The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-09-27

her head. With faint gasp, and with
semi-consclous but dazed cry, she
said; "Don't you ever speak"
'Hushl' said the scared man; "for
Gods sake, Mary, don't talk that way
now!'
In another moment she lay uncon-
scious in his trem cling arms, pale and
still as death.
"OhV" exclaimed the unhappy man,
''if I had only screamed to her to sit
down instead of trusting to that con-
founded pantomime, perhaps it would
not have happened. -
Taking her up tenderly in his strong
arms, he carried her to the house, and
all the way into her now deaf ears he
poured out his love and lamentation;
his tongue was loosened, and he SEEM
ed to be trying to make up for lost time.
And as he bathed her head and chat
ed her hands and tried to kiss back her
color and to coax into action that
long silent voice, he moaued: "What
would I 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 never speak again"
The new mown hay threatened by
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
a tragical manner, were obnoxious to
him by their very presence. He saw in
them only the go-betweens that served
to keep up this odlous silence.
eff had never brought Teddy here,
perhaps we should have spoken long
ago." he muttered, "for it was getting
to be pretty hard to keep still any
longer about that time."
He was just thinking seriously about
sending for a doctor, when he felt a
pressure upon his hand that had all
this time clasped one Of his wife's, and
looking into her face he saw with
delight that her eyes were wide open
and bent upon him.
"My dear Maryl thank Godl" 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 moments;
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
tion, but she could not resist the i'm
pulse, in spite of the accident, in spite
of the surroundings, in spite Of Johns
sufferings OF mind, to test him still
further. She slowly raised her lml
hands, and with the forednger of the
right she began to trace upon the palm
of the left hand, at the same time
directing a questioning look at he
husband. "Good heavensl" thought
he, "can it be possible that she can bt
paralyzed by her fall and be now truly
and in earnest dumb" But a glance al
her face dispeled that horrible thought
She was smiling, but she still continued
to write with her finger. Simple
honest John Benton caught her mean
ing then and exclaimed, almost petul
antly: "The slate, MaryP Confount
the slateI No more deaf and duml
language for me. One word from yol
now is worth more to me than year.
chatter of these young ones; besides, il
will do you good, my dear"
John, really believe you are speak
ing to me-" said his wife, while tear!
of joy came to her eyes.
John Benton bent close TO her face
and kissing her again and again, said
eyes, Mary, am gong to keep it up
too, from this time on, for" Ant
here he put his mouth to her ear, ant
whispered few words that in spite o
her tears and pain made her laugh out
/ right. He had whispered: mo beg
gars, peddlers or book agents allowed
!, in the Benton cottage hereafter.