Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-05-16
dead p And once more she burst into

dazed way, as though he could not pic
ture to himself the dread reality.
Don't say she's deadp
"Hush Don't speak so loud, man.
Yes, she is dead, and dead of f"
And here she appeared to whisper
something in his ear.
Great Heaven What was it that
the poor woman had died of, that those
two should be so secret about it? A
terrible conviction flashed upon me
that the hideous disease of which Frank
and I had spoken that very morning
had actually broken out, in the place
OF all others where we had most cause
to fear it.
"You will not breathe a word about
it, Alec," continued the sobbing voice.
1T is bad enough as it is; but if it
comes to be known how she came by
her end, it will be even worse"
For an instant it struck me that the
poor creature whose death they were
discussing had been put out of the
world by foul play, and such is the sell
fishness of human nature Though, to
do me justice, the thankfulness would
not have been on my own account
that L should have been almost thank
full for such solution of the affair. The
next few words, however, convinced
me of my mistake.
"Can see her?" inquired the man,
gravely, his fuddled brains appearing
to have become cleared little by the
greatness of his loss. eff had thought
her to have been SO bad, [ would not
have gone up-street to the alehouse."
"You couldn't have saved her, Alec
naught could have saved her, and
naught but harm could come now of
going to look at her. The only thing
to be done is to keep all quiet. She
is heavy loss to us and the BARNS
but we shall be well nigh ruined if
the inn folks should be frightened
away from us.
The inn folks Here was family
who evidently derived their living from
the customers at the inn. The man per-
haps had boat for hire; the woman
doubtless took in the washing of the
visitors-our washing amongst others
Whether it was smallpox or scarlet
fever, we were equally doomed if any
article was used from that cottage; and
I silently resolved that it should not be
used. The things from the wash, the
landlady informed me, would be sent
home towards the end of the week and
in the meantime I would devise some
excuse for leaving Clovelly without, if
possible, giving any shock to poor
Lucy.
"But how are we to help the inn
folks and every one else from knowing
it ?" urged the man. "We must get
the certifcate-"
"Whist Come in. I've q plan to
manage that" Then the door closed
behind him, and I heard the steps of
both Of them ascending some rickety
stairs to the upper floor.
Though almost breathless with ter
ror, contrived to stagger away from
the hateful house, the very touch of
which seemed to be contagious, and
reached the bench of which [ have spo-
ken, at the top of the steps, and there
sat down to think the matter out.
The atmosphere was as heavy as
wool, and dry as Gideon's fleece. How
the morrow's sun would scorch up that
narrow street, and fructify the seeds of
disease and death The least itching
in my limbs or features seemed to be
the precursor of smallpox, and every
flush the herald of scarlet fever. I saw
Lucy's frightened looks when the news
should first be told her of the enemy
that had made its appearance amongst
us, and her hopeless face as she bent
over her dying boy. Of course it was
wrong and wicked in me, and showed q
great want of faith but, at all events,
my tears were not for myself. thought
of the delicate mother and her frail
child, and of dear, handsome Frank
smitten down in his youth and happi-
ness.
OF course we could not leave the vii
lage that night, but resolvedto hasten
our departure for the projected picnic
as much as possible, and that, once
away, we should never return TO Glow
ely. would tell Frank what had hap
pened at the place it had been agreed
on that we should dine, and then he
would break the news to his wife, and
we would take up our quarters else
wherein some town that had resi-
dent doctor-and await our fate. If
the disease was in the air, as the papers
said, we should probably carry it with
us but at all events we should be in o
better position to combat it than where
we were at present. To be in Clovelly,
as it seemed to us, was to lie down in
our collins at once and indeed there
was not much more room to turn round
in it. Ny morbid fancy pictured sad
procession winding up that very street,
carrying on their shoulders dreadful
something with a white pail upon it,
and which contained our little Baba.
When I reached the inn 1 found, to
my great relief, that all our party had
retired to rest /; for, indeed, to have to
converse cheerily with any of my dear
ones with such burden on my mind
would have been terrible ordeal but
the good landlady was up and about,
and as brisk as usual.
"Pm afraid, ma'am, you won't get
your clothes from the laundresses quite
so soon as l had expected" we're her
irst words, 4" for her sister, who helps
her with the washing, has fallen i'll. All
the small things shall, however, besent
without fail, she says"
My heart seemed to stop beating, yet
l somehow contrived to say that there
was no hurry about the things. If so
much as a collar or pair of cuffs had
come, I would have burnt them with
my own hands. [ occupied myself at
once with packing up not only my own
clothes, but all of Lucy's that I could
lay hands on, in order that they might
be ready to send after us, and then re-
tired to bed-not to rest, but to think
and fear.
In the morning, Frank got up be-
times, as was his custom, to go down
to bathe. AS he ran whistling down
fla cf,iyo -u.lI.