Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-03-23

ern was in the street. Oh, the dismal
dreary, sleeting iniquity Of that right
Where was the station II had dIsan.
peared. Down in torrents came the rain
freezing as it tell slippery and more
slippery grew the pavement; only a cat
or some animal with claws could have
maintained a systematic perpendicular.
Suddenly down went Mr.. MGoyern,
ferhaps 1t was a 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 Intern,
inably long
Two or three days passed by, and even
yet Mr.. MGovern was in a remarkably
serene frame of mind for disappointed
lover A week passed away, when sud-
denly he began to feel q serious distress
in his left ankle. This struck him al
once as peculiar, as, according to al.
precedent, the anguish should have pro-
ceeded direct from his heart.
But pretty soon the invisible tweezers
OF 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
! enemy, Mr.. MGoven awoke one morn
ing and found himself, not like the
PhiIi3tines, 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
ard inquired if he were ever goingto get
up.
"Get up,% No Not for::weeks upon
weeks did Mr.. MGovern rise from his
bed. They blistered him, they poulticed
him, they dcsed him, they drugged him
but all to no effect. The fever would
have its way in spite of the whole medi.
pharmacopGja. First of all, they placed
him 10 the charge of monstrous male
nurse, whom Clarence, in his impotent
fury, mentally denominated q great
hulking brute" but without whose
assistance the unfortunate victim Of his |
attentions could not even turn in led |
How he grew to hate the horrible crea.
ture ttat stood over him day and night /.
Even Mrs. Gibson's creaking boots aud
hlgh-pltched voice became a blessing
wh@n, in the intervals of her domestic .
labors, she looked in upon the sufferer.
But Anne-it he could have had Annie
Finally, in his ssmi delirium be began to
call aloud for her; and Mrs. Gibson, |
whether out of the motherIuess 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 landladiea with .
manageable daughters--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
Annie's gentle presence, the demon of
rheumatism wss exercised and peace be
gan to reign.
Mr., M'Goyern began to fancy that he
had lapsed into paradise, such was the
glory OF cOnvalescenco. And Annie was
everywhere. Once more the dust disap-
peared, and Clarence himself witnessed
the magical gestures through which ii
suffered annihiIation he also saw the
very process by which all holes depart
from 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 jelIies.
And then, while the fresh air of the
springtime stole in through the flowers
that Annie had placed III the window,
and Mr.. M'G0vern lOlled upon the sofa
in all the enjoyment Of vsIetudiDarian
luxury, great strife arose in his mind,
He was thinking-oi Annie? No; of
Mrs. Gibson. Could he; could he? the
blood of the N'Governsl
But when Annie came once more, and
her little hands were busy around his I
refractory pillows, he found he could =, =,
and he did,
" Annie, Annie, l love you
" And Arabella ?" !
1t was a cruel blow, and the spirit of ,,
.he invalid was aroused. Excitement .
began to gleam in the great hollow eyes,
md he had just time to calculate, " Con !!
'ound hero when Annie's ha2d was /
over his mouth, and Annie's soft voice "
the doctors injunction to =
keep very quiet" Then, in a meek y
voice, Say yes; won't you, Annie ?' !
" | haven't been asked anything !;
Then put your arm under my head, /.
md let me go to sleep. If you don't, I'll !,
20 into rage, and make myself sick" !
Annie did as she was bid.
Some two hours atterward, when Mr.. q
MGovern cOndescended to awake, his /
irst distinct articulation was, "And, v
Annie, -about-yOur-your mother"' d
Annie withdrew her arm, and began to q
ook severe. "N0t word about mother. /
There ISM such cook in the universe" h
"No; that is true" And sundry {
visions Of the days when he had an appe- {
lite began to rise before Mr.. MGovern's +
yes. " Annie you are right. She shall 8
i've with u.s." G
And Annie, who had remembered t
What she had suffered from ArabelIs, re- $
,laced her arm, and, like a true woman, v
"Of course" - Har0er's n
Weekly.