The Portland daily press., 1877-03-24

Ihe IeVer ala not increase rapidly; it rain
er appeared to gain ground with insiduous,
unseen footsteps.
she was not exactly worse, she was GER
| tainly not better.
The white bar came little further into
| the mouth.
DR.. Birch breathed more freely. off we
can but keep it there,' he said. SIf we can
prevent its going down the throat again. we
| shall do"
Alas it crept round to the other side.
sPoor dear John! poor dear fellow Dear!
Dearl Deari DEAR! Oh, how sad, how sad
| ing what if it is / cannot get wet in a rail-
way carriage; and what if 1 did either?
| Dear me. if the line should be blocked! But
| n only came an hour ago. Ring the bell,
dear. please. Oh, Marshall, poor Mrs. Tres
ham is so much worse, so alarmingly worse!
| II is dreadful, quite dreadful and am going
off to her at once"
"What is the good of your going off at
onceP Indeed, can't see any good in your
| going at all. If you must go, wait till to-
morrow" pronounced Sir Walter in his
sleepy, selfish way, chipping off the shell of
| his egg as he spoke, and examining it with
| the eye of a connoisseur. "What good will
your going do anybody? and in such afro
| cious weather, too!'
''My dear! but you do not consider what
| you are saying. 1t is true l might be of but
little use, but at least could entertain the
| doctor, and
"Ha! hap laughed her husband. $50
you would 60 to entertain the doctorp'
ut would release dear John, would allow
him to devote himself entirely to his-oh, l
| cannot bear to think of itr' cried the kind
| creature. "Who knows what NAV be hap
pening, what may have actually taken place
| by this time? How could 1 not 60? How
| could I answer it to my own conscience if
that poor dear child were to die"
Nonsense! Who talks of dying? You have
| put yourself into an altogether unnecessary
ferment, Adelaide. There is not a word Of
dying in the letter. Besides, if it were as bad
| as that, you would be most certainly de tr0p
| and would wish yourself back here again."
81 might be little comfort to him. And
John never makes me feel de trop."
"Well, well, daresay not. But don't let
| us have any more fuss. Drink your tea, my
dear, and think it over; there is abundance
| of time"
The tea was drunk, but scarcely was the
| last drop tasted, ere she broke forth again.
"Sucb perfect marriage! Everything so
| suitable A charming creature, so handsome,
so lively, so clever! Poor John, poor dear
John! Who could ever have toreseen an end
| ing like thisn'
| Adelaide, do for PHYS sake, not set up
| that dolefnl cry again." Sir Walter grew
| quite testy. ''How can I enjoy my chop, or
toast OF anything whilst you are making such
| din | like my breakfast to be pleasant
meal; it ought not to be disturbed by disa-
| greeables."
"But, my love"-Lady Adelaide, pattern
! wife, was perplexed how to express herself.
| The door was opened, and hot dish was
brought to Sir Walters elbow
"Muffin? alb! nice and brown too. The
| sort Of day to eat mullins on, as somebody
l says somewhere. Have some muffin, my
l dear, while it is hot, and let US have no more
of this, just now. There will be another let
ter tomorrow, and better account, we will
hope"
Gas if I could wait till tomorrow 1t is
diptheria, my dear, diptheria! The most
shockingly fatal complaint. All, how little
/ we thought"
''Well, this is most provoking. I thought
| we had done with it at last, and now you be-
| gin all over again. How can you set your
self to be so unpleasant, Adelade9 One
would really think you did it on purpose.
| Here is everything nice and comfortable,
| just as it ought to be, and am not to be
allowed to enjoy it. If cannot have peace
and quiet at my meals, would rather 20
| without food altogether
| 81 assure you l am really very sorry my
dear. Pray take another cup, such good tea,
| and the pot is quite full. And Marshall, be
| so good as to look up Bradshaw at once. and
let rue know which is the very first train
| that can catch to Stoke Pennington"
| "You are really going?" Sir Walter raised
his eyebrows.
There was no doubt about her going.
Bells rang, maids hurried hither and thth-
| er. Marshall received a summons every five
minutes, and my lady, distracted between her
| duty to her husband, her orders to her house
keeper, the claims of her engagements, the
| barking of her dogs, and the chattering of her
parrot, grew every minute more and more be-
| wildered and incoherent.
''Jeannette goes with me, of course. Did
1 not say so? And Marshall. No, Marshall
must stay and attend ON his master. Sir
Walter must not be Inconvenience. [ had
l better not take Thomas, either, it would dis
| turb Sir Walter to drive out without him.
What did you say, good Jeanette? oh, we
| shall get on very well, admirably. l am not
at all afraid.
"Miad knows the stairshon ?" suggested
Jeanette, doubtfuly
'Stoke Pennington, my good girl Stoke
Pennington is our own station, you know
| our station at home. We have only to get
there and the carriage will meet u.s."
'The carriage, miladiP'
ooh, well, good Robinson will send us UP
| in his comfortable fly. Or Mr.. Tresham will
drive down in the dogcart. Poor dear of
course he will be there TO meet us-tha is, if
he knows we are coming"
"Miladi has then sent the message?''
"Have l sent it? Yes-no-I really for
get, and it does not signify. l daresay he
would never get it if did, or read it if he got
it. No, Marshall no; thank you for emind-
ing me, but prefer not to send one. would
| not have them troubled on any account at
such time. Mr.. Tresham will have quite
enough to think of, and it might be inconven-
lent to send. No, move shall get on very
well. Jeanette, there is no need for more.
Let us take the least possible luggage we can.
Why take any? Would not a carpet-bag be
sufficient-a carpet-bag which you could hang
on your arm? Well, well, but let there be as
little as possible. No evening dresses, no
other bonnet. And now, Jeanette, my
mantle. What comforts these fur-lined man
ties are, to be sure! All! if dear Elizabeth
had only worn one of these; but it is too late
to regret it now. Has Marshall ordered the
cab? Run and see. Jeanette quick! The
time is flying, and cabs go SO slowly. Yet 1
could not take our own poor horses out on
such day. What, not Gomez Marshall
must send-it is Gomez Then let us be off
at once, at once"
In vain Sir Walter murmpred his disap-
proVal-leSs urgently lnQeed now That his
personal comfort was no longer interferred
with, but still in uncompromising accents.
The front door opened and out she sailed
her long dress, although on one side held up
high enough to do duty for both, trailing far
behind her on the other-her hands encum-
bered with muf, purse and satchel
NOW, my good man, I will give you double
fare If you take us in time for the twelve
O'Clock train. The twelve-o'clock train to
Stoke Pennington, mind-not the London
twelve-o'clock express train.''
"All right, ma'am; I'll do it if it can be
DONE" said the man, resolutely, casting
about in his mind for some roundabout street
in which he could spin out the time.
us it block. Jeanette? Look out and
see. What shall we do if il is a block?'.
The station, in spite of all strategy, was
reached so soon that Lady Adelaide, forget
ting that Brighton is not London, could
hardly be persuaded to believe otherwise
than that a mass of vehicles obstructed her
path.
The cabmap, however, got his double fare,
and she had now the difficulties of the ticket
office to encounter.
But these difficulties had doomed so gigan-
ticaliy before the eyes of the household in
B. Square, that Marshall himself-the
magnificent Marshall-had run round in the