him none but a professional circle.
He had the reputation of beis skilful. and
his practice was large one /; his spare hours
were devoted to his home, which was his
heaven.
Two more years passed, years of the most
perfect happiness. Mary differed now in
nothing from other women, save for that
blank existence of more than twenty years.
Her memory of that time never returned.
She lived entirely within doors Ashley had
one evening taken her for walk, and the
unaccustomed sights and sounds of the streets
had terrified her so much that he never re-
peated the experiment. AT times alonging
to introduce his beautiful wife to his old
friends and relatives in England was very
strong, but the difficulties of explanation, or
of deceit, which it would involve, combined
with her eztreme aversion to the project,
always prevailed, and the idea was dismiss
ed. as the thing was impossible.
Six years had passed since the eventful
night when Mary had been brought as dead
to Astley's door, when walking one day in
the streets of the city, he met an old friend
whom he had not seen since his departure
from England. The recognition " as mutual,
and Ashley insisted upon his friends retdrn-
ing with him to dinner. The invitation was
cordially given and willingly accepted. and
thinking to surprise Mr.. Holt by the sudden
sight of his wifes lovelness, he said nothing
of his being married, picturing to himself
what his astonishment would be when be
saw her.
Though he had anticipated some evidence
of surprise he was quite unprepared for the
excess of emotion displayed by Mr.. Holt upon
his introduction to MrS." Ashley. The color
left his face for q moment, and then return