Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-09-29

being ill-that woman and the doctor i
mean--they pretend to be sorry. hut they
could cure me il they chose TO stop her
II is nothing but having that long hit Of
wet hair wrapped so tightly round my
throat which makes me so i'll. They will
not keep her away or force her TO unfasten
it, and il is wet and cold, and chokes me.-
THAT is how he always talks" said the
nurse. -poor dear gentlemanr . =
at is the truth, thought She pretends
that it is not, and so does that fool or
knave Of doctor, but 1 ought to know
best, for feel It. l feel it now, tight and
choking me. 1t is Miss Clavering's
hair, l tell you! 1t got wet when we were
out all night on the Grand Bey-that is
why wanted so much to see her by day
light. wanted to try if could not per-
suade her not to do this. She does it ev-
cry night, and that's why can't get well
that is what is killing mel"
ado not talk that way, please sir" said
the nurse.
THAT is your help is ." cried he
Excellent help! Don't talk, you say9
But must talk! Unjust be heard! Moth
ing chokes you like hair! 1t makes itself
into such tight,strong roper He clutch
ed Lucy's hand, and cried, "Will you stop
her doing it?"
'Why, sir, this is Miss Claveriug her.
self you are talking to! 1t is Miss Claw
ering who is sitting by you. Look at her.
She is pitying you as much as she cant
She doesn't want to do nothing to hurt
you," said the nurse. &c.,.
He looked at her in doubt and alarm.
Lucy let her hair down, and said, II am
Miss Clavering; but 1 promise, as you
ask it, never again to do anything to hurt
you. Feel my hair, it is quite dry now, so
do not want wrap it round your throat
any more" She took his poor parched
hands in hers, and made him touch her
hair "Feel it," said she, "it has got quite
dry and warm. will fasten it up tight
ly, and you shall see me do it. Look what
a number of strong pins I am using, and
how safely am fastening it,
He watched all she did with eagerness.
He had forgotten almost everything which
had happened on the Grand Bey, except
the one fact that when the sailors met
them and took Lucy from his arms one
long coil of her hair had to be UNFINISHED
from his throat. Somehow or other it had
then wrapped itself tightly round it, and
the remembrance of this had haunted
him and played a terrible part in increas-
ing his illness. When her hair was firmly
fixed in its place, she made him feel it
once more, and said, snow that can do you
no harm" He seemed perfectly satis-
fed, and made no more complaint of being
strangled by her, but he still complained
of being kept by force in a burning bed.
He now seemed much exhausted, and lay
as if partly unconscious, Presently Lucy
saw him clutching at the bed-clothes, as
if to draw them upwards. Some one had
once told her that this was sign of ap-
preaching death, and the sight made her
thrill with terror. She could not bear to
see it. She drew his hand away and held
it tightly in hers. She would hold it now
until he died.
"Oh, thank God," said he, ''you have
taken me back to the cave again, and it
will be cool! felt was there when you
put your hand in mine. Ahl how you
slept then; could not awaken you!"
"You slept, too. Could you sleep nowl
"Your head was on my shoulder them
You were unhappy, and so tired and cold
That is how we came to sleep"
"Could you sleep in that way now?'
asked Lucy. "Lay your head on my
shoulder and try She moved closer to
the pillow where his head was tossing un-
easily about She drew him towards her
till his forehead rested on her shoulder,
and placed her cool hand on it.
He seemed to breath, more freely, and
said, "How well I feel since you: took
your strangling hair away! The cave is
cool. Why did you not take me there be-
fore?"
Strong hope arose in Lucy's heart. She
felt he might recover.
"We must get off the island at day
break" said he. awaken me then if 1 GO
to Sleep
"Yes," replied Lucy, 81 will rouse you
then, but go to sleep now."
He shut his eyes, and seemed to yield to
her as a child might have done. The
nurse came, and saw him lying thus. She
sat down by Lucy. Aunt Esther was
sleeping in adistant corner, and very soon
Hugh Richmond slept also. After while
his breathing became as regular and
peaceful as that of child. Lucy only
was awake. The attitude she had chosen
became painful to her. She never stirred
one hairs breadth. She was weak and i'll
herself, but she bore all, and for his sake
She, who had not yet been able to sit up
more than. half-an-hour at time sat in this
constrained posture for hour after hour
proud and thankful that she could do SC
much. Her one hope was that perhaps
under Providence she mil ght be the means
of saving life that had been freely risk
ed in her behalf The foolish over-wisdom
of those around them had almost cost his
life and her own; but even yet all might
be well. He was sleeping peacefully; his
hand, which lay in hers, was no longer
parched, his breathing was regular and
calm; once the door opened, and the doctor
peeped in. He threw up his arms in Won
der when he saw the change in his pa
TENTS condition, but he crept out without
disturbing him. Lucy saw that he had
expected to find it all over, or to see pool
Hugh Richmond breathing his last, and a
hope which as yet she had hardly dared
to indulge in, began to take up it's abode
, in her mind. Day dawned and still he
slept, and still his head was on her shoul-
der. She feared the light might awaken