The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-08-18

firm, thin lips rigldIy locked over the
closely shut teeth-the dark and mourn
full gray eyes fearless and serene; but her
heart knocked against her breast so
loudly, that she seemed to hear the heavy
throb Of its every pulsation in the still
nsss of the room.
Her worst presentiments were realized.
Horace Margrave lay with his head
thrown back upon the piled-up pillows,
and his attenuated hand stretched list
lessly upon the eiderdown Counterpart
which was wrapped about him. His
head was bound with wet linen. over
which his nurse had tied handkerchief
of scarlet, whose vivid hue made his
white face seem by the contrast still more
ghsstly. HE dark-brown eyes had lost
the dreamy expression usual to them,
and had the bright and feverish lustre Of
disease. They were fixed, with a hag-
gard and earnest gaze, upon the door
through which Ellinor entered.
AT lastp he said, with hysterical
cry. "At last"
She pressed her hand tightly over her
beating heart. and, falling on her knees
by his bedside, said to him, very quiet
"
"Horace-Horace what is this? Why
why dol find you thus?''
He fixed his great lustrous eyes upon
her, as he answered.
"what is it, Ellinor? Shall 1 tell
your
"Yes-yes if you can tell me without
unnerving yourself"
"Unnerving myself" he laughed, with
9 bitter, unnatural cadence. "Unnerve
myself-look at thatp' he stretched out
one thin, haH transparent hand, which
trembled like an aspen leaf, until he let
it fall lifelessly upon the quilt. For
four years, Ellinor, 1 have been slowly
burning out my life in one long nervous
fever; and you tell me not to unnerve
myself"
He gave restless, impatient sigh, and,
tossing his cary head back upon the
pillow, turned his face to the wall.
Ellinor Dalton looked round the room
in which this brilliant, all-accomplished,
admired, and fascinating Horace Mar
grave had lain for eleven dreary days
eleven painful nights.
1t was a small apartment, comfortably
furnished, and heated by a stove. On
the table, by the bedside a Book Of Hours
lay open, with rosary thrown across
the page, where the reader had left off
Near this was an English Testament
also lying open. The sister of mercy
who had been nursing Horace Margrave,
had procured this Testament in bis owr
language, in hopes that he would be in
duced to read it. But the sick man
when sensible, spoke to her in French;
and when she implored him to see 9
priest, refused, with an impatient gesture,
which he repeated when she spoke to him
of Protestant clergyman whom she
knew, and could summon to him.
The dim lamp was shaded from tn,
eyes ofthe invalid by white porcelain
screen, which subdued the light, and
cast great shadows of the furniture upor
the walls Of the room.
He lay for some time quite quietly
with his face still turned away from Ell
linor, but by the incessant nervous mo
ton ofthe hand lying upon the counter
pane, she knew that be was not asleep.
The doctor opened the door softly. an,
looked in.
"If he says anything to you." h
whispered to Ellinor, "hear it quietly
but do not ask him any questions; and
above all, do not betray agitation"
She bowed her head in assent, and tn
physician closed the door.
Suddenly Horace Margrave turned hi
face to her. and looking at her earnestl,
with his haggard eyes, said
"Ellinor Dalton, you ask me what thi
means. I will tell you. The very da.
on which you left England, a strang
chance led me into the heart of a manu-
featuring town-a town which was bein.
ravaged by the fearful scourge of an in
fectioas fever; l was in very weak stat
of health, and, as might be expected,
caught this fever. was warned, whe
it was perhaps not yet too late to hav
taken precautions which might hav
saved me, but would not take thos
precautions. 1 was too great a cowar
to commit suicide. Some people say
man is too brave to kill himself-I wa
not-but was too much coward. Lii
was hateful, but | was afraid to die
Yet would not avert danger whic
had not been my own seeking. Let tn
fever kill ME, if it would. Ellinor, m
wish is fast being accomplished. l al
dyingP
''Horacel Horace :" She fell on be
knees once more at the eide OF the bee
and taking the thin hand in hers, presse
it to her lips.
lie drew it away as if it had bee
stung. "For Heavens sake, Ellinor,