The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-11-24


was struck by the image he used, of the
winds coming screaming across the
ocean Gas if he personihed them in his
mind) and leapng exultingly upon the
land at last, there to continue their
ravages. She was sure she had heard
worse SMILES.
As she thus mused clock down
stairs chimed quarter after midnight,
and as the sounds died away, and per-
feet stiffness supervened, she, listening,
heard first as it were vague disturb
ance. and then the sounds as of cries
and means coming from the direction
of that other room at the end of the pas
sage in which Rupert slept. To lay
down the papers and spring to her feet
was the work of a second In another
moment she was out of the room, and
speeding down the passage. This must
be one of those attacks of which his
mother had spoken-when the boy
would suddenly awaken out of sleep, in
pain. mental and physical, and in
state of unaccountable fear and terror,
as of some imaginary assailant-parox~
ysms in which, Mrs. Lascelles said, no
one was of any use except the doctor
she herself, in her anguish, least of all,
for it was strange thing that though
Rupert in an ordinary way adored his
mother, yet, when he was in this state
he seemed not to know her, and moth
| ing that she could do or say was of any
avail to calm him. Margaret, on hear
ing this account, had determined on the
spot to see if she could not be of some
use, could not influence his mood when
the occasion came.
She was now the first to enter his
room, turn up the light, and bend over
him. She found him trembling, SILVER
ing, alternately hot and cold, uttering
incoherent, breathless EXPLANATIONS, un-
able to suppress the cries of terror or
apprehension which appeared constantly
to rise from his lips, as if he imagined
| himself pursued by some dreadful thing;
and again, in such agony physically that
| the drops stood on his brow. Mrs. Las
celles had said to Margaret that at such
times her son did not know her. Mar.
garet, taking his hand, and saying some
soothing words, found that though at
first he surveyed her. too, with wild.
unrecognizing, and almost terrified as
pect, yet that he soon knew her, and
gasped out,
Margaret oh, Margaret take care
of me. / am so frightened I'm going
to die. l am sure | am going to die"
g No, my poor boy, you are not going
to die and do not fear. for | will take
care of you," she said, in her tenderest,
deepest voice--and there were vibra-
tions, intonations in Margaret's voice,
of piercing sweetness. And at this
point she became aware of the presence
of Mr.. Lascelles, in his dressing gown,
looking perfectly helpless, and fearing
that Miss Percival was being put to
great deal of trouble.
'Pray, Mr.. Lascelles, leave him to
me. Do not let Mrs. Lascelles come in
here; it viii only distress her needless
ly," said she, quickly; and Mr.. Las
celles, only too thankful to receive
coherent order which he could obey,
left the room. There was whispered
consultation outside, of which Marga-
ret only vainly heard the sounds, with
out attending to them, and then there
was some movement up and down the
house, and then silence. She had at
last mastered Rupert's struggles, hold
ing his hands in her strong grasp, and
was speaking cheerily to him, though
her soul was wrung with pity. Gradu-
ally his anguish, for it was no less than
anguish, Gained down. His frantic eff
forts to spring from his bed, and flee
from before some unseen, uncompre-
hended Horror, subsidized. He became
calm. Margaret could only speculate;
she knew nothing of the nature of the
attack. Was it hysterical? Was it, as
his mother had whispered to her that
she feared it might be, form of insan-
ity? Was its cause mental or physicalP
She did not know, but she found her
conviction had been right The
power which she was able to exercise
over him in his sane. and comparatively
healthy condition, did not desert her
now. 1t was long before she gained
complete ascendency over him; she did
not know how long the time was that
passed while she strove to conquer, with
voice, and eye, and hand, tender but
firm, that spirit of wild terror and I'M
reasoning fear which possessed him.
At last Margaret saw the victory was
hers. 1t was Rupert who held her
hands now, fast clasped to his breast,
and looking up into her face with eyes
over which the sleep of exhaustion was
already casting its film, said:
"You will not leave me alone, Mar
garrett"
81 shall not leave you alone; trust
mer' she answered. And so they re-
manned for a moment, until his eyes
J had closed, and Margaret thought that
! he slept. Then it was that she heard
the door handle turned, and step APP
preaching, at the sound of which Ru-
, pert's eyes again opened widely, and he
J said, in perfectly contented voice;
''Louis, | have behaved very badly,
lint I m, haitian ,oo,r ,,