The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-10-15

then, that Jane would not 50 have
committed herself with me, but, at
the time, did not think of that. I
rejolced that I had not proposed to
her, and [ pitied her husband for il
James misfortune was to have read the
letter, his trouble was to read her
heart rather too truly. Poor, little,
simple Jane! it was like her to think
that she could keep such secret from
a husband, who had not love to blind
him.
/ watched him without seem.
ing to do so, and [ felt sure that
MIR. Forbess grief was to see his
wife's love and not be able to return
it; his grief was to have married, as
he thought, sensible mercenary girl,
and to find out that he was welded to
a fond and tender-hearted woman. I
Go not mean to say that he resented
that love, or that it bored him; but
he could not return it.
was beginning to walk about with
the help Of stick, when I saw Mr..
Forbes 20 off in his chaise one morn
ing with Arthur.
"Please to tell Jane that I am tax
ing the child" he said to me.
On hearing this, Arthur, who had
sat quietly till then, uttered a scream
Of dismay, and called on his "mam-
ma" l saw Mr.. Forbes bite his lip,
but he drove away all the faster, and
both father and child were out of
sight in few moments. Jane had
heard the cry, and now came down
rather scared. On hearing the ex-
| PLANTATION gave her, she turned very
| pale.
"Oh, why does he take him to
Harting?' she cried, piteously; "my
maid has just told me the smallpox
is there. Oh, if one could only over
take him."
That was out of the question, so I
did my best to comfort Jane; but the
tears stood in her eyes as she still
kept sighing,-
go Ehx, 1;1 bo +o1,o b;,, %,
Why, indeed? The child came
home bright and we'll, and his father
seemed quite triumphant at having
kept him half "a day away from his
step-mother.
And he was not at all unhappy,
| Jane" he said, with marked empha-
sis.
Ali day the child continued we'll
and merry, but next morning he fell
. sick, and by the time his father came
home at night he was i'll; he had the
. smallpox. 1t was I who told Mr..
Forbes. He turned dreadfully pale !;
he had learned in the course Of the
day that the epidemic was at Harting.
, It was there, and he had taken his
child to it; he had taken him to ILL
= ness, perhaps to death, just. to brave
q anebtease his poor young wife! I knew
4 all this passed in his mind, for the
! words he uttered were,-
"God forgive me ~
His next remark was the question.
"Has Jane ever had it?'
l "Never," I replied, gravely.
"Then she must not stay with him."
l he said, quickly: "she must not"
He went up; 1 followed him to the
nursery. Jane was teere bending
t over the little cot, with Arthur's hand
A in hers. Mr.. Forbes went up to her !;
: hewas much agitated. He could scarce
e ly speak.
e "Jane," he said, without looking at
: the child, "you must not stay. I know
e you have never had this complaint
you must not stay"
o "Would you say that, if I were his
l mother ?" she asked.
t "You have no right to risk your
g life,' he urged Il have had it, SO
t has your cousin. We risk nothing !;
d you risk much"
e "What % asked Jane, and my pale
r. sad-faced little cousin became for a
u while glowing and almost beauti-
: full woman; "what do I risk7 Life
e 1t is not so dear, Mr.. Forbes. Dis
!, fgurement What change for the
t worse would that make in my lot!"
|, Mr.. Forbes said not word.
II have had that child's love-" con-
|, tinued Jane, looking back towards
the cot, "and nothing, nothing shall
l. make me leave him p
e No more was said. Arthur moaned
5 as he lay and Jane sat on one side OF
L. him, and her husband on the other.
l, Three days they sat thus. Three
d days the little sufferer fingered. On
l, the fourth, an angel called him and
r. released him from his pain. I va.
d present when he died. That poor
|, peevish little fellow had become SO
Is patient and so meek in his illness
d that I, too, had begun to love him.
If My heart smote me when I saw his
lie eyelids Autter strangely, and his pal.
Is lips quiver, and his little face it wa.
At neither blotched nor altered take
ot the strange calmness of death. Jane
+. wept silently. Mr. Forbes was tear
b, less, and sat looking on like one turn
lie ed to stone. At first he seemed in
credulous, but at length he under
it stood that it was all over. I do MOI
70 think that he saw me if he did, h,