Litchfield enquirer., 1880-07-08
WHOLE NO '28OOl..

t66YS.S
 ''Ah, Dick l" she exclaimed.
 'Hush, for Gods sake!" he whispered. Listen we must be. as strangers. I pity you from my soul do and had I known you were coming, 1 would have forfeited my pas sage rather than subjected you or my .wife to this ordeal. I leave myself out ot the ques- tion.'' have but one duty, and that you must see and know. For the future we must be as strangers; it cannot be otherwise after all that has happened. Forgive me, and pity me- God knows feel for you. God bless you [" He spoke in low, hurried voice. In few minutes all was said and he went forward to smoke his cigarette, leaving her in dspair. She had seen and read his face, and knew but too we'll how determined he was. And he was right; the kneN that. From first to last the misfortune was hers-the fault not his. She was the prey of the gods, and must sub nit; that is, if she could without breaking down utterly Strangers l" That was what he had said. There was only one way of obeying him. It might kill her. perhaps, but she would do it-she would never see him again! nN .Jlei py u, tst- .t-,. D, It was far on into the dawn when Annie awoke. The ship had made some way during the night, and they were now out at sea the morning was glorious and the sun about to rise. Tempted by the novelty of the sight,
  port She enjoyed watching the blue-green sea throwing up It's crests of white foam. Here and there were other ships, some home- ward, others outward bound and beyond, the long line of English cliffs rose from the sea and seemed to care not for the love they in- spired in the hearts of those approaching them, or those who might never see these shores again. She was about to return to her berth, when her attention was arrested by a sight that came, as she thought, from without the ship.
 Bending forward through the open port, she saw Adelaide Brand, who was leaning from her port and weeping bitterly. There was no thought, as there was no fear, of her falling overheard, for her cabin was opposite to the main chains, that hung before her window or port.
 Her attitude was evidently one of despair, as if calling upon sea and sky to help and pity her. .,.
 At once Annie divined the cause of her sor- row. To her it was secret. The situation was pitable in the extreme for both women At that moment Dick, who was dreaming, gave troubled sigh in his sleep.
 ''And this it to last for four months, D thought Annie, with a sob ''It is impossible It can not be! How shall we all live through it And Dick? Poor Dick" She longed, if she might, to comfort the poor creature ln the next cabin but consolation from her, Annie thought would be irony. We'll, God kuew she pitied her.
 ''Annie !" cried Dick, starting from his troubled sleep, and dismayed on seeing his young wife in tears. ''What on earth is the matter! Why are you crying! This is un- kind"
 She suffered the reproach rather than dis tress him by telling him what she had seen. So she feigned that she had been thinking of home, and looking at England for the last time. She was so devoted to Dick that she would have said anything rather than grieve him, or let him suppose she was dwelling on the trouble that had befallen them.
 And indeed with all truth, had he touched on the subject she could have told him that her jealousy was swallowed up by pity, and her one desire was, short of giving up Dick, to make the poor girl in the next cabin hap py.
 For many successive days Miss Brand never appeared either at table or on deck. She re- fused to leave her cabin. The doctor was call ed in, and came out looking grave. The Caru. thers, the Blundells, all besOught her, in vain to make an effort but she was resolute. She pleaded sea-sickness, languor, and finally grew excitable. "Nothing should tempt her to mOve," she said.
 Another week passed, and still Miss Brand never appeared. Stewards began to grumble, they thought she might come to meals. but the boy who was told of to wait upon her shrug- ged his shoulders, as though he knew, mere than he chose to say. Mrs. Caruthers became nervous, and confded to Annie one day on deck that she feared Miss Brand was very ill- peculiar, in fact. Indeed, she dared hardly say what she thought "It was too bad of her friends to send a girl like that out without g special attendant, relatives of her own, to look after her. She had been recommended the long sea-voyage, but she was evidently unfit to travel So obstinate. She had taken a tit-a mania-into her head that she would not leave her cabin all the voyage, and she supposed no one could prevent her doing as she liked"
 That evening Annie confided what Mrs. Caruthers had told her to Dick. He was not sorry to find his wife open the subject of her own accord as it showed him her mind was in healthier state.
 ''Do you know Dick" she continued, "poor Miss Brand is in bad way, and 1 wonder, dear, if-if-"
 If what9 Speak, Annie, and don't be afraid"
 "Well, if I might go and wait on her and take care of her. l should like to if might; for, o Dick, sezing his hand, "by what feel for you know what she has lost and must now be suffering, and am mso-so-sOrry for her."
 Dick remained silent. First of all he was thinking what golden-hearted little woman he had for wife, and how, despite every thing, he preferred her before all the world.
 ''Yeu don't answer me. Dick. Won't you let me?" she asked.
 ''I was thinking, dear," he said quietly, ''that 1 love you for your request, but I would rather you did not offer. It is kind of you-and like you-but you could never do her any good, poor girl.'
 "Why?"
 'Because-Ah, don't ask me- Annie Now that the subject is not tabooed between us, let me tell you that 1 would rather we kept quite apart from her. If it is not well for her to be in her cabia, it would be worse for her, believe me, to see me always with You. Now do you underestimate" s
 Just as you please But feel as If I owed her some reparation for-O, Dick, darling, have seen her anguish. It is too dreadful, and sometimes in the night, when the ship is quiet, and there is no sound stirring but the tread of the officer of the watch, then lie awake and hear her moan and sigh. and can't sleep"
 ''Poor grill" sighed Dick sadly ''It has been awfully unfortunate. 1 never cease to
 
 would rather have lost hundreds of pounds than it should have happened. am so des- perately afraid that it will end in the old mis- ery." .s. & a .-'. e.ss
 ''What old misery ?'
 "Nothing to do with me dear, don't fear.
 But say no more for 1 can't bear to revive old sorrows" ,,. - E. La-
 Days and weeks passed. The doctor still went in and out of Miss Brant's cabin, grow ing more and more serious as time wet Ou The ship was sailing into warm attitudes, hay ing come safely through belt of squalls ;.each day the equator was getting nearer Annie had often seen Miss Brand as she had found her on that first morning But lately her grief had taken new turn. At night, when Dick was smoking in the fore part of the vessel, Annie would come down to her cabin, and in the stiffness she could hear the poor girl mur- mur audibly:r. . .l. t. ....... ."He might have waited, he might have waited ;" and then she would nlutter incoheF- flxy sI; ,,mht