Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-08

periencing many attendants and va
nous nurses seemed n matter of course.
Therefore the doctors orders were
doubly necessary, and would in all
cases have been entirely correct, since
the first element of good nursing is i'm
plicit obedience. Still, with all this
care, she did not improve, and in the
evening of which we write her two
daughters, Mesdames Volmont and
Alphege (for creole never gets his or
her last name except i'm legal docu-
ments), were sitting on the gallery not
far from where Marcelline crOuched
on the steps, rocking themselves back
ward and forward TO keep off the mos
| quitoes and talking over the aspect of
affairs. They were both extremely
pretty women, and very much alike.
Euphrosyne MADAME Volmont) was q
year or two the older, but still not
more than twenty-five or three. She
had been married at fourteen, and her
oldest boy was nearly eight, but she
seemed not more than sixteen now;
while Clothilde MADAME Alphege),
who, although married at the same
age, was childless, looked even young
er; and any stranger seeing them this
|
dresses, little high-heeled red slippers
and floating ribbons, would have TAX
en- them for a couple of pretty, dark
eyed. lazy schoolgirls enjoying their
holiday.
Marcelline listened to them as they
talked, at first with the same intent,
peculiar expression she had worn in the
sick room, but gradually her features
relaxed as she heard their harmless
chatter, subdued so as not to disturb
the sufferer near by, but full of little
childish gossip and kindly details of
daily life. After talking for a few
minutes about DIR. Alphege's last re-
port, which was that some slight inn
provement was visible, Clothilde asked
her sister with much interest if she had
finished the novena she was making,
and on being answered in the affirma-
tive said that she would begin one her.
self on Monday.
AS she spoke a horses step was
heard on the grass, and Volmont Cher
buliez galloped lightly up over the turf.
As he jumped down and threw the reins
to half a dozen nearly naked little black
fellows who were at his heels, his wife
rose to meet him affectionately, and
witk her hand on his shoulder said in a
low tone of genuine delight: Dear
husband, you will be so glad to hear
that mamma is really better to-night!'
She was not looking at him, but even in
the darkness, which was now that of a
starlit summer evening, Marcelline
could see the slight start and change of
expression with which he heard her.
He said nothing, however, but kissed
her, and they all passed into the dining
room together. As they were all linger-
ing over the table and wondering why
Alphege did not come in, he suddenly
appeared, looking very pale and tired.
Without stopping even to say Good
evening"" he passed directly through
into the room beyond, where Madame
Hypolite was lying, and was heard
questioning Marcelline rapidly as to his
patients condition. When he at last
sat down to his supper he looked like a
man overworked bodily indeed, but with
great weight suddenly removed from
his mind; and Clothilde, who was
spoiled child to him as to others, ex-
claimed joyfully, 80, Alphege, mamma
is really bctter-she is really then out
of dangerP" And she came behind him
and put her arms around his neck as
he tried to eat and gave him joyful
embrace.
Whatever the dark secrets of his soul
might be, at which so many dimly
guessed, Alphege Cherbuliez was in
variably tender and considerate to his
wife; and now, as he gently disengaged
the little hands that were throttling
him from his throat, he said kindly,
but with gravity which always awed
and restrained her, 81 think she is bet
ter, my dear, but it is impossible to pre-
dict in such cases; and all we can do is
to wait and hope"
AS he spoke, his brother, who had
lighted a cigarette and was sitting oppo-
site with his youngest child on his knee,
looked up. The gaze of the two men
met. On the bronzed cheek of Vol
mont came slight flush, and his eyes
had an expression for the moment of
fear and appeal. But the dark hand
some face of Alphege maintained its
cold, inscrutable composure, and the
look before which his Brothers slowly
fell was magnetic in its steady strength.
A little later, as they smoked together
on the steps their last cigar before re-
firing, Volmont asked in a sudden low
whisper, "Did you succeedP' and
Alphege said slowly aloud, "Yes; they
will wait two weeks longer"
"Hadst thou trouble, my brother?"
The other paused moment. and
then said, "Yes; they were inclined to
insist. They have been long time
out of their money, and when this dan
ger is over we shall do well to avoid
another-with them"
"What did you promise?" asked
Volmont, as if reassured by his broth
er's tone.
81 promised" said Alphege, care
fully rolling the end of his cigar, but
this time dropping his voice, ''that in
a fortnight the notes should be taken
up"
1t was midnight, and the house was
entirely silent and dark except where
one shaded candle burned in the sick
room. Down at the "quartors," as
the negro cabins were called, every one
was literally locked in slumber. and it
must have been loud and prolonged
noise which should have awakened
those tired sleepers. But some one was
stirring, for all that, and had the moon
been shining ever so family it would
have been a dangerous task for those
two gliding, crouching figures to move
across the open green beyond the stable
as they were doing. But the night was
safely dark; soft gray scud from the
Gulf was flying rapidly in, obscuring
even the dim starlight, and no one saw
them as they passed through the turn
gate in the fence and sat down close to
the water's edge under the overhang-
ing trunk of huge water-oak
"Now we are safe" said the woman,
throwing back her coarse shawl; "and
l tell you, Pierre, you must listen to
me, and must speak, or some day
shall just burst out and go screaming
my dreadful news from one end of the
parish TO the other"
Tho snaakar Nuoo MaroaII;no an1 tLo