The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-29
The girl beside me whispered low in


 Traces Graham, this is my work" Sh. drew the lace from the throat and bosom of the body on the bed, and minu.. after threw the candles,iek wildly iron her, and, as darkness fell on the room broke into peal after peal of ear-piercing terrible laughter. But between the with drawal of that lace and the coming of ih a darkness was a clear moment, and in ,ha moment saw most plainly, most unmis takably, all that the scarf had hidden On that snowy bosom were dark crimson stains, and across that sof, throat was deep red gash.
 Then material night deepened 10 men tai darkness, and there came mercifu blank
 THE STEP-SfsTERs STORY.
 After the unutterable horror whose end was that blessed loss of consciousness my first sensation was that of painfu struggle after lost memory: desperate choking and wild, mad pulsa,ion of m, heart, which beat so thickiy and so fast as almost to suiioeate me. Then, IS began to breathe with greater ease, abandoned the effort al recollection. and letting my feeble thoughts take their own channel, began 10 notice where was. and with whom.
 was undressed, and lying in ] large fo&r-post bedstead in handsomely fur nished old-fashioned room windows aa. ], bed were dIaped with sombie sage-ereen moreen hans.ngs. \ bright ire burned on the hearth: beside Gie stood b0..ies. glasses and basins. Over against the ire s.,tawoman spare. angular figure. .a.essed Tn deep mparnins-d woman w!:h 4n ashen gray face, white ha.r, and hope i less. desolate expression sad bey ond de serptlon. She sat 1T l hlsh-bal ked en- broidered char, and looked wear!lr ln,o the ire. On her were deep lines whies seemed traced by grief qai:e as much .s by age.
 l lay and noticed all ;his. but the DOW CT of movement seemed withdrawn iron. me. l could not have moved finger or uttered sound Ii my life had depended on lt.
 The door opened softly and another woman entered, little younger in ap- pearanoe than the one who sat by the ire, but m care llnes, in black gown, 1T white hair she was the same.
 .' Has she moved. Mary :" said he new comer T low voice that thrilled me by its suggestion of :. resemblance 10 some other voice had known lisabel's, as know uow1.
 No, sister Martha said the other rasng her faded eyes from the ire ::"she has been ike ihis flow for nearly three hours. Has iane ae: returned yet /.
 e, she ms us. come in. IL IS some distance 10 E---, you know. and pr. akes psas ei.t but she has brought that new doctor from the High Street. Nho n.s the name oi clever young n;.i. lie mad better come ID now, think"
 closed my eyes felt could 10, bear 10 he called upon to take even the pat of a recognized listener in any con versa,ion. Presently hand took mine. felt my pulse, snoo;hed my hair back. and mans voice said:
 " foor child, there has been a severe shock hareyou any idea wha, could have caused il:
 Yes said Miss Martha voice '.she has had a very serious shock
 ' We can do nothing more than you seem 10 have been already doing,' he went on; :" II is best to leave the nervous system 10 rish, itself naturally Perhaps you will tell me what caused this :"
 !" will show you." she said, and the two left the room together.
 The lady who had been called Mary" came to my side and ba,hei my temples with vinegar, and presently heard the doctor and Martha speaking in the next room. My nurse heard them too. and after moments hesitation slipped away to join them, leaving the door asr. My nerves were highly strung and my every sense was aler, though their voices were low heard distinctly every worc ,ha, was uttered. could no, connec: what heard with what had seen and undergone. for. in respec, of any memory of what had passed in the earlier par, of the evening, my mind was utterly blanS. though felt in every hbre of u,y body the vibration of the horror that had overwhelmed me
 "A dreadful sigh, indeed said the doctor. " and quite calculated to urhnee mind more mature and selfgoverned than this poor girls. Bu, you will par don me for saying that Il was culpahly careless to allow her to visit ,ha, room unrre1aEed.'
 "of course we intended 10 prepare her" said Miss Martha. dis,rac,edly but she came long before the appoig,e>. time, and lane. who had charge of the house, believed Isabel ,o be up stairs all the time
 Gan nothing more be done: = asked Miss Mary.
 No" he answerd, but. with yolr permission, will remain here for the present. in case any change should take place. My impression is that she is con scious at this moment, and may before long recover speech and memory, and need instant attention. If i, would not be too painful to you, ladies. perhaps you would not mind explaining to me the necessity tor the existence of this horror. which must always be a danger 10 any one entering your house without prepar- a,ion.n
 X slight pause then Miss Mary said
 sister Martha tell Dr. Lloyd the story. If he had been logger in the town