Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-12-04
NO. 2S6.
Gales ano Skettbes.
MISS SrOrFORD's SPECIALITY.
Continued from Yesterday. }

1
Had never known your love. could
have had keen pleasure in your friendship:
but after knowing Your love. your friend
ship would be an intolerable torment.
Life holds nothing more tor me; but my
death will be painless. shall die happy,
for shall conjurc up from the past. to
take with me out of the world. vision OF
that dear May evening. DO you remem-
Der. wonder. how | came in. and found
You in the twilight? You We're lying on
the sofa and took low chair and sat
close by you-the chair stood between the
windows. You had gray silk dress ON
and a red rose in your hair that l thieved
before | went away, | shall hear again the
tenderness of Your voice as you told me
that you loved me. ! shall feel again.
ah. no. shall not feel that--my blood
thrill under Your touch. under the first
confident answering pressure of your Ups.
Never 10 feel that again-this 1t is which
unmans me and makes me weak. Last
night, in that extra halt hour which you
granted me. my heart kept crying ont to
me Here is Agatha. Agatha. to see. TO
touch. to kiss-and in few hours she will
be just rs Ear of rs the day of creation"
q, my love, never to see YOU again!
e. s"
Many times the letter had fallen from
Agatha's fingers while she read. Now
she held il crushed in her hand. Did Sim
gleton mean all he had said? Could this
thing really be? Was her lover no longer
in this world. and if so. was she not. in
way, guilty of his death Her blood turned
to ice and her teeth chattercd. Then. with
a sudden impulse, she rose and dressed.
| ba h,Ir y1.,, rrhf sb.,y t,rht do
Yet what could she do! Only one thing
she knew She must appear ignorant Of
what this letter had revealed to her.
When she went to the breakiast-tahe
there was no gainsaying the fact that she
was i'll, for her face was ms white as death
She tried in vain to eat.
| mo, can't take anything" she said at
last. IL will 20 to my own room and try
to get warm there"
Mrs Stottord and Adelaide followed
her, with the kindest intentions.
II hope. dear" said Mrs. Stotford in
her cheerful voice-more cheerful than
usual. by virtue of the season-'I hope
YOU made George promise to he with us
early tomorrow.
Poor Agatha What exquisite agonies
of remorse she experienced as she remem
bered that she had promfstd "a g6'yo
church with the Gardeners and then lunch
with them.
Il don't think he will come before din
err she answered family.
IL do think George is An angel said
Miss Adelaide. emphatically. "to he so
sweet over your friendship with the Gar
diners. | know If were mani shouldn't
like it..
please don't talk" cntreated Agatha.
81 know it's all Kindness. but I would
rather be let alone. My head is burst
ing"
"Well, come away, Addie." said Mrs.
Stotford I'VE have enough to do with
putting up the holly and mistletoe. You
can't trust matters like that to servants.
OF course it's not their fault that they
can't do it artistically. Perhaps when
Agathas little warmer she'll lie down
on the sofa and get sleep. That will be
the best thing for her. She just has abad
feverish cold. rs anv one could see."
So they left her and she crouchcd be-
fore the fire. shivering and shaking rs
with ague.
About .our O'Clock came Reginald and
Maude Gardiner to see her.
1--WE heard fromJ Mrs. Stotiord, said
Maude. THAT You were i'll !; but you look
frightfully. child what's the matter?"
40. nothing much" moaned Agatha.
Il shall be better soon"
"Iow-spirited. observed Maude.
Precisely So" replied Reginald. Per
haps it would cheer you to hear the con.
tents of the evening paper"
Then. taking a Standard from his pock-
ct. he began reading:
1.-The latest kilograms from the seat oi
war; All, it appears that we have done
wonders Actually. five hundred soldiers
of the English army encountered and de-
feated two hundred natives. with consid-
erable slaughter. Christmas in the East
End How do hate all this cant about
the season, alarming Fire in the City.
Those Cabmen again Police Reports,
Anything there you'd like? "A Strange
Breach of Promise Case Great Wrecks
off Dover. The Suicide in Harley
Street.
"Ah, what's that ?'' asked Maude. I'm
always interested in suicides"
morbid propensity, child" In Regi-
maids tone of brothcrly superiority.
Agatha's hear, lcaped in her with M
inaudible cry.
1--WE must have light on the subject.
said Reginald, stirring the fire into =
bright blaze.
Really. Reginald, you should not jest
on such subject" demonstrated Maude
jest? I'm sober az iudge at Coro-
ner's inquest. Listen:
".Mr Jno. 1Iales. surgeon in Harley
Street, was summoned this morning, abou'
ten 4. NJ. To No. 26. where he found---'' :
And suddenly Reginald stopped.
why don't you 60 on?" inquired
Maude.
lie turned the paper toward her. point
ing To the paragraph.
80, great heaven! 1t can't be. o.
Agatha, darlingf'
And she flung her arms around Agatha
neck. But Agatha seized the paper
which Reginal feigned to detain from her
flashed her eyes down the colnmn and saw
what she kuew she would see, Singleton,
name.
Agatha rose, stood erect for moment
rs if she were about to walk ont Of the
room, and then suddenly, with a wild cry
of horror, fell forward in deathly swoon
She would have dropped to the ground
but Reginald caught her in his arms.
sHow she did love that poor fellow =
rrcr<;rux.d oo Eos,rxh ra0o