Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-12-10

IctUiHe'', ana Snc remembered once more the
revelations of that fa,cful paper. it was only
10y strong effort of will that she was pre-
vented from once more yielding to the wave
OF oblivion that threatened To enrulf her sem
se>. But She met i: aa,! rose above it. and
WAS saved to life and reason She was con-
sc.oUS of the danger of thinking much in he.
presen: condition. and sought no: to do 80:
h';: She would have found il difficult to he d.
vcrtcl by other taEcics had she no; been aid
Ell hv The contemplation Of the change in
Mrs. rodscrs That lady devotion had had
lis legitimate results. She was worn down
with watching. >lcevlcsSncsS. anxiety and
fatigue till the seemingly haic, healthy old
lady OF few weeks before was now wreck.
apparently in danger of losing at any moment
her slender, feeble hold upon life and sinking
into the grave. Jennie was shocked at this
more than at her own condition. and entreat-
ed Mrs. PodserS to give over her vigils, and
try to restore her wasted strength. The doc
tor. too. urged to the same purpose, but it
was in vain. Mrs. Podgcrs would not be per-
Sl,adct.
NO, dear, she said to Jennie; Il am sole
~ responsible for all that you have suffered.
| cannot tell yen how till you are well, and
then YOU must hear the whole story. But in
the meantime wish to devote myself to you,
and atone as far us possible for the wrong
that has been done you
NO a,onement is at all necessary, aunt; l
forgive you everything in advance. All l
want is to see you rest yourself, and get back
your wasted strength again"
The evil of Mrs. Polgcrs' ovcr-exertion was
soon made manifest While Jennie was still
upon the sick-bcd, though convalcsciny
rapidly, Mrs. Podgcrs was stricken down
with illness almost identical in character with
that from which Jennie was recovering. Dr.
Pilzansich addressed himself to this new case
with all the medical skill at his commands
but he was sometimes observed to shake
his head uncaslly when he thought himself
unnoticed while his kind face looked grave
and troubled 1T had required ali Jennie
youth and constitutional yigor to survive the
severe ordeal; how then was it possible for
Mrs Podgers, laboring under the infirmities
of advanced age, TO live through it: This
was the question that the worthy doctor pro-
pounded to himself, and he could not find a
satisfactory answer.
1t would seem that Jcnnie's conyalcscence
was accelerated by this untoward event, for
long before she was expected to gain her
strength she insisted on being enrolled in the
ranks of the well again and permitted to as
sist in the care of her aunt. The doctor
frowncd and demonstrated, but all to no pur-
pose The two faithful servants who had as
sisted Mrs. Podgers to nurse her had not yet
recovered from their fatigue, and were not
likely to bear up unaided under this new
strain. She must be allowed to help them
and to repay her aunt's devotion. And she
was able to do il. If the doctor saw that she
was failing, then he might command her to
desist and she would obey him. Thus she
reasoned, and if the reasons were not con-
yincing, her determination was invincible;
and she became an almost constant attendant
Mt her aunt's bedside. Fortunately she sus-
tanned no injury.
Meanwhile Scribbleton was in the city,
missing the almost daily letters of Mrs. Pod
gers reporting Jennies condition, had new
torment to bear up under. Why did not Mrs.
Podgers write: Was Jennie dying after all:
or, worse yet, might she not be already dead,
and Mrs. Podgers afraid to communicate the
intelligence: Oh, God! il it should be Sc
he was her murderer. \ brand was upon
him worse than that of Cain, if not visible to
the eyes of man. Whittier should he run for
refuge from the fiery torments that would
burn within him from such conviction? 10
have murdered the girl he adored! To have
won her dear love by = course of duplicity,
and thus not only struck the deadly blow,
but deliberately and coolly forged the weapon
with which to strike: Could he support life
under such reflection:
But in the almost madness of his SELF
accusation, letter reached him. he had
never received but one letter from Jennie,
but the oft-repeated perusal of that dreadful
one had made him sufficiently familiar with
her chirography to enable him at once TO
recognize her hand in the address of the pres
cnt one Tearing open the envelope with
trembling fingers, he found the following:
Mr.. SCR1BBLEroN:-My aunt is danger
ously ill., The doctor says that you had bet
,.r he summoned. JENNIE HOWARD.
Tha: was oil, but that told much. Thank
heaven, Jennie was well again. But poor
Mrs Potlpers. daugerously i'll! All! where