The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-07-22

DuJ MISUNDERSTANDING neE reSOIutAOAs
the feeling of security and WEAKNESS
caused her eyelids to drop, and she
soon forgot her troubles in a sound,
refreshing sleep. After time, how
long she knew not, she was awakened
by something nesting close to her;
but her cry of fright ended IN one OF
delight, for the low, joyful whine that
answered her told her faithful com
panion was by her side. Then with a
courage and lightness of heart that
strengthened her beyond expression,
started on her journey.
CHAPTER II.
Quickly we must pass over the
week following JAMES, departure.
Mrs. McGregor to a casual observer
appeared as usual, for no one save
herself and husband knew what had
TRANSFERRED The missing dog and the
swoon had been evidence enough to
Donald of what his wife had done;
yet whatever his thoughts were upon
that subject he guarded them well.
At first Ellen had scolded and fret
ted almost constantly, that the child
would "go visiting" just at harvest
time, leaving her with such heaps of
work, but In her heart she we'll knew
the trouble was that she missed her
sweet, happy, bird-like voice. But
where was Nero? She had scraped
his food, meal after meal, into his
dish under the great pear tree, and
called loudly, even ringing the dinner
bell, whose clear clang he had never
before failed to respond to with joy
full bark Then why had his master
ridden swiftly away on his fastest
horse the next morning after jamie
left? These were questions In her
mind not easily answered, though
her mistress had said quietly enough
AS she held large feather fan be-
fore her face, and asked Ellen to
close a window that allowed the wind
to blow on her-that Mr.. McGregor
had gone TO see her son Robert, who
was to leave soon for the war in Cam
ada 1sfI
If this Quilted her inquisitive nature
for the time, Mr.. McGregor's return
increased her anxiety two-fold, for,
turning his favorite horse into the
stable, he stopped not to feed or rub
him down-a thing be had never been
known to neglect before.
''Sakes alive! now rs cert'in sure
somefn is to pay, or my name amt
Ellen Judy Ann JonsonH
And dropping dish-cloth and dish
back into the foaming suds, she stole
softly after her master as soon as he
had entered his Wife's room and closed
the door.
Applying her ear to the door. she
listened intently. For moment there
was deep pause, though each dread
ed to speak; then IN a trembling,
pleading voice Mrs. Metz egor asked
why he had not brought jamie home.
He replied in a low, constrained and
unnatural voice, so little like his
usual authoritative tone, that
Ellen felt instinetively, with a cold
shudder through her frame, something
terrible must have happeaed; aud
while these thoughts rushed through
her mind she lost his answer, which
was followed by deep groan-like cry
from Mrs. McGregor, so sudden and
so agonizing that Ellen sprang back
from the door in alarm, not knowing
what might next happen. She thrust
| her hands in the dish water, and not
a moment too soon, for her master
came out, and catching a dipper of
water hastily from the table, babe her
follow him.
Still and cold the wife lay back in
her chair, almost like one whom the
death angel had touched and trans
formed. The sunlight through the
interlacing and quivering leaves of
hop vine at the window lay in SHIN
mering gold on her gentle, eare-worn
face and glittered among the silver
thread OF what had once been a dark
luxuriant hair. Perhaps Donald
noticed it also, and memory opened
her pages to his fresh young manhood,
when he had promised to love and
cherish this woman, who had been on
her part so true, so loving so faithful !;
but how had he performed his holy
trust? True, the world may never
have known him to be selfish or stingy
in its accepted terms, but where a
heart withers and dies as it were for
what might have been, will God &C
cert their VOWS as unbroken2
Thinking doubtless the eyes of the
colored woman were on him he must
give some explanation for the pres
ent state of affairs, therefore as brief
| ly as possible, while he was helping
to restore his fainting vile, he told
Ellen that jamie vas married to the
young man that taught their village
school last year, and that he had en-
listed and was now on his way with
Robert to join the rest of the army
but he did not tell her who, with
falsehood, had caused him to 60, and
we doubt if he liked to think of that
himself. jamie, he said in low half
checked voice, as though memory was
working with giant sway, was at a
: house out on the plains, injured Sc
: zverely. by some cattle, and might no
recover as fever had set In. As Il
; how or why she came there, he wa,
? silent aud much as Ellen would like
5 to have known, his stern, forbiddinG
face repr sse3 only inquiries; so she
+ Eeould only turn and wipe away tn,
D tears that coursed down her cheeks
: with the corner of her checked apron
But why =6uger over the days ant
: weeks that followed, all fraught will
anxiety and pain? for Donald MeGre
5 COR during this time realized, with al
! the fearful Intensity that self-accusa
! ton trngs, that the pale, sufferinj
] faces of wife and danghtar Nigh
) soon be still and cold in the long
, long sleep. Then their lonely mound
} would haunt him with terrible vivid
r ness, even his dreams. He nigh
/ strew them with beautiful and choic
= flowers, erect costly monuments, bu
+ that would not hide their reproachfu
faces. and, oh, if he had only pause,
a ere plunging into such miseryl
God be thanked, doctor, that yol
e have saved them / could not hav
e endured life if they had died; thei
y blood would have been on my hands
= Ihn aatn nj al ed dnntnr nn,,ld nnh II