The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-03-29
" Resut;frI,o ,,

~ beautifully Go on"
. No" the result of all this was that
VIII wlInln the next three weeks Miss Ara
DelIa received no less than nineteen love
poems, all signed " Clarence NJ Govern"
IA tnat gentleman's best style, with
nourlsh underneath at least four inches
long.
;. but somehow this partnership in poetry
DID not seem to agree with Annie, and
before long she announced her intention
OF visiting friend in the country. She
needed change" she said.
Curiously how the holes in Mr.. MOO
Tyern stocking began to reappear; the
uust resumed its normal sway, and the
only nne Of poetry the young man could
Thou wilt come no more, gentle Annie"
which he whistled Sc lugubriousIy that
one morning, out of pure sympathy,
Mrs. Gibson put out her head inside his
door and whispered, consollngly
Lor bless you, yes, she Will, Mr..
Nj Govern she's only gone for month"
Then Clarence began TO wonder where
his thoughts had been straylng and as
poetlcal eAusions were no longer posi-
hillty, he resolved to see Arabella at
once, and put his fate to the touch, and
win or lose it all.
1t was a night of wind and rain and
sleet as Mr.. M'Govern left the station
and approached the Lockwood mansion.
Miss Arabella would see him in few
moments, and in the meantime would he
wait in the library? Fancying himself
in solitude, he selected the easiest chair,
and was Just composing his address 10
the fair object of his affections, when
small voice appealed to him pathetically
" Plesthe, thir, thith it'll too thick, it
won't with"
What is it. my child ?" inquired
Clarence, afectionately, seating the small
petitioner on his knee.
'Pth maxim lsmp-lighterth. Tbithter
Bella gave me. all thith white paper. ]
wanted new, bnt she thsid it wath good
enough for me; there wath nothing On
it but some thilly Vertheth that big
fool-she thaid hith name, but forget
had written to her Don't pinch me
tho; I'll thcream."
Oh sgonies of unrequited affection
There, curling gracefully around lamp
lighter, destined rerhaps to light one of
his rivals cigau were the tender lines
"Arabella gaze upon me
With thy soft and gentle eyes"
The rest was gone, unless they might be
discovered on the vicious mOrsel of paper
that d" wouldn't twitht."
In less than two minutes Mr.. M'Gov-
ern was in the street. Oh, the dismal,
dreary, sleeting iniquity ST that night
Where was the statiOn2 1t had disap-
peared Down in torrents came the rain,
freezing as it fell slippery and more
slippery grew the pavement only cat
or some animal with claws could have
maintained a systematic perpendicular.
Suddenly down went Mr.. NJ Govern.
Perhaps it was blessing, for the sudden
application of cold ice to the back of his
head restored his consciousness of where
he was, and he turned toward the rail
way station, having in his excitement
wandered half mile IN the opposite
direction.
Had that partial bath suddenly cooled
his passion Clarence could not have
told, but somehow he did not feel as
miserable as he had expected, only very
wet. and the ride home seemed interm~
inRbly long.
Two or three days passed by, and even
yet Mr. MGovern was in a remarkably
serene frame of mind for a disappointed
lover A week passed away, when sud
denly he began to feel serious distress
in his left ankle. This struck him at
once as peculiar, as, according to all
precedent, the anguish should have pro-
ceeded direct from his heart
But pretty soon the invisible tweezsrs
of a most malignant imp began to wrench
him in the knee; before long the grip
was upon his arm; thence it struck to
his hip; and utterly in the power OF the
T. NFfCa-or,,
ing and found himself, not like the
Philistines, dead, but unable to move a
limb, and helpless before the eyes Of
Kitty, the waitress, who, late in the
morning, poked her head into the room
and inquired if he were ever goingto get
up.
"Get up ?nNo Not for'weekz upon
weeks did A@ssen Govern rise from his
bed They blistered him, they poulticed
him, they desed him, they drugged him /;
but all to no effect. The fever would
have its way in spite of the whole medi-
pharmacopeia. First of all, they placed
him iu the charge of a monstrous male
nurse, whom Clarence, in his impotent
fury, mentally denominsted a great
hulking BRUTE" but without whose
assistance the unfortunate victim OF his
attentions could not even turn in bed.
How he grew to hate the horrible crea-
ture that stood over him day and night
Even Mrs GibsOn's cTeaking boots and
high-pitched voice became a blessing
when, in the intervals of her domestic
labors, she looked in upon the sufferer.
But Annie-if he could have had Annie!
Finally. in his semi de- rum he began to
call aloud for her; eGd Mrs. Gibson,
whether out OF tbs tuotherliness of her
own heart, or because she had her own
ideas about Annie and this thriving
Young dry goods salesman-tOO much
cannot be expected of landladies with
manageable daughtera-promised him
that Annie should be sent for.
At last she came and whether the
strength of the enemy was spent, or
whether he did not dare apply his freez-
ing. burning implements of torture in
Armies gentle presence, the demon of
rheumatism was exercised and peace be.
gan TO reign.
Mr.. MGovern began to fancy that he
had lapsed into paradise, such was the
glory of convalescence. And Annie was
everywhere. Once more the dust disap-
neared. and Clarence himself witnessed
the magical gestures through which it
suffered annihilation; he also saw the
verv process by which all holes depart
from q stocking, save one by which the
foot enters it. Annie's fair fingers, that
ONLY wrote poetry under compulsion,
seemed to luxuriate in the composition
of broths and SOUPS and iellies.
And then, while the fresh air of the
springtime stole in through the flowers
that Annie had placed in the window,
and Mr.. M'Govern lolled upon the sofa
in all the enjoyment of valetudinarian
luxury, a great strife arose in his mind,
He was thinking-uf Annie? No; of
Mrs. Gibson. Could he; could he? the
blood of the M'Governs
But when Annie came once mere, and
her little hands we're busy around his
refractory pillows he found he could;
md he dfd.
Z" Annie, Annie, / love you"
4" And Arabella ?"
1t was a cruel blow, and the spirit OF
the invalid was aroused. Excitement
began to CLEAN in the great hollow eyes,
and he had just time to calculate, g Con-
found herp when Annie's ha7d was
over his mouth and Armies soft voice
reiterated the doctors Injunction to
" keep very quiet" Then, in meek
voice, Say yes; won't you, Annie r
haven't been asked anything.
Then put your arm under my head,
and let me go to sleep. If you don III