Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-15
CHAPTER X.

ous-almost fatal one-yet the queer old
mother, who had studied surgery in Paris, was
the only physician who probed it, and dressed
it, and healed it. But for many and many
day he lay, without the faintest hope of re-
covery, with Gertrude on one side Of his
couch, her eyes seldom undimmed by tears /;
and the old mother on the other side, cool,
constant, prompt and attentive.
No expose of the would-be-assassn was
made; but Gertrude never, for one instant,
doubted that the man was Colonel Vaughn
Fessenden. She was so engrossed in the con-
versation between her husband and the beau.
tiful Cecilia, that she did not observe that
another than herself had sought the shadow
of the laurel tree, until just before the she:
was fired, when she heard the rusting of the
leaves near her, and turning in a quick, star
tied way, she saw, for an instant, the sturdy
form of man in full evening costume. His
hair was gray, and she noticed distictly the
hand that held the pistol. 1t was ghastly
white, and the muscles of it we're tenSioned
like whip.cord, while the grip upon the dead
ly weapon was steady as if it had been mould
ed, en- fer tondre. She recognized it instantly,
as the hand of Colonel Vaughn Fessenden.
She had noticed it hundred times before,
and marveled at the strength it showed. She
did not doubt, that he, too, had overheard the
conversation between his wife and her hus-
band and infuriated by his jealous feelings
and his losses at gaming, he had, on the in-
slant, striven to be homicide.
But Gertrude never breathed a word of all
this, after that first hight, when her mother
in-law so peremptorily silenccd her. She
kept her knowledge to herself, and let her
heart gnaw upon itself in secret.
The bitterest of all to her was the memory
of Irving's confession to Mrs. Vaughn Fessen-
den, that he had loved her devotedly; and
Gertrude never doubted for an instant that he
loved her still. She could not understand
how he could uproot and kill outright pas
sion once felt for so beautiful, SO brilliant
woman. But this indescribable torture of
her soul was hidden under face of impene-
trable calm and never the slightest sign OF
uneasiness or doubt was shown to him or any
other living being
She watched beside his sick couch with per-
sistent devotion. She scarcely ate or slept
enough to keep life in her body. She MUIR
INJURED loving words in his ear, moistened his
parched lips and fevcred brow and smoothed
his weary pillows.
One afternoon, old Mrs. Mcdonald COM
planned of being tired out, and insisted she
must 90 to her room and rest Irving was
asleep Gertrude sat down in the deep bay
window of the room, the heavy curtains drawn
around her, shutting out every ray of light
from the apartment, and completely obscur-
ing herself from view. Opening book, she
tried to read but she could not engross her
mind, and soon the volume fell from her
nerveless hand to her lap, and her dark, un-
happy eyes looked out upon the parterres of
flowers without ray of appreciation of their
beauty. They could not brighten the gloomy
depths of her eyes, and her thoughts recurred
again and again to the recent scenes through
which she had passed.
She had been thus lost in reverie for half
an hour, perhaps, when she heard the knob of
the door turn softly, and listening closely, she
knew by the almost noiseless step that the in
truder was woman To draw away the win
dow drapery and food the room with light,
was to expose herself; SO Gertrude sat still
and listened attentively. Irving was restless.
Her acute ear heard him turn on his pillow,
and then she knew by the faint exclamation
that broke from him that he had wakened
also.
"Cecelia p
eyes it is l." answered a soft voice, in
husbed and tremulous whisper 81 cannot tell