Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-05-10
Marian looked at the languid form,

1t was one year ago. She reviewed, in
her conscientious way, her dealings
with the kind and true but too ardent
heart lavished unaccepted all upon her.
She recalled one vivid remembrance
of an hour upon the wave-dashed
rocks at "Forty Steps scene of so
many lovers widest vows when Willie,
reading aloud Bailey's "Gypsy Maid"
changed suddenly from reading to con-
fession, seized the words that belonged
to himself, made the poem speak for
him. Marian was the woman who
should be
'queen Of every race
That, tear-like, trode the worlds sad face;'
She :" made the fortune she foretold."
He was the boy-lover,
"'I am aman in love he cried;
My heart was early Manned
From that hour till now, Marian's
most firm and devout efforts had not
served to swerve the sentiment fatally
deep-rooted or to mold her lovers
adoption of the poem beyond the verse
60 Hush we breathe heaven, she said and
sighed
And the stars speak through me-
Let heaven take care of heaven!' Icried
only care for thee"
One good thing she had accomplished
Taking advantage of q hereditary pre-
objection in Willie's family for the
army, she had induced him to enter
the national military school, and had
secured to that end the weight Of infu-
entail friends. Two years had passed
with honor to Willie, when an accident
in the gymnasium untitled him tenn
poraitly for study-an accident in it.
self slight, but causing a seclusion, and
maction, that his morbid state Of mind
could not brook. He sank itno dejec-
ton, and into the most dangerous sort
of wasting fever. Changed nearly past
recognition, he came home.
Marian thought of all this by the
midnight as she gently watched When
her thoughts became to sad, she took
up a book that lay upon a little side
table beside burning candle, and tried
to read.
The book was familiar favorite to
her, "The Lamplighter. She turned
TO the special pages whose sentimen
outliyes the story-to light the lamps
for those upon whom darkness is fall
ing. This idea accorded with Marian's
mood, with Marian's motive of life.
While she was reading and some
time near two o'clock, she felt herself
drawn away from her book by an out
side influence. It seemed to her that
a strange word had been whispered
near her, and that the air of the room
grew cold.
She glanced toward Willie He lay
in the same attitude that slumber had
assumed, but his eyes were open; they
were fixed on her with look entirely
new-a watchful, suspicious, almost
malignant glow; one degree more of
intensity would have made the glow a
glare.
He did not speak and she withdrew
her glance and turned it on to her book.
She shuddered from head to foot; APP
prehension of a fearful possibility
crossed her mind.
"Shall / call his mother +" was her
next thought. No, the change was too
conjectural, too underlined. He lay there
SO still, she delayed; she awaited some
more certain sign of the appalling i'll
she feared.
Vehemently the sign came With a
quickness that only one force, ordered
or disordered gives, Willie sprang from
the sofa to the window, flung up the
sash, and leaped upon the piazza roof.
Calmly, even slowly, but clearly aloud
as her presence of mind arose to the
occasion of absolute command, she
called, "Willie, wait. You have for
gotten your ring"
He paused and looked back. The
calm voice, the sympathetic yet impe-
rious word, an old association of ring
entanged somewhere in his confused
resolve, arrested him. He hesitated,
looked back. Then again
But she had reached him. Not hur-
riedly and with eyes averted, she had
approached the window. She took his
hand with a light touch, not with a
grasp. Her soft actions yelled her CO.
ercive will. An instant Of overwhelm-
ing pity put her en- rapport with the
desperate phase of Willie's resolutions:
" Wait, and | will find your ring"
He allowed himself to beNled by her,
yielding warily, sullenly, like an Of
Tending animal that feels his masters
refining hand or word. She led him to
the sofa, smoothed his pillows, and he
lay down; but his head swayed to and
fro; there was that upon his lips that
eyes hated to see.
His mother, awakened, came to the
doorway, and the moment that Willie
caught glimpse of her excited face,
his fever took on its paroxysm. He
rushed toward her as upon a foe; and
when she fled, and the door closed
upon her, he turned fercely toward
Marian All it was not Willie, now.
Marian, moved by her absorbing
pity, was not afraid. She went close to
the poor maniac, and flung her arms
about his neck, called him "Dear, dear
Willie" kissed his hot cheek. And so
he received, poor boy, as a saving pit
lance, too late, the boon he would have
died for.
Her touch, not recognized, was po-
tent still, and saved him from frenzy
for the moment Once more she coax
ed him to his pillow; and she knelt be-
side him, murmuring endearing words,
and soothing his forehead and hands
with her cool finger tips.