Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-05-11
PORT TOBACCO Maryland, MAY11 1885, ma va 6TGg2

sossuhers from among the shadows !
- ,sIa snel v " Obliged to send you away" |
Miss Van Arsdale's head shot nm
from sne pillow, and her fingers tight !
enea o'er the hand that lay helplessly
81 thought it was an understood
thing between us that you were never
70 come here again?o
Her voice might have belonged TO
that otner Minerva, so hard and cold
it fell on the deadly quiet Of the room.
II y iell hard and cold on the heart
Of her listener, he made no other sign
than 70 step from the background into
the ring OF dim light under the chan
delier.
AS a friend Of yours, yes" he an
swered, in the same even fashion
"but as brought him home | shall
remain Mere until his own physician
arrives
His cwn physician indeed When
had he ever allowed himself an ache
or pain OF an idle day to he sick in?
All her life he had worked like con-
vict TO Keep up style he cared moth
ing ABOUT, to buy satins whose colors
he couo not guess, Jewels whose very
names he did not know-and now il
had brought him TO this! She had al
ways been fond enough of him in an
underhand fashion, but deep down in
her heart she knew she had been
ashamed Of him, and the knowledge
cut like a knife.
"Is he-yery i'll r. she asked, in a
frightened whisper.
"He is very i'll I"
"Bqt. not that p she cried, starting
up and facing him with horror
stretched eyes. "You don't mean that
he will will"
She trltd to utter the evil word, but
it stuck Crosswise in her throat, so he
kindly said it for her.
"Die think not. | hope not
there-there,' he continued, soothing
ly,as ifto an unreasoning child, there's
really no need to be so upset, Minerva
| have aene all that is needed unit
you send for the G0ctOr."
"N0 one else shall come near him !
she cried eagerly, with the hope h,
had given her shining in her tearfu
eyes. I" will trust him to no one bu
you"
Then, if that be the case" he in
terrupted cheelily, Il shall begil
operations by putting you out of tn
room"
She followed him to the doc
obediently enough, then turned at tn
last step, and with pitiful sob threV
herself on her knees by the bed.
without a word Mr.. Van Arsdale'
physician lifted her by the shoulders
gently forced her outside the door, an
turned the key in the lock.
When, little over year ago, tn
engagement existing between Mis-
Van Arsdale and DR.. Matthews, h'
cousin. was broken, society noddtd !
approv4.a !. shout in the least KNOWN
why, except upon the general prircip
that it is always foolish for daught
of Midas to waste her money on
ordinary man who can earn his oV
living while there are no end of leg
ton youths, with titles a yard Ion
waiting in beautiful helplessness for
rich wife to take them off their hand
but when, a few months later, 81
tripped off to the wilds of Pennsy
vanla, and came home engaged aga
this time to a mere nobody, fro
nowhere in particular society lift
its hands, and doubtless would ha'
washel them Of her altogether only Il
Elizabetfan palace flashed into e
istence just then, with its hOus
warnings, kettle drums and high te
without number, which kept soc y
a slavish state of adultati0n until Il
sudden illness of Mr.. Van Arsdal
Society called it a mysterious Hines
tOu' he'd its forehead suggestively, an
after a bit, went off to its summer
pleasurings and bothered no mo-
about him.
June roses, pink and yellow, choke
up the throats of Miss Van Arsdale
gouty japanese vases June sunshiT
lay in Pickering patches across Il
antique floor of her sitting-roor
against the oriental dado, over Il
bamboo chairs and old English table
up and down the white loveliness
her dress, as DR.. Matthews steppt
briskly in the midst of it all to tell h,
that at last his patient was stron
enough to be moved.
"A whiff of country air won't harl
you," he remarked, at lasl, with pr
fhssional glance at her face.
ELIZA A. SHEiKBokN%.iss va
J Newport Charles county Md.
b Act