Middletown transcript., 1881-09-23

| w udG Mdo SO1uS W OCOOhiO VI hAAAii ~
wondered ? Was he to be left there
alone to die? The sun mounted higher
and higher, the day wore on; and the
empty rooms about him remained silent
as the tomb.
Have you noticed, Margaret, that
there is nobody to be seen about Mr..
Elmering's, to-day ?'' said Mrs. Raj
ston, to her daughter that afternoon.
81 am really afraid something is
wrong.'
"What could be wrong, mamma
Mr.. Elmering is probably absent. He
often is. y
"But he leaves his servants, Mar
garet. Kitty says the kitchen door
stands open but she has seen nothing
of the servants all day. Don't you
think we should send somebody in, to
find out what the matter is ?''
"And perhaps have Mr.. Elmering
resent our oficiousness, as a liberty.
1 advise you not to meddle, mamma. "
Margaret felt, secretly, a little un-
easy herself. She remembered Kate's
ominous predictions, concerning the
fine city servants" and the horrors
of the morning papers returned freshly
to her mind. Could she ever forgive
herself for remaining coldly inactive,
if anything really had happened to Mr..
Elmering, and they owing him so great
a debt of gratitude +? But, though Mar
garet was not usually wanting in moral
courage, she shrank before the image
of Nh. Elmering, with sarcastic eye
brows, and half-suppressed smile, re-
ceiving the apologetic explanations of
a deputation, which had invaded his
premises, to ascertain whether he were
alive or dead and regarding the To-
mantle raid, as one of the natural vag
aries Of pack Of women, imbued with
stage tendencies. While she was hesi-
tating, the postman rang the bell, and
Fanny came in, a moment afterwards.
GA letter, mamma-only one for
you"
Read it, will you, Margaret ? It's
very odd, that my glasses are always
out of the way, when want them.
Why, for heavens sake, child, what is
the letter about ? What is it ?' cried
Mrs. Ralston, as Margaret started. up,
with flashing eyes and heightened
color.
Who ever heard of such baseness =?
Mamma, the letter is from Mr.. Elmer
ing's Paul. He says his master is i'll
with the smallpox, and that he and
Mary Ann have left, and he hopes we
will see that Mr.. Elmering is provided
with a doctor. What dreadful crea-
lures They left him all alone, and
told nobody. Why, he has been alone,
ever since last night. 1 will go over
there, this minute, and you must send
Kitty for DR.. Allison"
" Margaret! Margaret!' moaned Mrs.
Ralston.
"He saved Fanny's life,' cried
Margaret, and ran out of the room.
Mr.. Elmering, i'll and faint, and half
delirious with thirst, was reused from
vived fancy of cold water ripping
over stones, by the sound of footstep
flying along the corridor outside, and
pausing at different doors.
'sThank God, there is somebody, at
last, y he said, aloud, with a sense of
relief, that was almost overpowering.
He would have been glad to see even
one of his recreant servants but when
his door flew open, it was Margaret
Ralston who stood upon the threshold,
and whose dark eyes, bright with min
gled sympathy and indignation, met
his.
'Oh, Mr. Elmering, l am so sorry !"
she exclaimed, coming to his side, 1--WE
only knew, five minutes agn, of your
being i'll and alone here. I hope there
is some law for furnishing those wicked
servants of yours. Poor fellow, how
you must have suffered
Z" Yes-but think lam better, now,"
he answered, vaguely, turning away
his head, to hide the tears that rushed
to his eyes, as Margaret IS hand fell, for
a moment, soft as a snowflake, on his
forehead. That she, of all people,
should be the one to answer his long
ing for the sight of human face,
might have struck both of them, at
another time, as fine bit of retribu-
tive justice. But Margaret thought of
nothing but making the sick man COM
Portable, and he submitted, with sort
of wondering gratitude, to let her per-
form a variety Of little offices for him
to bring him water, and battle his
head, and arrange the disordered room
and the manuscripts. He never re-
membered, once, that this ministering
angel, with the bright, sweet, energetic
looks and ways, was the Miss Ralston
who gave readings. Indeed, l believe
Mr.. Elmering fell in love with Marga-
ret, then and there; though he did not
find it out Immediately.
In due time, the doctor arrived, and
pronounced him i'll of nothing worse
than severe influenza and the phan-
tom of smallpox having thus been laid
to rest, Mrs. Ralston at once joined her
daughter, and there was henceforth no
lack of kind services about the invalid.
Indeed, as his strength returned, and
his nurses slackened in their assiduities,
he almost began to regret the day of |
his illness, when the double house had
been virtually single house. He felt |
ashamed of his former attitude of
stately isolation; nothing, he vowed,
should force him to resume it /; not |