The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-09-09
like knife; I recognized the tones of EN-
C,,a,c

:. like knife; I recognized the tones Of En-
n ma Pomfret's voice.
e Her brothers raving was subdued by til
r influence of powerful narcotic, but i
q was only temporary alienation.
She lay on the library sofa. The roor
,, was perfectly still, but I could see tn
simmer of her dress in the dim light
/ bent over her and saw the heavy lids da1
Y from the fixed and mournful eyes. l pu
f my hand on her forehead; it was cold a
i, marble.
miss Pomfret," I said, "let me Civ
' you little care"
She murmured few words expressly
of her indifference, and saw that sh
e seemed unconscious of all did. l ad
ministered wine, ordered fire and drew
, the sofa before it; still the frigid miser,
; of her face did not soften.
, You must not get ill.," said, watch
| ing her with great anxiety; II shall
| want you TO help me take care of you
brother"
"No help will avail" she said apa
thetically. LET me, too, die if will.
The utter despair of her words forced
me to silence. Suddenly she broke into
fearless moaning, repeating her brothers
name.
ooh, Raj, my darling brother" she
sobbed; nothing more for you in life
but bars and chains. So good, so true, SC
tender to me, and you will never know me
again! Help for himv' turning to me-
Ibid not my father do so, and his father
before him, and have I not long known
that there is no help for Pomfret when
the curse of his family overtakes him !
You can do no good, DR.. Leroy; you had
best leave us to our despair
She knew me, then but hardly gave
earnestly upon her face and said: II
shall not leave you because I love your
brother. l offered him my friendship be-
fore this aftlictiOn came, and he shall have
it now. I shall tend him to the last"
For the first time she seemed to give me
her attention.
"Will you let me be your friend?"
said, after pause, taking the little cold
hand.
eff you WILL" she syllabled.
could not persuade her to go to rest,
SO remained by her, talking.
knew who you were from the first"
she said. l" have long known Rails de-
fusion, that I needed watching; he
struggled against it, poor boy, and still it
mastered him. When you came was
only suspicious who you might be; I
thought had seen you but year previ-
Gus in a railway carriage, asleep. knew
you then to be young physician, late
from London. After you came l could
not rest until was satisfied who you were !;
and, to do this, could most etfectually
convince myself by seeing you in your
sleep. With this motive in view l
ventured into your chamber last night.
satisfied myself"
did not think it best to tell ner then
that knew of her visit. At dawn she
fell asleep, and slumbered until nearly
noon.
She came to my side then, collected,
firm and helpful. Together we watched
with poor Raj until he died. He never
knew her, the darling sister whom he had
loved even in his madness; but, for her
sake. was thankful that he passed away
with less suffering than had feared for
him.
When all was over she came to me with
a package of papers which she had found
in his private desk. Her dropping little
l placed in an easy-chair, and then 1
opened the closely-folded sheets and read
them aloud:
have but little time in which to act with
reason; let me take ad vantage of it. First,
Emma, forgive me for the pain which have
| repeatedly put to you. My dear and only
sister, you know The curse is upon me, but
you do not know how long it has worked
within me. have struggled against tiend.
| ish thoughts for months, returning again to
reason and remorsc, and with terror at what
T IL
| betrayed myself to you and others, and you
only allow lAe liberty on sutferance. You
cannot do that long; yesterday the third
| spasm overlook me; Emma, you witnessed
the symptom and know its meaning. Iknow
that any hour now may 90 mad. 0 God!
so young, so hopeful have been, too. But
there is no hope for Pomfret. Thank
Heaven, Ihave no son to inherit the horror of
my blood!
My precious sister, the time is drawing
nigh when we must part. The gentleman
whom you know as Mr.. Richmond is skill
influence of my malady brought him here
to detect in you the signs of insanity. He is
| gentleman-a man of fine feelings. If he
| offers to defend you when you are alone, my
poor Emma, trust him. To him bequeath
my carriage and horses, my saddle horse and
accoutrements. Our home is yours, you
know, darling, by inheritance. My moneys
and real estate you will find bequeathed to
you in my formal will made year ago.
Little sister, good-by. l know how good
you are-how you have suffered. 1t is better
| that should die. You will miss me, know;
but the grass will grow green on my grave at
last, and the curse of our race will have
spent its power. You will not transmit it to
your children. You are our mothers child
and your blood is pure. You have nothing
to fear; you have only to be happy when am
gone. .
If am violently insane for years place me
in an asylum at my expense. have arranged
for this contingency. But have not great
physical endurance; do not think l shall
Guod-by, my darling sister; make me, at last,
peaceful grave and come there sometimes,
| remembering me not as lunatic but as the
brother you played with in childhood, and
VINO loved you with his last calm thought.
RALPH PoMFRET.
The epistle was dated on the very day
his fearful malady overlook him.
took the weeping girl in my arms.
Emma, he trusted cannotyou? Will
you let me try to make you happy?"
She chung to me with sobbing breath,
but felt that it was not physical weak
ness nor even desolation which made her
mine. l felt that she knew how I loved
her for her goodness and purity-that she
recognized the integrity had striven to
maintain, and loved me in return.
Rails grave is peaceful. Willows shade
it, mignonette blooms upon it, bees buzz
above it, and the sunshine fingers longest
there upon the hilltops. We love to 60
there and think the suffering is past for
him.
My darling is happy. We Lave chill
dren and bright and beautiful home.
The Pomfret skeleton has never intruded
among us.
The Most Profitable Crops.
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