The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-14

fall into profound and quiet sleep now.
She straightens herself slowly and as
though her joints were half frozen, blows
out the candle, crawls out of the room,
shutting the door softly after her, and
steals silently upstairs and into bed.
She covers up her head. She felt she
must speak or die.
'Have mercy on my husband" she
prays, "have mercy on my husband, and
have pity on me and-mv child"
1t is daylight before she uncovers her
head. She looks around cautiously, and
then fearfully covers up her head again.
He has not come up yet. She shivers
and means softly, but does not weep,
utters no word. She has not slept since
she does not s,eep now. AT seven o'clock
she hears foot on the stairs, the handle
of the door turns, and she knows he is in
the room. She affects to be asleep. He
looks at the bed, sees that her head is
covered, and seems disturbed at this. He
approaches and turns down the counter
pane. She affects to awake, and looks
up. He regards her with doubt and dis
,turbance.
"You dressed very quietly, Mi M;hael,"
she says, trying to force a smile. 81 did
not hear you dressing.
"How long have you been awakeW-
apparently taking little interest in the
question, so little that he does not seem
to care whether she answers Or not. Then
he notices that his pillow is untossed, his
night shirt still unfolded. For moment
he is in rage that he did not steal up
while she slept and rumple the pillow
and unfold the shirt, 50 that it might
seem to her he had come to bed late,
while she was sleeping, and had risen be.
fore she was awake. In another moment
he thinks:
''She can not but have noticed the pill
low. She is looking at it now. Why
does she make no remarkW
Suddenly a thought breaks in upon
him, and he seems rooted to the spot
Why did she look so scared? The night
before he had heard her sobbing in hel
bed while he was in the room down
stairs. Could he have spoken in his sleeE
last night, she heard him, come dowr
and listened, as he had gone up anc
Ii tened2
"Helen," he says, without moving ,
limb, "do you know where l slept las
nightT
ooh, Michaelp'
"Answer ME, woman--answer me, dt
you hearT
eyes, Michael"
"You came down and heard me speak
and are afraid%'
"Michael, for the sake Of me and you
unborn child"
"Stop, do not stir till l come back. d.
you hear me, womanT'
He leaves the room. With lips still
parted, as when his words had broken il
upon her piteous appeal, she lies breath
ing heavily, her eyes staring and fixed
and seemingly kept open by no othe
force than wild final curiosity to see tn,
means by which they are to be closed VI
forever.
She does not speak with her lips, bu
the voice of her dread is loud in he
ears: .. ..
"When he comes back he will kill
u.s."
She lies awhile breathing heavily. A
length she hears his tread upon the stairs
She does not think Of PRAYING; she will
think only Of him just now, until the ia
tai blow is struck. Then she will clos
her eyes on him and the world, and tax
ing the spirit of the child by the hand
set out for the gardens Of eternal sum
mer, where she shall see her own playing
with the others in the shade; there, il
the eternal groves, to guard their child
to pass away the period of their widow
hood, until in after ages he comes to he1
and tells his sorrow, and asks her pardon
for this blow.
He is at her bedside once more: Sht
does not move her eyes. She knows wha
is coming, and all her curiosity is gone.
"Helen"-his voice is very grave anc
solemn-"give me your right hand.
She does SO, and he places it on something
cold and smooth. He continues:
"Your hand is now ON the Book. Swea
to me that, no matter what you heart
last night do not want you to tell M
what it was-but swear to me with you
hand on the Book that to living being yol
will never breathe what you heard
Swear that. If you don't swear and keel
your oath you will ruin the great objec
of my life"
"But murder will come of what yol
spoke about last night, and they will
hang you. Hang my Michael, and now!'
"Swear, say, woman, and swear a
once. l can stay no longer. l have bus
iness away from this. Swear, l say"
81 swear"
'Kiss the Book. That will do. Nov
I must go. Remember, not a word
Your sister, Jane Ilford, will be here to
morrow. shall be late tonight. Re
member you oath, Helen Grame."
And he was gone. s55s
When she is alone, she lies half stun
ned. He has not struck that blow, ant
yet she feels half dead already. Sh,
would have preferred the blow, the com
plete oblivion, and then the watching o
| q ~ ?