The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-04-20

L Sald, lmperatlVely.
81 promise, if you will sing again
what you were singing when found
myself in the body this afternoon"
So 1 sang "Allan Percy" and Aud
Robin Gray" and two or three other
old ballads of which | had store. and
my patient fell into healthy sleep.
The next day he found his appetite, and
from that time came back to health
with wonderful rapidity. He was
docile as a lamb to my grandmother,
but with me he became the most ex-
acting and troublesome convalescent
that ever tried woman's patience.
He openly preferred my grandmother S
dainty dishes, and if left him for an
hour his bell would ring, and went
back to find his pillows on the floor, or
his head so hot that nothing but stroking
it with cologne and singing all the time
would cool it. To keep him still read
aloud for hours, thinking far more of
him than of my book.
Have you always lived here?n he
asked one day when he was permitted
to sit up and be social.
Il have not lived here at all; am
only making a visit of a few weeks"
"And then you will 90 home?"
Wrong again. / have no home, I'M
less | call this mine"
"Where does woman stay when
she has no home?'
." In a clearinghouse, of course. |
am just out of normal school, and
just now | am running the gantlet of
school committees"
THAT is to say, you are sentenced to
imprisonment with hard labor"
Don't discourage me-"
81 beg your pardon, but invalids
have privileges. Why not stay here
with your grandmother"
because, if you will have it, can
not afford to stay here. / have money
enough perhaps to buy bread to the
end of my days; but | have hankerings
after butter and blackberry jam, and all
other good things that luxurious people
eat with their bread, and must work
to earn them"
Hard work does not agree with
women"
g. mean to agree with my work"
"The boys will fall in love with you,
and the girls will hate you for that rea-
son.
81 have yet to see the boy who will
be affected in that way"
Your normal school must have been
fruitful in love affairs"
"Not at all. There was too much
difference in age, you know.
owe are women when boys are but boys !;
We grow on the sunny side of the wall "
Z" But wasn't there young minister
or two for you all to bow down top
"No; our only minister was blessed
with good wife and plenty of children
who came there to select a wife from
among us, but he never so much as
looked at me-
=" am glad of thatn'
$50 am |. Shall read to you now?"
took up my book and read till din
ner-time. We grew very well ac-
quainted in those long summer days, till
l went to Meriden on shopping ex-
pedition. found thick letter at the
postoffice for Mr.. Deane, which had
been lying there nearly three weeks.
1t was directed in a lady's hand, and |
thought the sight of it brought a
shadow to his face. He looked so glad
to see me after my two hours absence
that | went up the stairs in quite flut-
ter of spirits. Could it be possible that
| was to taste at last the Joy of which l
had heard and read with unsatisfied
longing? But would not stop to think
about it.
"Here's a letter for you that Job
brought in while you were gone" said
my grandmother.
took it and glanced at Mr.. Deane.
He sat by the open window reading one
sheet of his letter with knit brows,
while the other lay beside him. Sud
denly light breeze whirled it out into
into the tlower-plot, and / ran out to
get it. 1t had not occurred to me to be
curious about the letter, and nothing
was further from my thoughts than to
read even the date of it; but the writ
ing was plain, and, as l stopped to
pick it up, the first four words burned
into my mind like letters of fire.
my own dear husband" Surely it
should have been nothing to me that
Mr.. Deane's wife had written to him;
but, woe is me!gthe fact of his having
a wife at all was like death-blow to
me-like the instant before drowning
when one sees at glance the whole
map of ones life.
gave him the letter without looking
at him, and went up to my room.
Doubtless this was the " dear Mary"
to whom | had written that first letter
from his dictation, and | had foolshly
taken it for granted that she was his
sister He had never spoken of her;
but married people are always mystic
ries, and her price might be far above
rubies nevertheless. He had done moth
ing to make her jealous. Once he
had taken my hand and touched it with
his lips; and all the rest of the founda-
tons of my castle in the air lay in looks
more or less expressed.
To hear with eyes is part Of loves fine wit.
But the love, it appeared, was all on
my side. He was idle and grateful,
that was all.
would go away at once, no matter
where. Mr.. Deane was so far recov-
cred that my grandmother could easily
attend all his wants, and he could soon
return to his own place. 1t would be
something to remember, if nothing
more.
7 4