The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-02-05

wife. By and by the rumor went abou
that he had sent for Lawyer Emlyn Il
make his Willie had always been very
stubborn against making wills; anC
presently, when Mrs. Emlyn toiled II,
Lookout hill to visit Mrs. Toft-tht
Emlyns had never visited before at tha
house-and sometime after invited hel
to spend a quiet evening in the Higl
street, everybody shrewdly surmiseC
how the viii was made, and judged thai
the property disposed of was not incon
siderable.
Meantime the Peruvia, the good shit
that had sailed away that fine summers
evening, had been heard of more thar
once. She had not been spoken, how.
ever, later than the last October, when
she had left Kurachee with the north
east monsoon for the Red Sea, intend
ing to come home by Suez and the
Mediterranean. Any day she might re-
turn, any day might witness William
Black striding up Lookout hill ; any
one of the white-winged ships that dot
ted the horizon might be the one ship
that heart-sore Alice was secretly long.
ing to see. He had been very good he
had not written to her sister-she had
forbidden him to d. so, and he had
Obeyed her; and yet if he knew how
she longed to hear he was safe-afteT
all, it was better not.
Mr.. loft was breaking little, peo-
pie said. He was no longer as active
as he had been only a short year since.
He rarely came down into the town now,
and when he did it was pitiable to see
him toiling back up the hill, making
believe that the ascent was not painful
to him. He had been used to come
each morning to The reading-room but
now he had given that up, and had the
Times sent up to him on the next day
after publication.
! One summer evening-her husband
had been poorly all day, and Alice had
! been constantly occu pied in attending
! to him, but now he had gone off to
| sleep-she put on her things and went
down into the town to make few pur-
chases, intending to spend half an hour
with Mrs. Emlyn, to enjoy gossip with
that lively, conversable lady.
Down the hill she went, the cool sea-
breeze tanning her parched cheeks. The
evening was divine, and the sea was
stretched before her in long golden
! swathes, the murmur of it sounding
\ gently IN her ears. Ships were stirring,
some outward bound were heaving at
their anchors, and the ewell-remembered
sailors song came softly over tho wa
! ters some homeward- bound were max
ing for their anchoring- grounds with
full-bellied sails. She strained her
eyes, and fancied that now this and now
that might be the long expected Peru
via. But no, there would be no doubt
then her heart would tell her at once,
That is Williams ship I"
The sun was getting low, and she
hastened quickly down the hill. She
met sundry tOwns-p Ople she knew by
sight, and nodded to them a good ma
tured greeting they tdrned and looked
at her, and watched her down the hill.
" How rude people are getting" she
thought. "Thele was a time when
these would all have touched their hats
to the wife of the ship-owner."
At each shop she visited she noticed
something strange about the people.
Mr.. Meagre, the draper, came out of
his little box and stared at her, and
Mrs. Meagre's stony visage appeared
over the glass door, sternly regarding
her. It was the same at the other shops,
every body looked queer.
" Imagination, she told herself. "I
feel altogether strange, and I find my
own feelings reflected in other peoples
faces. Here comes Mrs. Emlyn."
Mrs. Emlyn came up to her and
looked at her with vacant unrecOgnizing
gaze.
Mrs. Emlyn," she cried, chow for
tunate 1 am to meet you u
The lady gathered together her skirts
and passed cOldly on.
"Oh, what have I done-what is the
matter ?" cried Alice. She felt faint
and giddy; something dreadful had
happened. The air grew heavy and
thick all the houses in the red, quaint
High street seemed to blink at her the
sky was brassy and dull above her. She
was as If in q dream, when the last
trumpet seems to sound, and the uni
verse quakes around. But it was moth
ing It could be nothing; MIS-. En-
lyn was often queer.
But she turned round and made her
way home. Her husband was awake
and crying for her like q sick child.
She could do nothing tonight, but in
the morning she would go down into
the town and get to the bottom of this
mystery, if it were mystery, and not
all delusion.
Next morning Mr.. loft was better
much better cheerful and chirrupy.
He had his breakfast in bed, however,
and Alice took it up to him. He was
quite affectionate over his toast, and
loving over his egg; and by noon he
was down stairs in the sitting-rOom
grumbling that the Times hadn't come.
at is here now, Richard" said his
wife, bringing him the great broads heet.
She left him to his paper and went on
her way abont household matters. BY
and by she heard strange sound in the
parlor as if somebody had fallen. She
ran into the room; Mr.. Toft was on the
floor in a heap against his easy chair.
He had fallen into fit the paper was
scrunohed up in his hand.
A strange pang shot through her.
Grief, remoTse, expectation, a flash of
hope that would not be repressed. In
q moment she was herself again. She
laid him gently along the floor, rang
the bell violently for assistance, undid
his necktio and the front of his shirt,
chafed his temples and hands. Servants
came, and she sent off for the doctor.
She moistened his lips with brandy.
He revived.
Strangely he sbrank away from her
would not suffer her to touch him the
gardener had come in to help, and, with
his assistance, the old man made his
way to his bedroom.
Alice was wounded and amazed; but
she had heard of sick people suddenly
taking fancies against those whom they
loved the best. She went to the door
to see if the doctor was coming. Mr..
Emlyn, the lawyer, was walking quickly
up the hill, a newspaper under his arm.
He looked sternly at her as he ap
preached.
"I must see Mr.. Toft. " he said, as he
reached the door.
"You cannot see him he is very Ill, "
said Alice.
The window of Mr.. Toft's room was
open, and he must have heard Mr..
Emlyn's voice.
"Show Mr.. Emlyn M, D." he cried, in
harsh shrieking tones. "Come here,
sir-Come here :"
Mr.. Emlyn pushed his way in, and
up the staircase Alice was too fright
ened to forbid him. The gardener pre-
sently came in for pens and ink, took
them up TO his master, and then waited
at the bottom of the stairs.
You had better 60 to your work
again, Thomas, said Alice; Eve can
manage without You now"
master said was to stay here.