Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-11

| she knew She had been passing through. Her
| This is something new; have not seen It
before Have you taken to drawing ghosts,
hate? Tor this seems nothing more"
MAJ" SAID the girl, YEARLY, sand IL viii soon
go 10 the grave that is being dug for It."
,s "Mhat stun; l see now that It is highly
| you have placed 1t there as shrine. / suppose,
! 1elore which TO offer your silly alteration. /
| 90 declare, Kate, that you are a most absurd
| young woman"
Absurd as I may be, mamma, until to-day
you seemed to sanction my attachment to
larry. IL Is cruel-cruel TO expect me TO tear
my heart from him at moments warning. i
| know what you have come to saw. but would
rather not hear 1t. All the persuasions self
| rad" " N0
"You dreadful girl. is that the way you
| shall not-marry Harry Conrad. Have not
| given you to understand that such a union is
out of the question?-that IL viii bring deStruc-
| ton on all you are bound to care for In this
world?'
Kate grew PALE but she quietly said:
| My refusal TO sell myself for gold can only
| affect myself. mamma. Your fate and that Of
| Edna cannot, in any way, be controlled by my
| discarded lover"
Can it not? when he owns the very roof that
covers uS--the soil from which our scanty living
| Is drawn? 1t is true Kate. He holds mort
gage on the place for money advanced 10 Lais,
ana my dover right In this poverty, stricken
l
| tloD; rms Is what came to tell you, and this
| IS What you must consider before you anger by
| lelusa the man who certainly has the first
Kate fell back as If she had been shot, and
| inc courage she had battled so hard to sustain
| deserted her. Her breath came 10 low, Casping
| sobs, and after long interval Of silence which
her mother thought would never end, sac
II understand that my fate is settled. then
| | shall be allowed no choice. Oh know too
wei that shall be forced to submit my will to
yours, and struggle as may, the net viii close
| one man While my whole heart is in the possess
| sion OF another. Oh, mother, mother, how
| could you have suffered things to come to such
pass as this? Paupers! dependent on Richard
| Staunton for the very bread we have eaten he
Will demand bis payment OF me, and dare not
would set US adrift, penniless, homeless to beg,
or starve, should | prove false to that silly
| pledge given In childish thoughtlessness, and
| oh! SO bitterly repented OF Since"
Her voice sunk into low, sobbing murmurs,
and her mothers pity for her was mingled
with exultation that she seemed to yield at
| cept the fate it was so much to the interest of
the whole family that she should not refuse
A week passed away and nothing was heard
| of the expected lover from California, although
| be bad written that he should not be many
| days behind bis letter, and at last rumors came
that the Atbatross, on which he had left San
| lives had been lost.
Kate had been struck down by brain fever.
and for days she lay vibrating between life and
death, ravtng in widest delirium, and then
moaning over the cruel fate which gave her
heart to one lover and forced her to yield her
| hand TO another.
Mrs Loser was fond and proud of her lovely
daughter, yet the deepest dread In her heart at
this dreary crisis was, that In the death OF
Kate the prospect Of wealth must pass from
| Edna watched unweariedly by the sick
couch OF her sister, and Mr.. Loser devoted hl2l-
self to her assistance. He was great help to
| her, for he had studied medicine In his youth
| and he undertook the management OF the case
himself, declaring that he could bring Kate
safely through all the phases OF this torturtng
| Illness. He had given her potion which
would net only break the fever, but so affect
| her brain that for time she would have but
little recollection OF recent events, and so
| would not be apt to say anything to StauntOn
about her lover, Harry Conrad.
| A few hours after Loser had administered the
dangerous potion to Kate, Staunton suddenly
arrived. BE was man six feet Ia height, mag
nif1cently proportioned, and might indeed have
passed as demi god among men OF lesser
mould, for his head was massive and handsome
as the marble bust Of Napoleon. His eyes were
| dark hazel, well set and expressive but with q
| CLEAN In them which showed that II things
went .a,,s. wrong with him temper might be
Loser, who had warned his wife and Edna
| with regard TO what he had done, was the first
to meet Staunton, who had heard OF Rates III
ness and eagerly questioned her step-father as
| TO her condition.
Losers face fell slightly as he saw by Staun-
1 ulduueT how QllIlCUlC IL was going 10 De 10
| deceive him with regard to Hates real feelings
tut he made the best be could OF the situation,
saving:
been very Ills still suffering much but the
! fever Is broken, and Think am almost sure,
| that with care, she VIII soon be restored to u.s. -
5000 Heaven Is she 50 tar gone as THAR
this illness? What Is the matter with her? Ii
vas not brought on her by dread Of my arrival,
His eyes famed, his lips trembled and his
brow grew stormy as he uttered the last words
Catching at the chance his jealous fears sug-
| eeSted, Loser deliberately said:
"No-not by that, but by the shock she re-
ceived when she heard OF the danger you were
In. She bore up rev days, but when no
women-gave you up as lost; but have re- s See
iieved through all that you would come back
to us safe and sound"
strong man sat down on the first chair he came
to, and covering his face with his hands, wept a
few delicious tears over the supposed despair OF
Loser watched him cynicaIly, wondering If
Hates memory would be so deadened By the
potion he had administered to her as to enable
her to play the part he had assigned her In
the tragi-comedy about to be enacted.
Sundenly Staunton lifted his head and asked:
"When can see my dear girl? must judge
OF her condition myself and she had best be
| prepared TO receive me. Her mother can do
that"
Loser was nearly at his wits ends, at loss to
|
| man, and quite certain in his own mind that his
sudden Intrusion into the sick girls apartment
might produce results as fatal to bis hap piness
| as 10 kate's life.
| After pause, he replied:
| You do not understand how low Kate is:
she is sleeping calmly now under the influence
or narcotic, and / hope for the best results
ION the first quiet sleep she has enjoyed since
| the commencement OF her illness. NV wife is
| utterly broken down by what she has gone
| through, and | have had to use my skill In her
behalf, too; Der nervous system is Frustrated
and she is lying down now, trying TO sleep, and
Edna is watching by Rates bedside. You must
be patient while, Dick"
patience never was my forte, you know ri
Old, LUIS, replied Staunton, obstinately. land
what you tell me OF my poor darling only in
cieaseS my uneasiness and my desire TO look
On her sweet face again, even II she is unable
| 10 spring to my arms and tell me how true she
| has Deen TO me through all that long and weary
absence. / feel as if every moment away from
her. now Is wrong to both OF US. Please send
Edna to me-"
"of course I'll so; but wouldn't 1T be better
| Tor you 10 tell me something about yourself be-
fore seek Edna? The child will ask a thou
sand questions. and perhaps, be unwilling TO
leave her sister for moment. She knows that
! this is the crisis OF the fever, and that every
ff Or