Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-03-01
THE WOMAN WHO SAVED ME-.
lFsoH .SrTiJssT'S H0GfAly.l

understood what he was saying it 4 had listened:
different condition of mind that / did NOT
care TO Esten-did not care to answer-dd not
even care to look. as was half unconsciously
tae eddying wind that whirled them down the
street.
How dali it all looked. how duh the dragging
Gays were! how L was beginning to hate the
big, Obtrusiye stone houses, and dread the Ion q
gray patch of November sky showing itself
over the roof, and alternately drifting leaden
wide tagged pavement wet and shining with
the siop of passing feet! L had always dis
liked the English winter, but L had never lost
spirit IN many any other winter as l had during thi,
added hundred-fold to the listless misery
which had become almost part of myself, and
more than once L had almost hoped that its
ending would end my life. IL during that
wretched autumn had hoped for anything,
had hoped for this, however vaguely: but the
time had often been when had been 20 utterly
cared to wishQOr either.
was in one Of the worst OF these moods to-
day, ans when the doctor came it was at its
strongest; 50, as he talkesl to me / scarcely
listened, but looked out at the whirliny leaves
ana dust in silence. But. though ! was not
Listening, L could not help hearing his last
words
.'And as told Mr.. Leith.- he was saving.
u cannot De responsible for the result if you DO
1 began to listen then, though scarcely knew
why.
Go repeated, ''where am to 20, and
why?"
.Anywhere," was his emphatic reply. ITO
the sea side-to some country pIaee-to Var
mOuth-t0 Swan-ea-tO Switzeranl-anywhere
away from London"
,. "But Why" l asked again, beginning to
wonder II the man did not, after all, know
something more than had fanciei.
"Because," looking at me steadily. ssif YOU
remain here you will die in two months, and Mr..
.'Win he?' I muttered half uneon.eiou.Iv-
''would he blame anybodv,-'
Dr. Branaird looked at me asain-keenly tlas
ume-but he said nothing.
.'And may go anywhere out of Londono-
said, after a short pause.
Anywhere he answered though SHOULD
And you have spoken to INV husband about
eyes"
ssWhat did he sav2', I asked tIis ,r,rl-
hngly
prove your health go
4 looked out at the leaves in the street AGAIN
Ii was 80 like him. L knew what II meant
must decide for myself. He did not care i
might live If cared for iife-die if 1 chose.
~ nave q Irlend in Marlborough y said after
a While, Il will 60 there
DR. Branaird rose and took his hat
do, he advised. BambOrough is Just the
place should have chosen for YOU had not
There is plenty OF strong sea-breeze on the
cornish coast, and your friend will improve the
tone OF your nervous system If she is anything
OF woman
So he left me, and so I turned to the street
again and stared blankly at the dead leave,
and the patch OF gray November sky. But L
could not watch 1T long. For the first time
IN many long months certain quiet excite
ment erePt upon me, brought about by the
thoughts that drifted into nv mind concern
ING my friend at acknowledgements
We had been girls together and we had loved
eacn other. We had been to each other what
giris seldom are-we hal been faithful, though
: ,S Son aJar years Lsoeth had been a wife. and
knew she was faithful to me still. notwifh-
standing that since her wedding-day we had
never seen each other
MY hands are full, Gervass. !" she had written
70 me once-"and my heart is full too-to The
brim- Hugh and his children fiII II as they iii
s ,ne hands. They give me no time to stagnste.
wors te tns nsnds at work and the heart at
: M am sure the beating Is more in time far
,ae WORK the children bring. But they have
.ase . y, sss ycs out, Geryase, you may be
s,e y. mat There Il all the more room be-
Ssuse tney nave made 1t larger. The children
nave made love you more than ever"
my chsir-..yes a !" vii myseif as | got up from
svng 10 uie, better die with Lisbeth than here
/ u'a nor love nv husband-I had never Ioyed
h.5 .Jid myself. IL was not even love that
.t ineie Us happy IN the first months of our
marriage. IL had only been a weak morkerv
s.ef al, and We had both learned the truth too
~. hven the little child that had scarcely
srawn a breath could not soften our hearts tn
wards each other. And, worse than this out of
my wretehedness had grown a shadow of sin
and despair. looked backwards sometimes to
= fancy had long left behInd-to a fancy that
thought my husband had long blotted out.
And looking backward 50, I fen into a wonder
~ what now seemed nv blindness. That man
would have loved me; there would have com.
no bitter words from him-that man would
have been true 20 me through life and de.th.
his love would never have die |, burning ont the
more rapidly for the very strength Of its first
did not often wait for my husband. but I
waited for him that night. 4 wanted to tell
HIM OF my decision Not that I fancied he
would care Tor my absence or presence-he was
past that; we were both past it. Still would
show just 50 much grace a. to make pretence
Of consulting him.
al am going to Bamborourh. - I said 70 him.
''to visit Lisbeth Grant. DIR. Branaird ad-
ylSes me 10 do So" Aud glanced at him care
He had Just come in. and tos>.I his hat u,;n
a sofa IN a careless fashion, and nov h; wa
standing upon the hearth looking silently into
the hre he did not to raise his eyes
IL hope you Will find YOUR heath iIn,r,vad >,
be said.
81 hope so,'' returned briefly.
But he was not quite easy, 1 could see and I
mus, confess TO some Sigh. surprise. The old
black lines came out ON his forehead, but thew
were not angry lines, they were -something ney
to me in their changed expression. He Wa, so
ndgety too, and even more taciturn than usual.
We had supPed and he had been reading for
half an hour, when he suddenly broke the
silence BY dinging his book upos the sofa after
"You are not worse than usual" he said. care
you:' did not look up this time, but vent on
working steadily. 81 think not" 1 answered;
would not tell him the truth. He should
nave hs had SIGHT clear enoagh to discover it for
HE He 60, up: and coming to the side of the