Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-09-20
THE COXsEQUEXCE.

am sitting up alone with ths Corpse
Of the only man l ever loved. II g lies so
STILL so awful still, that the bloody uni
form, the rigid head, with the calm, de-
termined features the stiff handsome
pressed over bis head, where the note
had been-sll are so terrifying to me.
The note, soaked through with 8 drop OF
blood, that summons me 70 the lonely
vigil, reads:
q wish Annette to sit up alone with
my dead body, and resd So1they's Thai
abs. She Will care for Evelsen.
II ENhY PARKHILL."
It was q strange request. EveIeeu was
his wife and my sister-my darling, besu-
tiful young sisasr, just two years wife,
and now widow. DID coming death
make him wiser2 Did he then for the
first time know that I had once loved
hin? ? Or was his mind leaving him
They say his last words were, " Annette
Annettein
And yet be had always been s devoted
husband TO Evs. She was young and
beautiful, and every one had satd, when
they we're married, that it was "a pure
love match These last words, " An
nette, Annette" set me dreaming
strangely. / have stirred the fire bright
ly, that it may make DO ghostly shadows,
and reached down my portfolio, and Su
writing to keep up my courage. l have
turned my back on the corpse. l loved
him as only woman can vino loves cut
once. 1t is all useless now to say how
that was; how I looked up at him So nay
king aud down st him as my child /;
how / looked at him from every point OF
view; how my whole soul wrappe /
around ard around him how nay heart
was never alone, but always had him to
think about and to Groom over; how
laughed at him, and loved BIN; how he
suited me Ia my gay moods, and how
the thoughts Of him grssped and shook
me In my earnest moods. He was ali to
ms. This dead man was once all that
the world contained for me-my light,
nay future, almost nay life. look back
on that former SELF, with pity and COM
missrstion, as I would on. some one else.
l have passed chilling stream since
theB, that has washed the old identity
away from me. | viii turn back snd
dream sgsin tonight.
/ thought then that he loved nae. His
eyes haunted me, his thoughts and at
teDtions were slgays mine, until Ooe
evening he gave nae this same Tnalaba.
Then his manner changed. BE was H.
ful, sometimes cold snd restrained, aud
then as suddenly bis eyes and tones
would change to melting tenderness. he
asked me If had read il, and / ans
wered hastily and casually, "Yes.u It
wss falsebood. It was q falsshOod. I
had intended To read it, but the strange
alteration in his manner had 50 puzzled
me thst when l was alone / ecuid do
nothing but think over it.
When had answered Yes" his gray
eyes gave clear, searching look, and his
deep voice seemed 60 trem ble with eager
thick 9' was surprised, and answered,
/" Why, you are wasting q good deal of
feeling on the subject"
Instantly his fsce became cold, asheD.
Iexclaimed, "Henry-Henry ParkhiH,
what is it2'
He rose and walked away without
answering; and Rn hour sfterward saw
him leaning heavily against tree, like
3 man who had received blow. Il was
all inexplicsbie to me. At dinner that
day he was quiet and kind, aud his man.
Ber never changed afteFward. / was pa-
tient and waited. Sometimes ths love
that was within me cried out for food. l
must have the old tender ways of per-
forming trifiing services. I must have
the old glances and loving tones. Some
times would get up and walk half the
night, with my hands clasped above my
head, and fsmishihg cry ever repeating
Itself ia my heart: Give me Henry, or
die" But l could not die.
A few eeks after that morning, Eve
leen came home from school. She was
lovely. Let me think Of her as she
looked then need to remember her
now. The slender, graceful figure, the
light, floating curls, the good, trustful,
charming face, with its infantlle sweet
ness the sweet, spoilt child voice, with
lts ssueiness that was never saucy, and
us tondDess that was 30 witching. The
butterfly wigs have gone n2w. | loved
her then, love her now, with a greater
love than sisters ordinarily bear for each
other, but never wanted TO be like her.
Strange 70 say, had always curious