The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-09-20

arms, he carried her to the house. and
all the way into her now deaf ears he
poured out his love and lamentations;
his tongue was loosened, and seemed
TO DE trying to make up for lost time.
Ana as he bathed her head, and chafed
her hands, and tried to kiss back her
color and to coax into action that LONG
silent voice, he moaned: "What would
l not give now to hear her talk to me
again! 1t would be bliss to hear her
scold, even. Perhaps perhaps" and
he shuddered as he said it, ''she may
faeUer speak again!''
The new-mown hay threatened bv
the coming storm was nothing to him
now. he neither knew nor cared
whether the sky was black or blue. All
was black about him, and there was
only one object that he could see.
Even Teddy, who had shared his con-
fidence, and Maggie, who had been the
solace of his poor wife during the dull,
blank year that had just closed in such
traglcal manner, were obnoxious to
MIN by their very presence. He saw
in them only the go-betweens that
served to keep up the odious silence.
III | had never brought Teddy here,
perhaps, we should have spoken long
ago, he muttered; ''for it was getting
pretty hard to keep still any longer
about that time.N .I
de was just thinking seriously about
sending for doctor, when he felt a
pressure upon the hand that had all
this time clasped one of his wife's, and
looking into her face, he saw with de-
lAght that her eyes were wide open and
bent upon him.
my dear Mary! thank Godr' he
said, as he bent down and kissed her
pale face, while the tears dropped
from his cheeks upon hers. Speak to
me, Mary"
She gazed around her upon the
scene OF masculine havoc for few mo-
ments; the wet cloths, the blankets, the
camphor and arnica bottles. the flooded
floor and then at the face of the man
beside her. In the latter she saw only
intense misery and unfeigned contri-
ton, but she could not resist the i'm
pulse, in spite of the accident, in spite
of the surroundings, in spite of John s
sufferings of mind, to test him still
farther. She slowly raised her limp
hands, and with the forefnger of the
right she began to trace upon the palm
of the left, at the same time directing
questioning look at her husband.
"Great heavensn' thought he, lean it
be possible that she has been paralyzed
by her fall. and is now truly and in
earnest dumb?" But a glance at her
face dispelled that horrible thought.
She was smiling, but she still continued
to write with her finger. Simple, hon
est John Benton caught her meaning
then, and exclaimed, almost petulantlv,
1.-The slate, Mary? Confound the
slate! No more deaf and dumb Ian
guage for me. One word from you now
is worth more to me than years chat
ter of these young ones; besides, it will
do you good, my dear"
John, | really believe you are speak,
ing to me-" said his wife, while tears
of JOY came to her eyes.
John Benton bent close to her face,
and kissing her again and again, said;
Yes, Mary, | am going to Keep it up,
too, from this time on, for And
here he put his mouth to her ear and
whispereda few words that, in spite OF
her tears and pain, made her laugh
outright, He had whispered, mo beg:
gars, peddlers or book agents allowed
in the Benton Cottage hereafter. '-E.
Il. BOyden, IN Harper'S BdZGr.