The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-04-20

about it. Will you write me general
prescnption-to alleviate pain, you
saidl"
"You do not wish me to attend you
regularly, then ?"-with surprised
glance.
81 may be removed out of youi
reach," she said, evasively.
When he had written the prescription
and torn the leaf from his book, she
handed him his fee, waited until he had
left the house, and then went in to her
baby.
When old Sally came in presently, she
heard Nelly laughing and talking for an
hour or more, and wondered that her
mother made no sound in reply. Late
in the afternoon a telegram came from
Danford: "Will be detained at office
until 10 p. m. Shall keep Charley until
l go out"
Lizzy read it and laid it down. "That
is BETTER" she said. eff L saw them
again, 1 could not 60" For she had
quite made up her mind now what she
would do. Her husband, her children,
should not see her horrible end.
The house, the children's clothes, were
in perfect order. But she went from
place to place with Nelly in her arms. 1t
was singular that it was only of their
practical loss when she was gone that she
thought. "Sally can cook; but who
will keep the house, or make their clothes
in the spring? Charley will have nobody
to tell his stories about school to when
he comes home. And Richard" But
she forced that back
She sat down and rocked the child,
looking by turns at it's little feet, it's
hands, pushing back it's hair. She
thought of her at every age-a school
girl-grown up.
"She will have no mother-no moth
er.' She had been devout, prayerful
woman, but she could not pray now. 1t
seemed to her as if God did not know
thing.
She made herself mp a bundle of
clothes, fastened it in n shawl-strap, and
laid letter she had written on her hus-
bands pillow. The evening had fallen
cold and drizzling. She gave Nelly her
supper, undressed and rocked her to
sleep; then she laid her in her crib.
Only yesterday she had beenbusy max
ing cover for the crib and Charley's
bed 1t was all over now. She would
never do anything for them again-never
again.
1t was time now. She put on her hat
and cloak, took up her bundle. There
was blotted exercise which Charley had
left half finished that morning; she took
that with her, and the stocking which
" ho1 ctt1 20
creases in it which the little foot had
made. Then she went to her husband s
old chair, where he had sat every even
ing for years, and knelt down by it.
Sally, in the kitchen, thought she heard
a call, Richard Richard p' but all was
still.
AS Lizzy knelt there she did not pray.
She meant to bid good-by to her hus-
band, but she could not. Would he
ever forget her? Would he marry
again9 These were her thoughts.
There had been certain Annie Ward,
years ago, of whom Danford had made a
friend.
Elizabeth sprang to her feet and
walked straight to the glass. 81 hope
he will be happy. He ought to marry,
for the children's sake" she said, over
and over. ''But he will not remember
me as loathsome. Annie Wards face
does not compare with mine now."
This new sharp pang gave her sudden
strength. She stayed alone with her
child for few moments, and then passed
hastily out, stopping at the kitchen door.
The old black woman was busy over the
fire, singing Methodist hymn.
"Goin' to de depot, Miss Betty2 Got
on yoh wraps ?"-coming to the door.
Elizabeth put her hand on the skinny
fingers. "Take care of the children for
me, Sally"
"Sartin. Yoh'r not goin' fur ?"-with
vague alarm.
But Elizabeth made no answer, and
disappeared in the darkness.
The letter which Danford found on his
return contained these words:
have an incurable disease. / have
but little while to live, and / will not
stay to become an object of disgust and
loathing to you and the children. Do
not try to find me. You never can do it.
My measures are too well taken. You
shall know when ] am dead"
There was not a word of affection or OF
farewell. She could not trust herself to
that.
In these practical days, whatever a
mans agony he acts promptly and prac-
tically. In a day Danford's friends had
set all the machinery of advertising, tele-
graphing, detective agencies to work;
but to no effect. They searched distant
places first-the scenes of those old ex-
cursions of which she had talked so
much, the homes of her schoolmates,
the county in Kentucky from which she
came
"She would not go out of sight of me
and the children" poor Danford insisted;
but nobody needed him. DIR. Prey, for
reasons of his own, never made himself
known in the matter, and Elizabeth had
had not limited her disorder to the old
family physician. "He would tell Rich
ard, she said. Simply because she had
taken no measures of precaution, she had
left no clue whatever.
Month after month passed. Danford
was at work again at his desk. When
work was over, he walked the streets
until late at night. 1t seemed to HIM
that every moment he would meet her or
hear that she was dead. The horrible