The Red Cloud chief., 1883-10-12

~
We would begin plsisly and liy.
enespsys sfe Would ain nv mr. nf6sS
. would dig sway down In WaI]
sessrt.s esd &c sbssm SssserthSr W.
hed oar love ~ q sptrssiid e1rhs1.
Iha Va invested Tor a, anI ~iSR 49,
we not be Fssor.
Ihcse were DAYS and night. fan o,
happiness. Helen secmed IN need M
siesP; She was es;en by my side ..
that dread hosr II three ia The morning.
wiping the dews from ms brow and
helping 20 account for the strange
Noses Ne came tn the sone,usian
that periodic dropptay 81 the crow.
bar wa some midnight ASSASSIN @:
.i.ep repairing th. elevated railroad.
D little tinkfing bell, We thoayhs.
might tie some cat enianyi.d In a net
work Of resounding metal. the descend-
sns q Ben The Cat. ~hoevpr he might
pc Helen was the only person who
IA attended m through my Illness,
who ever tried 10 explain. and Ia help
me out III INV intellectual nsazes. The
Others ignored them.
IL was the power 81 love, tina, one
blessed inspiration. which never tires,
never grows antagonisiic. never sheer.
and never treats as trivial the slight 1t
wish or theory ~ the beloved object.
Helen was always fresh. She .c.med
70 have Just stepped from her firing
women. like Helen Of Troy. I never
saw In her the disorder of early morn
ing or night; the fstign. and heat of
the sick room never reached her. The
freshest colors. the freshest overs. the
sweet careful arrangement Of her hair.
The perfume Of bcatness-sf this and
more followed nv beloved aud made
her priceless. And then | began 10 call
my wife. To be sure, il was pre-
mature. But she forgave il. Perhaps
the sweetest word known to the ear u
or ~oman carricJ with IL lis own
apology. She should be- my wife.
And prcposterous as il was. she for
gave me.
She was not by my side when / need.
ed her most. when the two men were
rubbing me with salt flannel cloths and
The doctor was pouring brandy down
my throat Oh. how 1 needed her in
that painful struggle, when. rs they
said. 1.-The fever turned" How | need
her in those hours Of mortal weak
which succeeded. ] could not ask
for her. | could not speak. I could
and pray for her. and look
the door To see IL she were coming
II was the third day, | think. after
this that the doctor told me that Arthur
the fever. upstairs; that | had worn
out two trained hospital nurses. and
had been : % delirious a 10 need
the attendance of two men.
These pictures" said the doctor,
smiling. "have come in fora good deal
of brain trouble and he pointed to tho
still covered.
He stepped To the frame and took
the cover. How poor and pale
n copy il seemed. how utterly -insigniii-
cant,
But" said I. doctor, all this il
very well; but what has become IL
my Helen Froment. my wife,"
The doctor hmghrd.
My dear boy, said he. she was
only a part Of the fever. One Of Your
dreams. That excellent Miss
Hunt she is elderly and plain enough
for all professional purposes. but she
had Ia ring the bell and summon Simon.
You made love to her so fc~rvenily. She
knew, however. that YOU were rs mad
a "a halter, and she will never sue YOU
breach Of promise Of marriage. She
is down with the fever herself. poor
| would not believe it; l did not be-
lievs il, and ! don't believe il. | would
wait and see Arthur. and ask him il il
O n conspiracy Of my enemies.
When we i've met again we were two
ghosts of long standing. The same inn
plumbing which had made me
had reached my generous friend. and
we had made night hideous for
the respectable mansion in West Blank
Bu; Arthur had not lost n wife as I
had done, and he got well quicker. I
could not help asking him il there was
om foundation for my theory Of
Helen. Had not somebody entered the
house by the balcony iha, dreamy, star
night?
YES" said Arthur. THAT was true.
Ms ~-.sr'a Ooycrness did come home
iate. after 4 railway d~ct-rsian. and did
get in over the balcony, and was scared
at finding q in the room. She Wa
oil the next morning however. bright
and early. and YOU would not call her
Helen if you saw her now. | am sure"
| did see her later; and | agreed with
that she was not my Helen, ut
But the memory was too strong To be
off. Where had gone that real,
hat beautiful person who had made me
50 happy? Where was that rare intel
igcnce. that cool hand. that fresh. Wig
,rous. untiring young girl? Ii l had
that Eve | was a demi-god. l
.ould not surrender the powerful i'm
to disbclieyc in her. 1t seemed
ike an iniidclity tn Il real I'M
What if. unknown fo all the world.
'ome dear creature. inspired by divinest
pity. had deceived the nurses AMI the
hal entered and cared for me,
rad loved me and had accepted nv love
n return? WAS pledged to this being.
She was mine. She should be NV wife.
should NEE. her again. l shall meet
Ter again; l am convinced Of it.
NV doctor sem for DIR. Hammond to
'ome and talk to me about the brain.
lie told me of One Of his patients. who
saw Sir Walter Raleigh if he
led his necktic too tight, and so on.
''Doctor." said /, Twill YOU kindly
lie my necktic in such a ann that l
an see Helen again.
Afraid to do il. sir" said tho great
man. Helen was born # = Sc
ere typhoid delirium, and a picture.
our ~nurse-the curtain even took her
hape. She was the aesthetic untouched
ide of your brain. the relief from the
ortured side; that in You which loved
music and painting and poetry. called
tself Helen. No, 1 am afraid YOU have
Ost your wife"
doctor" said l. lido these spirits
II visions paint in water co!orsg'
And l drew from n little drawer in
nv table. where l had seen her place
t, Helen's copy Of the Rubens.
That's a pretty study said the
looking up at the original.
lh,ue bS nna nf n SiSsars I