Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-09

| that John somehow pulled past the crisis
feebly recognized us all. smiled a chastity
| smile when Mamie kissed him. and entered
| on the period when, in the proper course of
| events, ne should recover.
1 Here was another puzzle for DIR. BrO1gh-
| ton. His patient should have begun to gain
/ in strengtff7 but ne did not. He still Law
| there, speechleSs and Helpless. his constitu-
i ton seemingly pOweTlcSs for reaction. Each
| day Johns long face grew longer, and the
! doctors heightened with IL. His pulse sank
| until only the feeblest vibration marked the
! beating OF the heat that used to thump so
kstOutly against the broad breast of the young
I man. There seemed, indeed, little work for
/ Johns heart TODD. 50 blOOdless had the poor
/ fellow become. He lay there like YAM
| pire's victim, hclplessiy-and hopcleSSIS feel
! ing the vital fluid ebb from his veins day by
1 day
The TRANSMISSION of lambs blood, from a
| healthy ard living specimen OF that animal,
| into the veins Of patient suffering from
| anaemia, or from such a decline OF vitality
and circulation as in Johns case. was a much
| less common operation few years ago than
| it is low. But this, in DR.. BTOughtouS opin-
! ion. was the last and only hope Of our friend.
| IL was undertaken the very day on which
| Mamie. finally SuccUmbing 10 fatigue and
| anxiety. was sent 10 bed with slow fever.
| having very much The same symptoms that
| preceded John, attack. ItwaS nOthingmOre
| after all; but il kept her away from John
| and allowed her to know OF the Operat ion
| only by messages brought twice daily from
| the Sick-rOOm of her lover.
| The lamb was chosen from Johns own
| stock, brought into town, and established in
| the carriaCC-hOuse. under treatment for re
| pose and quiet; and on the afternoon Of the
| day when Mamie fell sick, the COtSwold was
| brought into the chamber by the aWe-Struck
shepherd. The creature had suffered much
at the hands of DIR. BroughtOn and his aSsO-
| ciate. in the way of having its veins tied up
10 limit the circulation 10 the iuSUlar and IL
needed only the last painless inclSiOn Of the
lancet, as q cup was quickly inverted over
| the OTifice. and the blood came putting out.
| Slowly through the cup, through the glass.
where 10 showed a strange red, through the
| flexible tube in the doctors hands, and
| through the needlc-like duct. flowed the
| stream of life from Johns lamb To johns
| heart.
| 1t was over in few minutes. ana the pa
| tiCnt. after some queer pains in his back and
| a temporary shortncSs of breath, went oft
| into a quiet sleep. and awOkc refreshed. l.
| was success. The forlOrn hope had sue
| Ceeded. DR. BrOughtOn was selt-Satisfied and
| cOngratulatOry. Uncle Stuart fairly owned
| up that Johns experiments in breeding had
| at last proved of some practical benefit, since
| he had produced animals OF as good blood as
| his own.
SO we all thought. as John drew daily
stronger; and Mamie on her sick-bed claspad
her hands and thanked God in as pure a
| prayer as ever maiden mingled with tears.
| The one strange thing was that John
| seemed as thin in the face as ever. Another
| strange thing. though not such a very un-
| usual result Of this sickness, was that the
| fever, IOath 10 leave its victim without some
| souvenir of its visitation, had struck male
| violently at the vocal chords of the throat
| whose fine baTytOne notes used to blend 80
| pleasantly with the tender soprano of Ma
| mics. anu lett MS voice IslllcOUS ana nif>l.
| II was as if the east wind had crCpt in and
| found a Judgment there; and although the
| doctor gave hope that this change in fjY,tjye
| was only temporary. it must he said that
| John was not pleasant as Il speaker i'm those
| days. RaSping and Strident. his ZONES.
| though weak, were like any thing but the
| brtathingS OF love.
| As the day apprOa ched when. by the doc
| tors autOcTatic decision. Mamie would be
| permitted TO ride around 10 Johns house and
again see her lover. we all felt rather Cnag-
4 riOpd that the hest eOIfll show hpT
such a cadaVerOuS specimen of GONZALES
| ccncc. Not 50 Mamie. She was such
| quivCrng little piece Of femininity all the
| morning that uncle had TO threaten her with
| bed and qUinine 10 bring her to a SembIance
| o. control.
eyes. Frank (petUlantly), your watch is
slow: as i The parIOr clock. The carriage
ought 10 have been here long ago. Father
WinklEg very hand 20 hide something tell
| tale on her laShcs, Il think l am strong
enough to walk"
At last we were there. The door had closed
softly behind rs, and John was seen bOi--
tered up in bed. with pillows behind him and
at each side. the chair in which Mamie had
watched 80 many long hours placed close -
his bed. her portrait hanging where his eyes
might find il i'm whatever position ne placed
himself. ana one Of her handkerchiofS. wnirn
she had left i'm the days OF her nursing, IN
II was the most foolish thing in the world
for John to have his muStache cat OF. But
he said il kept his medicine under his nose all
day. and of the offending ornament came.
His hair. too. had not grown again from the
clipping it received when the fever heated his
brain 50 that every curl was an intOlcrabl"
weight: aud. in fact, il was a iar from at
tractivc-lOOkiEg lover 20 whom we brought
Mamie.
Still. the alteration that shone out oc hi,
| cavcrrauS eyes a~ we entered the door made
him almost handsome. Mamie flushed up ~
we stepped over the threshold.
Now don't tear him To pieces i'm Your If
lection: he's tender yet said ], somewhat
CyniCallN. anticipating violent demon IA
ton QlJaptuTc.
! But there was no need oG caution. As Ma
mics eyes rested upon Johns fla I-lL 2
Slight TccOil in her movement The flush
upon her features died out, giving place tOI
| pallor that was startling. Her hand trcmb-
| led upon my arm. She was staring strangely
| AT the sick man, and her lips began to twist
and her breath 10 come fast.
Joint" She spoke with sort of surprised
interrOgatOry. rather than joyful recOgui-
ton. Then, in "a qUaVcrIng voice to me,
| What have they done 10 him, Frank?'
| why. Mamie, what in the world do you
mean?'' said /. in amaze
| All this passed in the moment while Uncle
Stuart was closing the door behind US. A.
| he stepped forward, with the heartiest sort Of
! a smile on his face, Mamie whirled around to
| him. and spoke rapidly under her breath:
| You told me they brought him 10 life
| again by putting lambs blood i'm his empty
| veins. You told me so! Look at him! Look
| at him, OH dear. OH dear" and the little girl
| seemed almost frantic with an unnamed ter
| rOr.
1
| flashed over me. There, in the Cmaciated
| features Of the COnvae>cent, were truly the
1 distinguishing characteristics Of a sleeps
| face. The absence of hair emphasized the
| peculiar effect 10 the SlOping lines OF the from
| tai bones: the long nose, gently bending in
ariStOcratic curve at the end. continued the
| OVine contour: and the conformation Of lips
| and chin. as his head was leaned family
| back on the pillow completed the resent
| blance Once with the idea in my head, there
| was no escaping il. Johns face dj look like
| that OF a sheep as he lay there. Even the
| paiOr OF his skin, the drawn and Sunken APP
| pearance Of the muscles his cheeks, and
| the pinchcd and white lips. added to the carl
| catuTe, whose fantastic significance grew
| more horribly vivid with each instant. The
| look OF blank amaZement which came into
| his eyes a. he noticed the mOmentary hest
| tatiOn OF his betrOthed completed the portal
| tuTC.
| Mamie was trembling like leaf There
| was nothing to be done but 10 break the Iell
| as quickly as possible.
| John, old fellow, said /, stepping forward
| with Mamie like a dead weight on my arm.
| your companion in cOnvalesceuce brings you
| greeting"
| With the best intentions in the world, had
| preCipitated the crisis. Had Mamie been al
| lowed to exchange the first words in the close
| wbfSDarS nj which lovers are fond