Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-09-20


den the Cenci.
That had fallen, and suddenly the fig
ure seemed to bend out of the frame,
and to nod to me.
.Helen!'' shrieked-.Helen! Hide
the Cenci from me-"
Her cool hand was over my eyes in
moment, and the vision passed away.
"PoOr, troubled brain" l heard her
saw. as she rubbed my forehead with
her soft hand until / went to sleep.
1t would be absurd to try to follow
this love affair. Suffice to say we got
to understand each other, and Helen
promised to marry me. We had of
course to wait until should recover my
health, which was as yet uncertain. I
could not disguise it to myself that, al
though had hours of health, that the
bottles, the doctor, the bed, and the two
men nurses remained. = it-a
Helen always said patience, dearest,
patience! ali will be well. will wait
for you. You have a long summer be-
fore you, in which you must recover.
Meantime let us 60 on with the read
ing, the music, the painting" Helen
was sweet and consistent, and Obeyed
her.
And then we constructed our whole
future life She was to be my econom-
ical help-mate; with her little savings
and mine we could afford modes.
home.
We would begin plainly and live
cheaply. She would still ply her brush
and l would dig away down in Wall
street, but we should be together. We
had our love as splendid capital.
! That was invested tor us, and with that
we could not be poor.
These were days and nights full of
happiness. Helen seemed to need no
sleep. She was often by my side at
that dread hour of three in the morning,
wiping the dews from my brow and
helping to account for the strange
noises. We came to the conclusion
that the periodic dropping of the crow
bar was some midnight assassin of
sleep repairing the elevated railroad.
The little tinkling bell, we thought,
might be some cat entangled in a net
work of resounding metal, the descend
ant of Ben the Cat, whoever he might
be. Helen was the only person who
had attended me through my illness,
who ever tried to explain, and to help
me out of nv intellectual mazes. The
others ignored them.
1t was the power of love, that one
blessed inspiration, which never tires,
, never grows antagonistic, never sneers
and never treats as trivial the slightest
wish or theory of the beloved object.
Helen was always fresh. She seemed
to have Just stepped from her firing
women, like Helen of Troy. Inever
saw in her the disorder of early morn
ing or night; the fatigue and heat of
the sick room never reached her. The
freshest colors, the freshest flowers, the
sweet, careful arrangement of her hair,
the perfume of neatness-all this and
more-fol!owed my beloved and made
her priceless. And then began to call
her my wife. To be sure, it was pre-
mature. But she forgave it. Perhaps
the sweetest word known to the ear of
man or woman carried with it it's own
apology. She should be my wife! e
And preposterous as it 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 | needed her in
that painful struggle, when, as they
said, 'the fever turned" How 1 need
ed her in those hours of mortal weak
ness which succeeded. I could not ask
for her. l could not speak. l could
only think and pray for her, and look
at the door to see if she were coming
in. 1t was the third day, 1 think, after
this that the doctor told me that Arthur
had the fever, upstairs; that had worn
out two trained hospital nurses, and
that had been so delirious as to need
the attendance of two men.
"These pictures" said the doctor,
smiling. shave come in for a good deal
of brain trouble" and he pointed to the
Cenci, still covered.
He stepped to the frame and took
down the cover. How poor and pale
a copy it seemed, how utterly insignifi-
cant!
"But," said /, "doctor, all this is
very well; but what has become of
Helen, my Helen Froment, my wife,"
The doctor laughed.
|
only part of the fever. One of your
insane dreams. That excellent Miss
Hunt-she is elderly and plain enough
for all professional purposes, but she
had to ring the bell and summon Simon,
you made love to her SO fervently. She
knew, however, that you were as mad
as halter, and she will never sue you
for breach of promise of marriage. She
is down with the fever herself, poor
glrl.''
i would not believe it; I did not be-
lieve it, and don't believe it. Iwould
wait and see Arthur, and ask him if il
were not conspiracy of my enemies.
When we two met again we were two
ghosts of long standing. The same i'm
perfect plumbing which had made me
i'll had reached my generous friend, and
together we had made night hideous for
the respectable mansion in West Blank
street.
But Arthur had not lost a wife as ]
had done, and he got well quicker.
could not help asking him if there was
not some foundation for my theory OF
Helen. Had not somebody entered the
house by the balcony that dreamy, star
ry night?S 80
"Yes," said Arthur, ''that was true.
My sisters governess did come home
late, after railway detention, and did
get in over the balcony, and was scared
at finding YOU in the room. She was
off the next morning however, bright
and early, and you would not call hel
Helen if you saw her now, am sure .
did see her later; and l agreed with
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