The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-15

seemed to imply she had any cause Of
mental anxiety, the chances were the
matter would in some way get 10 his
ears, and then farewell to happiness and
confidence forever. So the weary time
went by, day after day of dull anxiety.
She did not know when the plan of her
husband was to be put in force, every
day it might be to-day; so that she
crawled about the house momentarily
expecting to hear the shouts of tumult
and see the signs of order broken loose.
On Thursday night, the first Of Novem-
ber, Michael Crane did not get home
until past midnight. He let himself in
with his lateh-key. His wife, sistsr-in-
law, and servant were in bed. The gas
was burning in the bright, tidy little
hall, Shakespeare Road was quiet as a
wilderness, save for the occasional passing
of a late train. Michael Crane carried
bundle, which he deposited on the hall
table. Then going to the return room
he lay down and was soon aleep. On
Friday morning he was up at seven.
HIS sister-in-law came down to give him
his breakfast, for he had informed her
before leaving for the City on the pre-
vious day that he should want to be
out of the house by half-past seven on
Friday morning. While they were at
breakfast be turned to her and said:
"Jane, / have particular reason for
asking-for telling-you not to light any
gas in this house from the time leave
until / come back again. Remember, |
havea reason for telling you this, and you
will tell Helen told you SO and that it
is to be 50. ! brought a package of can
dies from town to-day; they are on the
hail table, l left them there last night.
Use them instead OF gas, until come
back. Mind, until come back. You
will also get in a weeks supply of every
thing we want or are likely to want.
Here is money. Will that be enough
money!
She took the money and looked at it
carefully, curiously, as though she but
vaguely comprehended his words. Why
did he give such orders? And why did
he give such orders to her? Was not his
wife upstairs? She said merely:
"This will be enough for week. But
won't you 60 up and see Helen before
you leave to-day?
"No. | am not going UP. And mark
me, it is for her welfare l am doing this.
| am her husband, you are her sister, we
are bound to take care of her, and to use
our best judgment for her, and I am
judge of what is best; and this is best,
and you will do it, She is delicate now,
and her very life may be in danger if the
thing that is best for her peace and her
welfare is not done by u.s. The whole
weight of her life is upon you, Jane, and
me. In this matter take the responsible
ity Of deciding what is best to be done,
and upon your head | leave the response
bility of carrying out my decision.
Should she make any remark about the
gas, say it is cut off. She is too weak to
try, and accept the responsibility OF the
Lief lie there is in this"
His sister-in-law stood staring at him
in speechless wonder. She was divided
between two breads, one that her broth
er-in-law had gone mad, the other that
her brother-in-law was still sane. She did
not know which to fear most If there
were any sense in what he was saying.
what dreadful things were going to hap
pen? If he were suffering from some
kind of delusion, what would become
of her sister? Anyway, sane or mad, it
was better to promise and, moreover, do
what he asked. Anything and every
thing should be faced to keep the poor
woman upstairs quiet. Her only reply
was: +r ...- .....s. ..... W..
every well, Michael" .sg-
"And Jane, more than all that I have
said to you, you are to remember what |
am going to say; if Helen heard from
you anything of what have been telling
you, it might kill her and her unborn
child as dead as though she were a
twelvemonth in her grave. That is all I
have to say now. l leave you, and l
leave her life on your hands--on your
head. I shall be very late tonight. l
don't know when shall be back. As l
told you before, nobody is to wait up. l
shall go now; recollect all / have said. /
leave her life in your hands-on your
head" ..
With these words he left the house in
Shakespeare Road. ... .,..a ...
He walked to Longborough Junction,
he took his seat in a train to the Via
ullct. J fi'a 4,n..r..f,...r ....,.I...a