The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-07-18

And that the darkness overspread
Need give me no alarm.
'Tis so Of other storms that come
My spirit to appall,
No evil shall by thom be done
While Heaven is seen through all.
MARGARFT.
A corridor at the end Of one wing of large
rambling house in the north of England, a
barred window and q closed door. In the pas
sage fair haired girl with the light Of indie
s,ribable pity in her dove-like eyes, kneeling
upon the boards. and pushing biscuits aud
sweetmeats underneath the i-titting door.
which disappeared as fast as they were placed
there showing that there were human hands
to seize them on the other side. Within, an
other girl as young as the first-not twenty,
certainly-groveling on the floor like a wild
boast, with dark, disheveled hair almost hid
ing TIE spark Of insanity that desecrated her
glorious eyes, and devouring the precious NOR
sells that her visitant placed within her reach
with the avidity Of hungry child. The room
in which she crouched was not comfortleSs but
had evidently been prepared for the reception
OF such inmates, and the carefully guarded
window and cushioned walls showed that the
mansion in which it was situated was occupied
by one who made it the business OF his life to
receive such unfortunates into his professional
care. In plain words, private lunatic asylum.
"My poor Leah =" whispered the fair haired
girl outside, "do you know that am here. and
that love you?"
The soft clear voice was not unheard. fer
Leah raised her head for moment, and sat
listening, with the dark cloud OF tangled hair
thrown back from the low forehead and i. eply
shaded eyebrows. But the look OF attention
passed away almost as rapidly as it had come.
and in another moment her head was down
again on the floor and the softly set lips, that
seemed made only to shape loves whispers,
murmured stupdly and hungrily: More,
more"
II am going now" said the soft voice again,
"but will come and see you this evening,
with the nurse. Do you hear? Doyou under
stand y
There was nothing but an inarticulatc MUIR
mur in reply, though she listened in vain and
the fair haired girl rose with sigh from her
knees. and passed from the desolate corridor
into the more habitable and cheerful part of
the house in which the physician and his family
lived, having learned from habit TO look lightly
on the empty human shrines Of reason that
were sheltered beneath the same roof.
'She is so beautiful !" said the girl to her
God does nor let her know what she il now, OF
she would die. as should do
"Mv dear Margaret, said her mother, look
ing up as her eldest child entered the room.
~ hope YOU have not been among the pa
tients again?"
81 have only been to see poor Leah" said
Margaret Fenwick, in the same soft voice which
that you enow, il it makes her less unhappy. Vi
"Let the child alone" said DR.. Fenwick.
"She ill do herself no harm, if she does no.
body else any good. But you did not work
upol Brokers feelings to give you the key, ]
hope, Margaret? The door was. locked, OF
course 2"
"I talked to her through the door, that was
all" answered Margaret, simply. "Papa, do
you think abe will ever be like other people
again? 1t was only last week she was sitting
here with us all, and I WAS teaching her to
play the accompaniment to her songs"
~ know al that" said the physician. shut
she is suffering from on acute attack Of demon
tia now. She is very young. and ynay get com.
pletely over it, but then she will be always
liable to relapse. A sudden trouble would
do it at any time"
"And she has money, too" sighed Mrs
Fenwick, half enviously. as il it was q sin that
so much good material for happiness should be
wasted. "Didnt you say she had money!"
her husband, drylv, "but think there are
thirty thousand good reasons why nobody
should envy her"
It's five years since Marg let Fcuwck kuel
at the corridor door, whis- ering soft words ol
love and sympathy to tn unhappy girl inside
She is living in Lo don with her mothe,
now, for DR.. Fenwick has been dead sometime
and the establishment at Horewood is broke:
up. The gentle charm Of her loveliness is still
in its first flower, and, as she fingers over ths
letter which is: in her hand, the clear light OF
happiness is irradiating her brow and laugh.
ing back from the soft sweet eyes The words
that man writes to his promised wife could
be answered in no more fitting way:
"MY DEAREST CHILD have got all the
way to Wales safely. and the whole family il
collected here under the paternal roof.
needn't say that one thing is wanting to me-
and that, hope, will soon be supplied. for, OF
course. you will come down and spend Christ
mas with us. My father and mother both
want words to express their anxiety to see you
and receive you as q daughter. Write and say
how soon you can come.
"We are very quiet here, but there are one
or two new people in the village. A Mrs
Fourier has taken the White House, and hcl
daughter is regular acquisition. The old
sings divinely, and is unusually good looking
into the bargain. The girls are mad about
her.
"You can tell how hard up am for any.
thing to tell when / am forced to write about
strangers. I suppose you would get tired of il
il were to keep on telling you that love you
but have very few other ideas in my head
. just now at any one time: Besides, isn't il
much pleasanter TO tell it with your dear hsnd
in mine? Your own ARTHUR ASHTON
"Leah Fourier !" repeated Margaret to her
self, dreamily, ~ hops she won't remember
ME. I wonder whether mad people recollec
anything that has passed when they are well
Thas would be the most wretched part Of i
all J"
Leah Fourier is singing Isl tn sayais," ant
Arthur Ashton is leaning over the piano, look
ing into her magical eyes, with an expression
well, which would mea.. good deal with SOM
men, but which is merely graceful courtesy
Margaret tries to believe, with Arthur Ashton
She has been at Liwyn-y-mawr 6 fortnigh
now, and has found Leah Fourier almost a
constant an inmate Of the house as herself. Blu
then, as Arthur said, the girls aro mad abou
her, and there certainly is an enchantmeu
somewhere in her glowing face before whic
few are able to stand.
The song is ended, and Margaret Fenwick
1iance strolls after the singer into the cor
servatory.
"If I were you, Margaret, should 60 afte
them, really" says Arthur's eldest sister, hal
laughing. "Leah would tlirt with the footmar
l believe. if there was nobody else in the way
It was just the same when poor Charlie was 6
home"
Margaret tries to smile, and to keep her wis
full ewes turned away from the conservator
door, but she cannot help specializing itt
as to tho difference between "poor Charlie
and his brother. As to Leah herself, she ca
hardly form calm rational opinion, 40 di
fcrent is this Leah from the girl with the vii
eyes, whose poor uncertain fingers she ha