Litchfield enquirer., 1877-08-30
WHOLE ii II NO. 2. 2674 2. ].

| T1hnaa vore her xvordsa s,fo u9ad sad nuiiaag 1 i've will say no more about it now,
 Patty. I cannot take care of so young ,, child. so I'll leave Jamie with you for the | present. "Dl 5aiag 1t 5fa a5s 5gaf .stalf She thanked him, and bade him good l bye. apparently with composure. Then she took Jamie into her arms and poured
 out her anguish into his unconCious ears;
 layishing ppon him the caresses Der heart l yearned to bestow upon his father. She
 blessed God for the child. "While
 have him, cannot be so desolate again."
 she said. laa ''u H'l .rH z.s, -I Her hands were full now, but Jamie did not quite fill her heart. She had had Amos back again, and now he was gone.
 She grew paler and paler every day, the
 rounded cheek sunk and dark circles
 came around the sad, yearning eyes. .t Amos had not had enough of marrying. las lie protested he had. for in the winter
 he brought home from Boston, pretty aWidpw. as his wife.
 Iin Patty and he had had no intercourse since they parted. g Aunty Faith kept a Amos informed of the health of his son.
 No intimation had reached Patty that
 Amos contemplated this step. His anger
 when she misunderstood him during their last interview. would have treasured her 1.-the Idea had occurred to her.
 r A thonghtless neighbor came in one
 evening. and told Mrs Brawton, in Pat ty's presence, about this marriage. For an instant she neither breathed or moved; ui then she stood up. threw her arms over a her head in utter despair, while . stream of blood poured from her mouth. Dr. D tSmith stopped the life flow for time, but he knew that Patty's hours were number cd. A little sleep came to her during the
 night. In the morning she sent g trusty
 messenger for Amos. who brought word that "Mr. Hill had gone to town, that he would be home before evening, and that
 his wife would tell him to come as soon
 as he got back" ....,.. ,....'.,.a .,,-. ,.
 ''His wife will tell him to come," whis.
 pered Patty to herself, 'T lived when i Amos married Sara, but this strange 'Wo- man, Ohl it's nearly over now." tf5 u9et !a She had forgotten Jamie ali this time. Her love for the child had come in her later days. and then only as part of the old love. A wild storm set in. The wind
 whirled through the hsggard branches of the trees, mingling it's moan with that 0f E the dying girl. The torn banners of the year lay scattered on the ground. Mrs. Hill told Amos, as soon as he returned, that messenger had come for him to- 70 5 immediately ta Mrs. Brawton's house. toa s.
 ''Is Jamie sick, !" was his first question. Mrs. Hill knew nothing of Patty's history except that she was the cousin of her hus- bands first wife; her best friend, and that the dying woman had left her child to her care. ....r...
 "No, not your little boy. Miss Braw. ton who takes care of him."
 Amos could not speak. His wife ad. ded,. .... ....."'.. ....'.
 ''Patty, Patty Brawton you know"
 "Yes, yes." he said, half unconscious ly. ..' @ '0 "Dr. Smith s man told Hobson that she could not live through the night. The doctor said so." t .'. fs-.
 ''Not live through the night" he cried, 'I did not know that she was sick, I'll 20 to her instantly. rf ...'- If s.
 "Hobson said she had been sick since September. That lady called upon her yesterday, and told her. suddenly. some bad news, I do not know what, and then the bleeding came on" "Yes, yes, l shall be away all night, good bye." and he hurried of without showing his face. How should he know that Patty was sick, had he not been on his wedding journey The city lady had exacted this. ,...
 "Some bad newsP We came home in. the evening. Gould 1t be Eh0t 2" he asked himself, as he ploughed through the snow drifts. This December storm recalled that other tempest, four, years before, when he had hastened to Patty. Now ho felt that it was for the last time. He sob. bed aloud. The very mountains echoed of the past, again she seemed to stand be- side him, her hand clasped in his; and now she was dying. 7l 'f'l 'i ".a g. la''-
 Aunty Faith met him at the threshold and told him that, 'tPatty was living; that her quick ears would hear the heavy old door shut, and she would know that he had come." In silence he followed AInty Faith into the sick chamber. Patty knew his footstep, her eyes lighted up and she stretched out her arms to him as he ap- preached the bed; then she remembered that hs was the husband of this stranaer. let them fall, and gave him her hand in.s stead. It was only less thin and white than the beautiful face lying there. She motioned for all to leave the room, except Amos. She wanted him all to herself, for a few minutes before she drifted out alone into the unknown sea. He trembled as she used to do, when the dark hour came, to her. Now. she was calm. Was not the light and not the shadow coming over the mountain He held her . hand and softly pressed it; ho stopped and kissed the white forehead. Surely he could do as much as that for the friend of his youth, of his dead wife, .s and the adopted mother of his child.s smug
 ''Thank you for coming. It will tET D you. and you do not like to witness snis r fering." He wiheed. She did not mean to hurt him, but she aid. Then che, smiled; the smile was sadder than any tear. na 9a-9cBf dam vllaIntau crew aas na "We will not quarrel any more. noN 1, even about Jennie. you can take him now. I'll tell Sara that I gave him to you"- she looked at him intently-''to you, to no one else, as promised her."