Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-06-17
BRArTLEBoRo, VT, FRIDAY, JUNE II, 1881.

must go to her?" not in command, but yelrn-
ing appeal, both in voice and eyes
"Will you wait here a minute 1 will see
whether she still sleeps
She still slept the heavy, peaceful sleep of a
tired child, Mary keeping a stern watch and
guard over her 1 beckoned her out Of the
room.
"well !" with fretful, impatient eaRerness.
''You have seen him What is he like Is he
horrid ?"
'Judge for yourself He is in the dining
room. He says he must see her he must
come in"
"That he shan't, the cruel wretch, or il shall
be over my PROSTATE body !" trAgically.
"Well, 60 and tell him 80.
81 will" And away, nothing daunted,
went Mary 1 smiled. ''She will no more
resist the pleading Of those handsome blue
eyes than did her husband. He will win her
over with look l was right she soon re.
turned, and not alone
'He will be very quiet, and she need not
see him. thought 1t would be better" All
this apologetically.
He crossed the room as noiselessly as a wo-
man, stopped over the bed in silence, then
sat down beside it, Mary shaded the lamp
so that the room was in twilight, and so we
all three sat down TO wait.
TUT hibft lhhh III muir We Mhtbtua--tuth
Mary stole out Captain Tremayne fooked
up as the door opened and closed then,
with quick sigh, laid the brown curly head
upon the pillow as close As possible 10 that of
the poor young wife without touching It, and
his hand moved up towards hers where il lay
on the coverlet, but without touching that
either, for fear of awaking or disturbing her.
It was not until the first gray streaks of day.
light were struggling in through the window
beside which sat that there was a Sights stir.
She was swaking at last.
Hugh I" she breathed-dreamily at first,
then urgently-"Hugh !"
"Yes, dear"
She turned her face toward his where it
lay beside her. She was only partially awake
as yet, her eyes we're still closed but
the hand on the coverlet crept up softly to-
ward him, futtered over his face, rested one
moment caressngly on the brown curls, then
with long, contented sigh, her arm stole
round his neck.
Husband, kiss mel"
"His presence has saved her." was my
mental comment; there is nothing now to
fear, and unnoticed, left the room.
Chilled and cramped with the long sitting
after the nights journey, was not sorry to
find the sitting room bright with lamp and
freight, the kettle singing on the hob
breakfast as comfortably laid out for two as
il the hour had been nine instead of six, and
Mrs. Merton as neat and fresh and trim as If
that midnight tragedy had been all dream.
Let cavilists sneer as they may, there is moth
ing for man like a wife, if she be q good
one. myself may have had my doubts on
the subject--wiyes are but women after all,
and must therefore be trying at times, even
the best of them. But / certainly had no
doubts whatever, as / stretched out my feet
to the blaze, and resigned myself cheerfully
to being petted and waited on.
''Wen 2" questioned Mrs. Merton when my
creature comforts had all been attended to,
and not before. told her how matters stood
she was delighted
"And so they are fond of each other, after
all and his being unkind to her >snd her
poor little baby was only a delusion. How
dreadful-how delightful, mean Poor fel-
low $50 young and handsome and nice |
felt SO sorry for him."
"He must have travelled down in the same
train as she did"
"Oh, no; he told me all about it. He had |
been summoned up TO town on business and |
left home yesterday morning. In the eve
ming the nurse left her, as she imagined, |
asleep, to fetch something from the kitchen"
"Have gossip there, you mean"
John, solemnly, you don't like nurses |
you know you don't"
''My dear, l am a married man, and more |
over an NJ. d. A well-bRlanced mind must |
hate somebody or some class of bodies and,
as a rule, medical men hate nurses"
Nonsense, John! Well, Mrs. Tremayne
got away from the nurse, went down stairs,
and being traced to the station, where she had
taken ticket to London, Captain rremayne
was telegraphed to and was stopped as he got
into the train on his way home. Some one
must have seen you leave the station"
''As he came to look for her here, some-
body must have brought him; two came to
the door,"
''It will be all right now that he has found
her and is fond of her; she viii get quite well,
and he will only have to comfort her for the
loss of her poor little baby"
I wipe my pen, blot the MSS, and rise.
My story is done, and as it is the first, 80 it
viii probably be the last of which shall be
guilty.
Mrs. Merton looks up from the glove she is
mending. "The story done Why, all you
have written is ON the beginning OF the end.
You could not surely have the heart to break
of in that unsatisfactory manner Not word |
about Captain Tremayne's gratitude, or the !
hamper they sent us at Christmas, or the |
birth of their little son last year, and the way
in which she coaxed you to be godfather,
though her uncle, the Duke, was only waiting |
to be asked or how she insisted upon our
bringing baby and Johnny and Freddy, and |
how baby"
But seized my hat and gloves Mary is,
as l have said, the best of wives, if Just lit
tie trying at times, and her baby the most |
wonderful of all created babies-but have an |
appointment at twelve !-TinsIey's Magazine. |