Middletown transcript., 1883-04-06
been taken i'll down town and brought
home dying in cab.

Restless eyes staring at everything
and seeing nothing, palsied fingers and
twitching lips-was this her father ?
Miss Van Arsdale's pride fell from her
like Cinderella's rags, and burying her
face in the pillow she sobbed with the
willful grief Of child.
eff you do not stop crying like that, i"
came low, warning voice somewhere
from among the shadows, - shall be
obliged to send you away"
Miss Van Arsdale's head shot up
from the pillow, and her fingers tight
ened over the hand that lay helplessly
in hers.
"I thought it was an understood
thing between US that you were never
to come here again ?"
Her voice might have belonged to
that other Minerva, so hard and cold it
fell on the deadly quiet Of the room.
If it fell hard and cold on the heart
of her listener, he made no other sign
than to step from the background into
the ring of dim light under the chan
delier.
"As a friend Of yours, yes he ans
wered, in the same even fashion, " but
as l brought ham home, shall remain
here until his own physician arrives" "
His own physician, indeed ! When
had he ever allowed himself an ache or
pain or an idle day to be sick in ? All
her life he had worked like convict to
keep up a style he cared nothing about,
to buy satins whose colors he could not |
guess, jewels whose very names he did |
not know-and now it had brought him
to this She had always been fond |
enough of him in an underhand fash
ion, but deep down in her heart she
knew she had been ashamed of him,
and the knowledge cut like knife.
els he-very i'll ?'' she asked, in a
frightened whisper.
"He is-very i'll ~
{" But not that ?n she cried, starting
up and facing him with horror-stretched
eyes. You don't mean that he will
will"
She tried to utter the evil word, but
it stuck crosswise in her throat, SO he
kindly said it for her.
"Die | think not, I hope not
there there, . he continued, ,soothingly,
as if to an unreasoning child, there's
really no need to be so upset, Minerva.
have done all that is needed until you
send for his DOCTOR"
No one else shall come near him ~
she cried eagerly, with the hope he had
given her shining in her fearful eyes. .
II will trust him to no one but
you"
Then, if that be the case,'' he in
terrupted, cheerily, II shall begin OPP
erations by putting you out of the
room."
She followed him to the door ODE
diently enough, then turned at the last
step, and with pitiful sob threw her {
self on her knees by the bed.
Without word Mr.. Van Arsdale's I
physician lifted her by the shoulders, '
gently forced her outside the door, and |
turned the key in the lock. {
When, little over year ago, the !
engagement existing between Miss Van
Arsdale and DIR. Matthews, her cousin, I
was broken, Society nodded its appro- |
val without in the least knowing why, {
except upon the general principle that |
it is always foolish for a daughter Of !
Midas to waste her money on an ordi- !
nary man who can earn his own living J
while there are no end Of legation youths, !
with titles yard long, waiting in beau a
tiful helplessness for a rich wife to I
take them off ttff16ir hands but wfhef1, a
few months later, she tripped off to the c
wilds of Pennsylvania, and came home ]
engaged again-this time to a mere no
body, from nowhere in particular
Society lifted its hands, and doubtless
would have washed them of her alto I
gether only the Elizabethan palace
flashed into existence just then, with :
its honse-warmings, kettle-drums and q
high teas without number, which kept
Society in a slavish state Of adulation !
until Easter brought with it the sudden l
illness of Mr.. Van Arsdale. Society {
called it a mysterious illness, touched 7
its forehead suggestively, and, after a l
bit, went off to its summers pleasur- 9
ings and bothered no more about him. q
June roses, pink and yellow, choked I
up the throats of Miss Van Arsdale's q
gouty japanese vases; June sunshine q
lay in Pickering patches across the an
tique floor Of her sitting-room, against :
the Oriental dado, over the bamboo e
chairs and Old English tables, up and
down the white loveliness Of her dress, Z
as DR.. Matthews stepped briskly in the q
midst of it all to tell her that at last his '
patient was strong enough to be moved. G
A whiff of country air won't harm
you, +" he remarked, at last, with a pro-
fessional glance at her face.
1t wasn't much to look at, Miss Van L
Arsdale felt, with the pink gone out of i
her cheeks, and all the f1ufiness brushed '
from her hair, SO she turned it away.
"Of course you have some prefer S
ence as to scenery, So i
"What difference does it make where
we go 2'' she interrupted, wearily. t
g Pa is too weak to hunt up views, and +
hate them ~ ?
81 suggested Pen Hill to your father 2 S
"What on earth made you do that ?'' f
she demanded, sitting bolt upright and
staring at him with wrathful eyes. t
DR.. Matthews suddenly discovered i
that the ceiling was peacock-blue. j
SlT only wanted to uleaSe Won ,, ha f