The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-16

tor "If you had not trihed so with Blanche,
and actually told me that day at the beach
that you cared for my daughter, and had a
motive in inviting us to go there, and then
thrown her over in such humiliating way,
things would never have come to this pass,
But the Doctor had already picked me up
in his arms and started for the stairway, my
poor mother stumbling after him.
II did care for your daughter, madam
said the Doctor, in a clear ringing voice that
might nave been heard upon the house-top,"
and will care for her to my dying day, and
my motive has always been to make her care
for me, but it is your daughter Betty that |
love- you blind and foolish woman, and not
your beautiful Blanche"
felt his rough chin Craze my chin, his
lips touch mine in the twilight of the upper
hall, and then l sank away into paradise.
When | came back to the world again l was
lying in my mothers bed i'll the second
story back room of the dear old house of
the Doctors. l must have fingered
long time in that queer and shadowy land
to which had drifted on that last wonder
full day of my dreary house-hunting. A
soft balmy air hoated in at the top of the
window that looked over the old-fashioned
garden; the thick knobby old lilac-tree must
have been bursting into bloom, for the faint
sweet fragrance reached me where L lay; the
tulip bed must have been one blaze of color.
My mother sat in low chair by my bedside,
with her prayer-book in her hand. But she
looked younger by ten years than when L
had seen her last. Poor dear woman She
was reconciled to my struggle with life and
death, so long more important matters
had been. doubtless comfortably settled.
But she was overjoyed to find that l was
there again. Poor mamma had always de-
pended SO upon me, and loved me well in
her own way Now it seemed that she al
most loved me in another way, too, as she
did her beautiful Blanche. Amid her tears
and smiles she began to twist some wisps of
hair upon my forehead into curls, and ar
range the blue bows that decorated my night
robe.
Thank God" she said, ''for all his mer-
ciesl My dear, dear child compose your
SELF Betty before the Doctor comes-he
has forbidden any excitement, any confu-
sion-but, my darling, you should know
it is necessary, it is right, that you should
know, and perhaps it will do you good; it
ought to, Pm sure; it has sustained me
through all these weary weeks-Betty, my
love, my darling, wonderful as it may seem,
it was you that the Doctor admired, 1t was
you that the Doctor spoke about at the
beach, and his motive was perfectly honor
able and creditable. I'm sure if I'd only
known it all this trouble might have been
saved. But it's recognized now by every
body. He openly acknowledged it the day
that you fell ill, and l must say he has acted
up to it ever since"
'"Who are you talking to, mammal" said
And in ran my beautiful sister. She hated
tears, but they fell from her magnificent eyes
upon my Sunken cheeks aud wasted hands;
they fell in torrents; and although she was
always so careful of her clothes, she flung
herself by my bedside, rumpling all the
pretty breadths of her marvellous spring out
fit. She looked like gem in porcelain. She
was hundred times more beautiful than
ever. No wonder my mother was so aston
ished 1t seemed a miracle that the Doctor
had not motive about Blanche. And my
beautiful sister also loved me in her own
way. She had determined to save me from
what she considered an immolation.
"You mustn't talk, Betty" she said, land
we mustn't talk to you any more than we
can possibly help. You've been very ill,
dear, and we've been wild about you. The
Doctor has gone about like ghost, and we've
followed him around like phantoms. Unjust
say think great deal of the Doctor; he's a
very nice, splendid man in a great many
ways. But you needn't marry him, Betty,
when you get we'll, unless you want to. l
know how queer you are about these things
how you'd hate to marry him if you didn't
just worship the ground he walked on; and
yet you'd feel badly about the rest of us,
And l want to tell you as quick as can, be-
fore he comes in, that you needn't think of
anybody but yourself any more. You've
worn yourself out for us about long enough.
Pm engaged to Fitz-Edward Smythe, and
only waiting for you to get well to marry
him."
"Oh, Blanchel" 1 gasped for the young
man was little better than poodle-dog.
Pm fond of him, Betty; am indeed"
she exclaimed; and she really looked as if she
meant what she said. Il actually love him.
He'll do anything in the world l tell him to
do, and we shall have a most elegant time to-
gether because his money is all his own, and
l can hel D HIM take care of it, and show him
how to really enjoy it in proper way.
10 g. III
You and mamma and Fred. are to
live witNme and it's all arranged between
Ftz- Edward and myself that my family is to
be held in the greatest consideration. I'd
have been buried alive with your Doctor,
and any one that marries him will be worse
than a door-mat. Oh, goodness gracious
mel"
For the Doctor walked softly in. with a
big bunch of roses in his hand. Blanche
slipped out the door, my mother noiselessly
followed her, and l was left alone with my
benefactor.
The roses fell out of his hand. He scanned
me at first with the eye of physician He
felt my pulse, my forehead nv hands, my
feet, he watched me for fully ten minutes,
his face softening the while from the Escu-
lapian rigidity to an ineffabe tenderness
At last he took long breath, and seating
himself in my mothers chair, he pushed
back his hair from his forehead. l could see
how gray it had grown. / could see the
lines in his face. 1 held out both my hands
to him.
you would have been very sorry" whis-
pered, ''if | had not come back to your"
The strong hands trembled that closed
about my own He put his head down upon
the pillow beside me. Betty" he said, Il
think should have gone and got some dyna-
mite and blown the whole property and its
owner into fragments
His eyes still devoured my face. 1 sighed
uneasly, and pulled the blue bow off my
night robe and began to smooth back the hair
that my foolish mother had tried to curl
81 wish had ever been the least bit In the
world pretty" / said
Tho DOctor Dtcked m one of his rosns that