The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-12-15


one who might be beyond human
words when her answer might come
if she had no other answer to him nov
than that she had given him unde
Tregarthen beeches | did not neeC
to ask her what reply was waiting fol
tomorrow to speed it on its way
| read it in her softened face
"Before was well awake the morn
ing of the following day my mat
summoned me to Miss Douglas.
81 only needed a glance TO tell mi
that my fears had been realized tn,
illness that l had dreaded was com,
upon her. Her face was flushed anc
her eyes bright with fever, and the
restless hands that plucked at the GOV
Grid were burning to my touch
Though her speech was broken and in
coherent, she seemed to know me, and
seemed to realize her condition and
the necessity of seeing DIR. Llewellyr
as soon as might be.
THE dreary day wore slowly or
toward noon, and there was little
change in Marjories condition.
"Tired out, l sank down into a
great arm chair by her bedside. and
Ethel drew low stool to my feet
and pillowed her head upon my knee ;
and so we sat long time in silence,
watching the Pickering light of the
fire | had kindled in the wide chimney
piece. Marjorie, eyes were closed,
and her breathing was more regular,
and we hoped that at last she had fal
len into a quiet sleep.
And as | sat there, as in my every
moment of stiffness, my heart and my
thoughts went out to my husband
and, as in the twilight of two days
ago, very passion of longing grew
and grew in my heart TO see him,
though for one short moment, TO know
how it Jared and if it were well with
him.
THE longing had hardly taken a
conscious form, when l began to feel a
curious numb chill creeping over me
from head to foot; and, without will
or intent of my own, l slowly turned
my gaze toward Marjorie's bed.
TO my horror she lay like one
dead-a waxen pallor on her set face
and stiffened lips, through which no
breath seemed to come; her eyes were
wide open and fxed-only her look
was alive; on every lineament was
frozen an expression as of one hears,
terrorstricken, something far away.
"As | watched her, her thin lips
parted and through them, though ap.
parently aided by no movement of
their own, came what l can only de-
scribe as the merest echo of voice,
as though one had spoken in hollow
silence far away.
"You bade me come" it said, "and
| am here. "There is a mist about
is pitiless!y hot; a sun l can
not see is scorching up the world I;
there is great roar in my ears, and
shrieks and groans pierce through it,
and kissing that rises and breaks and
falls. The mist is wavering, is sitting
now, and parting, and | can see.
There is hillside, and on its summit
are great towers and a shining dome.
Men in scarlet are struggling up the
hill and creatures with black faces are
beating them back. There is a flash
like steel All, God | see! | see -
the roar is the roar of cannon, and
the hiss is the hiss of shell, and the
are from those lying in their
blood, trampled under feet in the mad
There is light yonder and
move toward it, for it marks those
you have sent me to seek. He is
reading despatch, sitting erect and
strong upon his black horse now he
gives him the rein, and he is gone.
The mist closes, and it is dark-dark
1t parts again. / can see a dark, stern
man, fighting his way through a strug-
Cling mass. Some one is following
him close-some one with blue eyes
hat flash like fire. Cannot he who
follows see the black creature who is
,reeping up beside his friend with
lrawn dagger? All, he does not see
md in moment more-Tregarthen
Garth Tregarthen, look to your
friend 4"
Marjorie had risen upright in bed,
Ter long hair falling loose about her,
ler eyes dilated and staring, her hands
,lasped in passionate entreaty; and as
ler last words came forth in ring
ng shrek, the spell that bound me
"Unheeding that Ethel had slipped
% the floor, white and motionless, |
'ushed to Marjorie, and with astrength
lot my own, held, and soothed, and
,almed her, till moment later | heard
he blessed sound of the doctors foot
lpon the stairs
81 need not speak of the days that
followed, when Marjorie lay in the
leathly hold of brain fever, and Ethel
served her like one who must spend
lerselt beyond the power to think; and
could only wait and pray; and often
Ethel and | looked into each others
eyes, and said with faltering voices
hat II had been terrible to listen to
Marjories delirious raving, and knew
II our sickened hearts that she had not
'aved when she saw Basil French in
Mortal peril.
st was not long after the Cay when
Doctor Llewellyn told us, with tears of
ympathy in his kind old eyes, that our
Marjorie was coming back to us, her
'wn sweet self, out of her danger and
,uffering, that the hard, good, sorrow
ul time came when | could be with
ny dear girl no longer, but must my
'elt go forth trembling upon a shadowy
way.
THE Christmas sunshine was bright
IN the snowy lawn the first time |
'ame down to the drawing-room with
my son in my arms; and it was Mar
orie's dear self, with the rose of new
health budding in her delicate face, who
net me at the door, and with loving
words, and mist before her eyes, led
ne in.
"We had told Doctor Llewellyn the
story of that terrible afternoon, and he
lstened with grave and musing face.
"lie warned us earnestly that it was
never TO be mentioned bafora Marior;a