The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-09-09

HIS JuuSelueHJ, lOT, Will ILhG hui niiis
which Fannie gave, as she would to dea
sister, in two weeks the invalid was conva
lescent, and able to sit in an arm chair by
the side of a bright fire, which the chill
mornings and afternoons made agreeable
to all, and indispensable in sick room.
Her father had been telegraphed for a:
soon as her true condition had been ascer
tanned, and had at once followed his daugh
ter to Wesley, and remained for few days
Then, satisfied of her favorable situation
he had returned to the city. Meanwhile
the debris of the accident had been cleared
away, the wounded and manned had beer
borne to their homes, and the dead to theirs
the inquest had been held, and the usual
verdict of "Nobody to blame had beer
rendered, and beyond those Immediately
interested, by reason of loss of limbs, OF
prospective gains in the way of damages,
everybody had forgotten the whole mat.
ter, and trains ratified as jauntily past Yves
ley as though accidents were not.
Mrs. Carter had forgotten her nervous.
ness in anxiety for her daughters friend;
Mr.. Carter had appeared regularly twice a
day ut her room door to make inquiries,
and Fannie with Sir Hedworth and his two
daughters had won praise from every one
for the care and thoughtful attendance
And so late one afternoon the invalid sat
in her easy chair close by the fireside, and
looking into its depths, thought of her two
weeks of illness and it's near conclusion.
There was quick active step to be heard
on the stairs, and Laura's face glowed
more brightly in the fire-light-then tap
at the door, and answering the feeble
"Come in" entered the doctor.
He was tall and light-haired, we have said,
and he was active, has been limited; but
such description gives slight conception
Of Doctor Bondy. Tall, he appeared, but
it was more in his dignity of appearance
than in actual height being little above
the medium size, muscular and erect. His
hair was light, however, and waved over
his forehead, and hung loosely about his
head. The eyes were deep blue, and very
luminous. Features irregular, and full of
expression. Doctor Bondy would have
attracted attention in any assemblage from
his quickness of movement, when he moved
and his perfect repose when inaction was
required. All his movements seemed to
harmonize with something to which the
modulations of his voice never failed to
respond. And as he sat quietly beside his
patient there seemed new element intro
duced into the atmosphere, harmonizing
everything, and utilizing everything, as it
would seem, for his own purpose; and dis
corning men had often observed popularity
in the presence of Doctor Bondy.
Laura Elmer was considered beautiful
girl. She was, in fact, a belle in society,
and admired not alone for her beauty, but
as well for her intellectual capacity, which
was far above the average, and for her &C
complishments, which were equal to all
demands, and had been acquired with an
ease which had often surprised herself.
Her mental character was, truly, a remark
ably strong one; quick in perception, and
by extraordinary conversational powers, In
which the charm of wit was strengthened
by unquestionable satirical power. She
was given to analysis-of herself, and of
all she met and deemed worthy of it. The
shock of her accident had cleared away
after the first few days, and had left her
brain perhaps more active and reliable than
ever before, freed, as she was, from the
facilitating influences of fashionable life
and the restricted circle of social topics.
She had, as was natural, devoted much
time and thought to the consideration of
her physician, who, as we said before, was
one who must be considered, and yet she
had been able to arrive at no conclusion
with regard to Doctor Bondy.
He was, indeed, an inexplicable mystery
to her-as he was to all others, but that
was quite another matter-so full of unex-
pected changes and extraordinary intellect
ual phenomena, that for once her intuitions
and logical estimates were alike baffled,
and she forced herself to consider him as
one quite out of her system of individu-
alities, and to be studied-if at alias a
lusus nature, a man past a woman's finding
out, for Laura did herself full justice with
out being self-worshiper, and knew tina.
what she could not detect in character, few
other women could.
He sat by her side, took her hand, as any
other physician would, and made his CON-
ments in the conventional professional way;
and all the time Laura was sensible of a
presence power, none the less felt be.
cause insensible, and against which all hel
strong character and marked personality
was powerless.
After DR.. Bondy had told her that she
was improving with every day, and that
she had to thank naturally strong consti.
tuition, we'll for, for her speedy recov
cry, he sat silent for moment, looking
into the fire. And his eyes, seeking the
fire also, seemed, at length, to see between
them and it, a misty vapor that appeared
to grow until it shut the doctor and her
self in from all outward seeming or being.
And as she was about to rouse herself out
of the sensations to which this optical de
fusion was giving rise, he spoke:
"Some years ago, Miss Elmer, was {
surgeon on man-of-war attached to the
East-India Squadron. We were lying il
the Hoogly, at anchor, when one day wore
came to the ship that ..n interesting per
Torrance was to take place on shore on the
morrow, and the British consul, with whom
1 had some acquaintance, invided me to be
present on the occasion, which was to wit
ness the disinterment Of an Indian fakir o.
juggler, after living burial of six weeks
The experiment is common enough in the
east, but as l had never witnessed it,
went"
Laura observed that the misty vapor wa
growing more dense; and she speculatet
on certain bright atoms that appeared t.
float through and about it, but she heart
every word the doctor was saying.
"The man was buried in tomb of hewl