The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-01-21

DacK 10 you, anu CouAuh "uoi
lose. Besides. 1 don't bet on a GER
tainty," said the careful Mr.. Bowman.
And Just then Hetty Morris coming up,
they stopped to admire her precious
acquisitions; and Hetty heard of. the
wager, and shamed Mr.. Bowman into
taking it, before they parted and went
their opposite ways, more merrily than
was their Sunday wont.
Not so Mr.. Templeton. As soon as
his wife had banged the door behind
her she tore off her, bonnet and threw
herself on q sofa, and called for Jane
to bring the ammonia, and her husband
to drop the shades, and Maria to take
the children where she could not hear
them, for her head was splitting with
pain, as any ones would be, treated as
she was. And she would not go up
stairs to bed. and Mr.. Templeton's Sum
day romp with the children was abro-
gated, and his dinner was made an act
OF silent and solitary penance; and II
he told his wife he was going to after
noon service, and did 60 over to his
cousin Hetty's, she, at least, had no
right to blame him.
But woe for Mr.. Templeton when he
came home that evening! Mrs. Tenn
pleton had been removed to her own
room, which reeked with steam OF cam
phor and alcohol; she lay there in her
white night-gown, with her black hair
streaming over the pillow, with her
great black eyes rolled up and fixed on
a remote point of the ceiling, and with
the foam standing on her lips-ghastly,
stiff, and immovable. 1t made no odds
to Mr.. Simpleton-I mean Templeton-
that he had seen her SO fifty times be-
fore; in fact, always when she wanted
something she could not have. Cold
terror struck to his soul lest he should
lose his torment; all her virtues swelled
into the hosts of heaven, all her faults
were wiped out as with sponge. He
was down on his knees beside her in
moment. ''Oh my darling! my Juliet!
my love! speak to me! Tell me you
know mew he cried.
Run for the doctor, Jane. Where
is DR.. Harvey? Why haven't you had
HIM here already? Get him at once.
Give me the brandy. Heat those soap
stones. Where are the hot-water bags?'
And ne was bathing her lips and rubbing
her hands, and kissing her forehead,
aud adjuring her to give any sign of
life. But it was not till the doctors
step was heard that Mrs. Templeton
vouehsafed the least indication, and
then her breast began 10 heave, her
hands 70 tremble, her long supple body.
that had been stiffiy resting on its head
and heels only, began to sway and sub
side, her feet to twitch, and presently
those feet were beating tattoo on the
footboard. and the lips parted in shrieks
and the shrieks turned to sobs, and the
doctor was pouring choral between the
teeth, and the sobs sank away into
sleep and the Mysteries were over.
What could have excited you so, my
dearest, and thrown you into such a
terrible conyulsion?" Mr.. Templeton
was saying next morning. {" Hyster-
ics'' was forbidden word. Mrs. Tenn
pleton would have had another attack
at the sound of it, cit must have
been the heat of the church; it was
overpowering. Thurlow has never
learned to regulate that furnace. !" i
1.-THE heat" sighed Mrs. Templeton,
family, sand the glisten of those dia-
monds. They kept dancing so before
my eyes with their bright spots that they
dazzied the brain. o, I'm afraid l was
very cross Yesterday, Jairus. ! didn't
know what 1 was saying. y. never
want to see any diamonds again"
"You shall have a pair of your own
before am week older" exclaimed
| the faeble husband
80, no, no. no! I should be sc
ashamed. Idon't deserve them. Il
couldn't think of it. Indeed, indeed,
I wouldn't have you, Jarius darling;
should feel just as If l had begged fol
them" But when Mr.. TempletOn re-
turned from the city that night, as pref
ty pair of solitaire earrings as be
could buy with the bond he sold glittered
in a velvet cased marked with her name
As he opened the case and held it be
fore her, Mrs. Templeton shuddered
and turned her glance away from the
beautiful white sparkle, and said they
looked at her with two great eyes o.
reproach, and she ought not to have
them, and they were as heavenly a.
twin stars. And presently they were
glittering in her ears, and all the faint
ness and languor were gone. and sh'
was running to the glass and holding
her head on this side and on that, anG
admiring herself and turning to her hus
bard for admiration, looking, with he
large liquid dark eyes, her pale face
her perfect features. her dazzling smile
all illumined by the shining drops, a
beautiful as the most beautiful Julie
that was ever loved. And her husband
felt twice and hundred times repaid
for the sacrifice of his little savings ir
the only bond he had yet been able II
buy and lay by for the future by thu
vision of her anG by the delighted kiss
es she showered upon his lips and tn
warm embraces of the long white arms
1t was not once but twenty times tina
Mrs. Templeton looked at the flash o
her new splendors in the mirror, tool
them out of her ears and put them bacl
again, tangled her hair in.them SO tina
her husband might loosen them and b
struck afresh. as he did so, with tn
, | nale.nink saashell of the ear the C.ury