Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-07-12

travelling in the vicinity kindly aided
ne. She was not altogether stranger
to Phil-nor to me. for that matter.
She was very gentle and beautiful.
with that winning way abou. her that
reaches the heart, magnetizes it, and en-
thralls it without the exact knowledge
of that organ. There was something in
the slight pressure of her hand upon
Phil's forehead. the floating of her dia-
phanOas drapery about his bedside. the
melody Of her voice. the soft cleaning
Of her luminous eyes through the dim
med light of the sick-rOom. that made
her presence cOnsoling. healing. divine.
Then when Phil had fallen into slum-
Der. ste came to me. her fellow-watcher,
and mnistered to my comfort through
the darI watches Of the night. She lis
tened With tender interest to my rela-
ton Of or adventures in Africa, and
was especially never tired of terrible
struggle q mine with male lion in the
dehle Of the mountains. She declared
1t was thrilling, grand. heroic; and,
touching with her slender fingers the
sears upon my face. pronounce them
beautiful. while 1. alas :! caught and
kissed those gentle fingers. and wished
that Phil's eonvaleseence was not so rap
i'd. and that We might forever. We three.
rest together upon the veriure-cruwned
heights. like gods together. needless of
mankind"
On one Of these occasions l was relat-
ing to her a desperate encounter Of ours
in the jungle with panther. and had
reached the most thrilling part of it;
she Covered her eyes with one hand. as
if to shut out the terrible scene, and the
other she stretched to me in sympathy
with ny relation to the combat. Alb
sorb%d with NY story, I just touched the
whits fingers to NY lips with a caress-
ing movement when suddenly Phil stood
before Us He was pale to ghastliness,
and ny heart smote me, for | saw in
his face bitter hatred and reproach.
He glared upon me with hollow, burn.
ing eyes. But Diana rose to her feet.
Taking the light shawl from her shoul-
ders. she threw it about the shivering
form Of Phil and gently forced him to
the seat beside her.
You wicked boy - she said. looking
upon him in tender reprOach. -.hOw can
/ you Be 50 imprudent? We want no re.
lapses, You know, for l must leave you
tomorrow. The colonel viii be here"
The e9lonell" stammered Phil
"Ebat eolonel?'
why, ny colonel. :" said Diana; .-Col
John Talbot. ny husband %
Phil seemed to have lost all power Of
articulation. and ny own voice sounded
hollow and strange as l remarked thai
We we're under the impression that Col
John Talbot had been killed years agc
I By the Indians, on the American plains
"Why, what horrid conjecture p
said Mrs Talbot. with graceful shud
der Of alright There was such a re
port, and il nearly cost ne ny life, bu
happily it was an e1aggeration. He va.
sezlped and left for dead But yoI
know" she added, turning to ne. '.hov
much a manly, athletic physique cal
stand"
YES y@." murmureds and as sht
bzde Us good night. and glided away
Phil and l looked at each other with al
emotion that was impossible just then Il
an.ly1e.
We remained in sombre silence, watch
ing the jagged, snoE-eoyered peaks o
the distant hills At last our hand
sought each other. shiEer Of recollec
tion passed over the weak form Of Phil
his head sunk upon ny shoulder.
Lets % home, Hal" be whispered
s.let us q hack 70 America"
VIC left SaxOny the next day. travel
ing by easy stages TO the sea And j
is s0aeEhat remarkable that although
Pills and ny experience with Eomer
was limited and unsatisfactory. We nev
er seught 70 extend cur knoEledge o.
aueliorzte tie paucity Ofit
Ne eneEer warried. nor saw Diana from
thai day 70 this.