The Portland daily press., 1875-02-06

Nam" and the door closed upon what
| seemed only too like the bleatings OF the
| Cotswold whose blood now flowed in the
veins of one unlucky friend.
The drive home, as may be imagined, was
not altogether pleasant. But for the pathos
| of Mamies collapsed condition | believe that
| Uncle Stuart's almost motherly tenderness
would have given way before indignation
| swelling in his heart. The poor girl lay
| there on the cushions, her bloodless face con-
| trastng pitifuy with their rich crimson,
moaning, with now and then fattering sob,
| seemingly striker in heart and body. There
| was nothing for it but to get her home as
| soon as possible.
Tt was not bad relapse. Mamie picked nd
| again in few days, and came downstairs
| one sunny autumn afternoon, looking stron-
| ger, but thoughtful. John for his part, not
| fully comprehending the state OF affairs, and
being allowed to know only that Mamie had
been taken suddenly sick because OF her weak
condition, and was promptly recovering, wor-
ried his honest heart but little. This could
not last.
"Mamie," said I, the second day of her
appearance downstairs, ''the doctor let's
John drive out this afternoon, and l will
bring him around to throw kiss to your win
dow.
'Dont do it, Frank" said my cousin, with
a solemnity for which l was not prepared;
''don't do It, for I can't"-and here came a
sob and a sudden flood of tears-'sI can't see
him"
tsMv silly little cousinp' said I, drawing
| near with the purpose of administering GER
| tain cousinly consultations. But Mamie put
| out one thin hand to repulse me.
''No, Frank; I don't want anything OF that
| sort. know am silly, know | am wicked,
| and know that all liars have their part in
| the lake that burneth with coal and brim-
l. Asv&% ,ptl
| tation as if she would spare herself nothing
| in the way of prospective torment for her per-
| fidy. 'sBut when l promised John to love
| him forever he was john Now he is some
| thing else-you know-you helped change
| him-you saw him take his life from that
| that---sheep!' ,&
This was supremely absurd, but saw Ma
mic was rapidly exciting herself, and thought
silence my best role. Hardly pausng to dab
each of her eyes with small wet square OF
| handkerchief, she continued, rapidly:
II saw it in his face, heard it in his voice.
Oh, Frank, don't make me think oft! Why
do you f"-like her sdpposititsus ancestor,
| the volt, falsely accusing me of muddying the
| stream of her thoughts. 81 never can look
| at him again. He used to say he could breed
an animal that should equal a human being.
| Now he has bred himself.
This was all too pathetic to be comic, at
| least to me, who knew my Cousins constitu-
tional dread Of the animal whose llfe-blood
was now that of her lover, and whose fea-
| lures and voice seemed to have reproduced
themselves in his person.
But the little girl was firm. She never
would-she said she never could-see John
again. 1t was a sorry business getting him
| to understand the case. For a long time he
refused to believe it. He had long consulta-
tons with DIR. Broughton. He lavished
flowers upon Mamie all winter, hoping that
what he called her hallucination would
wear off if he could keep himself in her
mind by continuing attentions whose mem
DRY was all of the pleasant days before that
fever. -,F...
It was useless. Uncle Stuart told him so
along in the spring time and advised him to
take trip abroad, shake off his infatuatlon
for Mamie, or come back in year if he felt
no better, and try his fortune again.
The year has passed. John came back
month ago. He is fat and brown, and wears
his mustache waxed at the ends. But Ma
has not changed. The wonderful metamor-
phosis of my cousin from a marvel OF passion
ate affection to prodigy of unreasoning dis
like becomes all the more wonderful by its
persistence.
| Last week, after knew Johns fate was ir-
revocably sea led, determined to brave what
1 had never before dared, and put my own
fortune to the test. Before had half begun
| my Confession, Mamie's quick wits recognized
my drift, and thus she closed my mouth:
| ''I never shall forgive myself, Frank, for
what happened last year, though 1 couldn't
help it, and I can't help it now, but i haven't
yet forgiven you for your part in it,"
Unreasonable to the last We are all VIC
Tins together. Bazaar.