Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-04-19

"Lookr' she said, piteously, with a
little sob in her throat; and | looked,
and saw one of the fingers of her left
hand tied round tightly with piece of
string below the first joint, and the end
of it already livid and swollen and
showing the unmistakable punctures of
the snakes fangs. She laid the other
other hand on my arm, and looked up
at me with beseeching face that nearly
unnamed me.
Help metz she whispered, earger-
ly; "now now, before the others
comer' And she held out the razor,
open and shining. at is no use to
suck tit only wastes time," as seized
her finger and put Il in my mouth.
"Don't, DON'T | want to be on the
safe side. | don't want to die! o
pray, pray help mer'-now sobbing
passionately-" or else | must try to do
it myself. | won't cry out; | won't
mind it. l will turn my head away"
She laid her finger on the edge of the
table, and took the razor from her,
and, with all the courage could muster,
excised the wounded part. She bore
An hour afterward of the cOmmotion
in the house was over, but the shadow
of death was on it. Rachel was in her
bed, white and faint and breathing
heavily, twitching with weak fingers at
the bedclothes, and staring with dull
eyes into the sad faces around her.
knelt in my room close by, with head
on my outspread arms, weeping like a
child, as if my heart would break, and
listening to the creaking of the doctor s
boots and the whisking of skirts and
whispering of awed voices on the other
side of the thin wall. There was moth
ing else that l was privileged to do,
now that had done that dreadful thing
which they told me might be the saving
of her precious life.
AS the twilight fell, the voices in the
sick-room took a louder and more cheer
full tone; and presently one of them
called softly: Jerry, | want you"
Lizzie met me in the passage with a
/ tremulous, tear-stained, smiling face.
"The doctor says she will be all right
now, and that she has to thank you for
/ it," she whispered. "Don't stay here
any longer; go and have cigar with
Don"
/ seized her hand and kissed it, and
looked at her with my wet eyes full
of foolish emotion, too glad for speech
and the Frightening intelligence of hel
countenance was curious to note. i"
thought you didn' care for each other.
she said archly; but" she added dry
ly, 81 suppose | was mistaken"
Don't suppose anything, Lizzie
there's good girl. But let me know
when | may see her." l replied ear
nestly.
All-right-I understandable lie
you know" she said, nodding her heaC
vigorously, with an air of mystery anC
Importance; and then l went, not tC
have cigar with Don, but to wall
about the dark garden alleyG, alon,
with my thoughts.
Our patient improved steadily al
night, so much so that the family as
sembled at breakfast as usual. TheI
great hunt was made for the snakt
(at Lizzie's instigation, on the chill
dren's behalD, which lasted a Ion!
while and was wholly unsuccessful
Then church-time came, and the bugg,
was ordered to take the servants ant
little girls to church, and the hot da,
wore on. Toward evening, as | wa
loafing about the garden, Lizzie cam
running across the croquet lawn, wher
the ball and mallets were still lyin;
about as we had left them, though
was Sunday-and told me that Rache
was up and dressed and that sh
CHANGED to be alone in the drawing
room.
| stole in to her in the twilight wit
my heart beating fast, and for a fey
moments she did not notice me. Sh
was standing by the open piano, smal
and white and weak, with shaw
, wrapped round her, gazing at the silen
keyboard, with tears running down he
face. No one could look less like Della
: roche's Marie Antoinette than sh
, looked then.
took three long steps and reache
her side; she gave a great start an
, turned round to meet me. 81 sha'
not be able to play for you for Ion
whiler' she said, looking up at me fo
: sympathy in this new trouble with he
soft wet eyes.
t When she said that, instead of maxim
t me the little speech | had expected
/ thanking me for saving her life, Iput oil
/ my arms. And though we said no wore
we fOrgave one another.
And how pleased Lizzie was whe
she saw the last of the Lindsays tram
: ferred to my unworthyself. - Chamber
JOhrRdL.