The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-06-09

who this sick man might be of whom they
had been speaking. He determined it
could be but one-that he alone out of all
The world was now called upon to save can
gel Treherne's' husband! Well, he would
do his best for the poor fellow that night,
and afterward it would be natural enough to
hand the case over to his friend.
Angel slackened her pace in obedience to
the quiet, commanding voice, and then the
doctor asked:
''Your husband seems, from what you
say to have broken small bloodvessel; but,
if alive when you left, there is no :mmedi-
ate fear.''
Angel felt the relief these words brought
too much to wonder even vaguely at the
doctors taking for granted that the patient
was her husband, and unconsciously cor
rected his mistake as she answered:
ooh, 1 trust it may be so. Still, this is
not the first time it has happened, and my
brother was always so frightfully delicate"
He looked down quickly at the words "my
brother to the little unringed hand that
trembled on his arm, and guessed the truth.
This was no time for explanations; for ask
ing the love he might have won years ago
perhaps, had he not been a credulous fool!
So he entered the house with Angel, and,
bending over the pale, wasted form of her
brother, recognized the face he had seen in
lane more than six years ago.
His work was soon done, and he took
leave, promising to return early next morn
ing. The patient would do well until then.
The night wore slowly on, as all watch
nights do. Arthur had slept peace
fully for many hours, when Angel,
worn out with anxiety and IA
tigue, slept also in her chair by the
bedside. She awoke with start, to find
oh.
lying peacefully gazing at her with wide
open eyes. He felt wonderfully better, and
seemed inclined to talk.
CANCEL, who was that man?'
''What, the doctor? Some one who
kindly volunteered instead of DIR. Sand.
| Wasn't it good of hm?-a perfect stranger"
eyes, very goodl But do you know he
seemed to recognize you; he looked at you
with the queerest expression every now and
then"
elbow do you know, you old goose? Your
eyes were fast shut"
''Pm certain he recognized you. Angel.
It's all very well to laugh, but you should
have seen his eyes watching you; somehow
-Ican't tell-but as though-well, 1 could
| almost fancy he loved you'll"
Angel started and grew crimson. Why
would her thoughts run such riot? She
had tried hard to forget. Why did his face
come up now, his very voice, "Have you
nothing more to say, Angel?' He could
came the old troublesome doubt, had he,
| too, been deceived by Celia, as she had long
ago discovered hersrlf to have been? Well
| it was all over and done with now, forever.
| She had put away the half sweet, wholly
| painful memory as thing that had never
| been; and now, of all times, when every
energy was needed for her work, she would
not let it rise like a lost spirit to torlne mt
| and pain her.
So the, thoughts aroused by her brothers
| words were firmly dismissed from her mind
| When people are ill they often have strange
| fancies. Arthur seemed to have forgotten
| his fancies also, and was far from being
| sorry when DR.. Sand came in the place of
| the stranger of last night. His report was
most cheering, though of course it was I'M
| likely that young Treherne would ever re-
| gain strength. Still, there was an immense
| relief in knowing that the separation so
dreaded by both might be delayed yet a
| little longer, and Angels heart felt strangely
light and happy.
Two or three weeks passed. Angel had
| conveyed through DR.. Sand their heartfelt
| thanks to the friend who had done so much
| for them on the dreadful night, and then in
ouc lnteIeSJ anu OCCupdIlOH CduSeu ny Ar
| thurs cOnvalescence thought no more about
| him. One evening, however, the servant
| announced that ''the other DOCTOR had
| come and asked for Angel Arthur was de-
| lighted, and begged Angel to ask him up at
| once. She arose silently and walked quickly
down stairs; then stood irresolute before
| the parlor door with trembling hands and
beating heart. What was the matter with
her? Surely she was not thinking anything
| OF Arthur's words the other morning? How
| foolish she was
She turned the handle sharply and
! marched into thereon with unusual dignity
| to hide an uncomfortable nervousness, and
| then she stood helplessly gazing at the big
| bearded figure who looked so pale in the
| dim twilight. He rose as she entered, and
| came forward with outstretched hands, and
then she knew her happiness had come.
Every one knows that the supreme mo-
| ments of life are not always marked by
much outward emotion; but truly this was
matter-offact couple who, after years of
separation, found greeting enough in a
broken, "Angel, don't deserve it, but say
you have not quite forgotten mep' and the
very characteristic reply, "Oh, Leslie, why
didn't you come before?'
Of course they talked it all over afterward,
but they never came to any proper conclu-
sion as to how it had happened they should
po1n nave been SO easily duped; but they
agreed they had only themselves to blame for
all the pain and sorrow now past forever.
Leslie alone found it hard to forgive Celia.
Only once, when Leslie was regretting the
years they might have passed together,
Angel had answered, with mischievous de-
mureness:
"You did not choose to ask me before,
sir, or should have been most happy"
adding with tender seriousness, ''those
years of pain and separation were very good
for us both; our love has been tried and
proved in the furnace which spares only the
true gold; and the love that comes through
that is the best, darling, for it never wears
out or grows old.''
"And you were worth waiting for if it had
been for twice ten years. said Leslie-to
which sentiment Arthur heartily agreed
Temple Bar.