The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-05-09
CHAPTER III.


Three years still went by. | was
still in England. Ihad purchased
share in a London practice, and al
though | found much drudgery in
my work, it was a paying practice
and which would eventually be en-
tirely mine, as my partner, who was
growing old and rich, talked of
retiring.
Once or twice in every year | had
been down to Dalebury. All was
the same there. John was still un-
married, and if he said nothing
about her, l knew he had not for
gotten the dainty little girl who had
rejected his love. Yet not word
had Fleurette sent him. She might
be dead or married, for ali he knew.
| often used to wonder whether /
should ever meet her again-wheth-
er | should ever learn her secret
trouble, for l felt Fleurette's sadness
was not somuch from having to give
up the hope of being Johns wife as
from the cause that compelled her
to take that step. | could only hope,
and say a word now and then to
encourage John to have hope also.
One day while snatching a hasty
lunch | was informed that | was
wanted at once. l found re-
spectacle servant in waiting for
me.
Please to come to my mistress at
once, SIR she said. She is taken
very Ill, all of a sudden
Where does she live? | asked.
The servant named a street within
short distance, and in a few minutes
| was at the house.
1t was in that description of streets
we term respectable-dull, quiet and
respectable-small houses on each
side letting at low rents-rents, most
likely, decreasing as an old tenant
left and new tenant came in the
sort OF place where the falling gen.
tleman and the rising clerk or work
man meet in their downward or up
ward course. On our way / asked
the servant what had happened to
her mistress
/ found her sitting i'll her chair,
sir, looking so wild and talking such
gibberish, that came for you as fast
as / could
She led the way to a sitting room.
Mistress was in there when /
left will you please go inside,
siI?'
Invent IN, out no mistress was vis-
ible; / saw, with a quick glance,
that the room was prettily furnish
ed-many little feminine knick-
knacks lying about. Hanging to an
easel near the window were two dead
birds. a goldfinch and a bullfinch,
and on the easel stood a China plate
painted with faithful representa-
ton of the models. Decayed gen.
tlefolks.' | said to myself; but the
servants voice, calling me from
above, prt an end to all further
1 speculations. There was evident
alarm in the girls voice; SO |
hastened up stairs and just inside
the door of bedroom saw woman
lying on the floor, either dead or in
sensible.
! With the servants assistance
lifted her mp and placed her on the
bed then proceeded to ascertain
what was the matter, 1t needed,
alas, very little professional skill to
determine the primary cause of her
illness. / had before me one ofthose
sad cases, unfortunately becoming
more and more common, OF drunk.
enness in one whose education and
station in life should have raised
her far above such vice. There
was no doubt about it. Even if the
odor of the woman's breath bad not
told me the truth, / had seen toe
many drunken women in my time
to be deceived. Little could be don<
to relieve her then and, after assur
ing the frightened servant that there
was no danger, / placed her com
fortably on the bed and gave ths
girl instructions to loosen her clothes
L. r. Al 40 lcoknd 18th y,ify