The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1885-02-27

| 1lIuSlOnS. ana SOuleIlllltS COttlu nOJ Sco
them. Often he asked for Grace most
piteously when she was looking at him
| through her tears, and trying hard to
win him to her with her voice. On these
occasions he always called her Mary.
One unlucky day that Grace and Julia
were his only attendants he bScame very
restless and wild said he had committed
n great crime. and the scatfold was be-
! ing prepared for him. "IIarkw said he:
don't YOU hear the workmen? Curse
| their hammers; their eternal p-tappne
goes through my brain. The scaif0l'!!
What would the old nan say? \ CIR.
ford hung! Never I'll save him and
myself from that"
Then he sprang out of bed and made
rush at the window. 1t was open. UNI
luckily, and he had actually got his
knee through when Grace darted to him
and seized him, screaming to Julia to
help her. Julia did her best, especially
in the way of screaming. Grace's mus
Gle and resolution impeded the attempt,
knees upon the windowsill. But the
delay was everything. In came pro-
fessional nurse. She flung her arms
round Walters waist and just hung
back with all her weight. AS she was
heavy, though not cOrpulent, his more
active strength became quite valueless;
weight and position defeated him hope
lessly; and at last he sank exhausted III
to the nurses arms, and she and Grace
carried him to bed like child.
Of course, when it was all over, half
! dozen people came to the rescue. The
woman told what had happened, the
doctor administered asOothing draught,
the patient became very quiet, then per-
10
the cheerful doctor declared that he
would be all the better for what he call
ed this little outbreak. But Grace sat
there quivering for hours, and Colonel
Clifford installed two new nurses that
very evening. They were pensioners of
hiS-sOldierS who had been invaded
from wounds. but had long recovered,
and were neither of them much above
forty. They had some experience. and
proved admirable nurses-quiet, silent,
vigilant as sentinels.
That burst of deliriUm was the eli
max. Walter began to get better after
that. But u long period of GONZALES
cence was before him; and the doctor
warned them that cOnvalescence has its
very serious dangers, that they must be
very careful, and, above all, not irritate
nor even excite him.
All this time tOrments of another
kind had been 0verpowered but never
suppressed in poor Grace's mind; and
these now became greater rs Walters
danger grew less and less.
What would be the end of all this?
Here she was installed, to her amaze
ment, in Clifford Hall, as Walters wife,
and treated all of a sudden, with mark
ed affection and respect by Colonel Cliff
ford, who had hitherto seemed to abhOr
Ianx. D..A sx.s.. oil ll,,n fl,n
| whole house of cards must come tumb-
ling down some day.
Some days before the event last de-
scribed. Hope had said to her.
My child, this is no place for you
and me-"
mo more it is, papa said Grace. Il
know that too we'll"
Then why did you let them bring us
here?"
Papa" said Grace, a forgotall about
that"
Forgot It'll"
ut seems incredible, does it not? But
what l saw and felt thrust what had
only heard out of my mind. Oh. papa!
you were insensible, poor dear; but if
you had only seen Walter Clifford when
he saved us! | took him for some giant
miner. He seemed ever so much big
shall love him to my dying day, wheth-
er or not he has-But when he sprang
to my side, and took me with his bare
bleeding arms to his heart, that painted
so, thought his heart would burst; and
mine too, could feel another woman
between us. All that might be true,
but il was unreal. That he loved me,
and had saved me, that was real. And
when we sat together in the carriage,
your poor bleeding head upon my
bosom, and his hand grasping mine,
and his sweet eyes beaming with love
and Joy, what could | realize except my
fathers danger and my husband nigh
| ty lover | was all present anxiety and
present bliss. His sin and my alarms
seemed hundreds of miles off; and
doubtful. And even since | have been
here, see how greater and nearer things
have overpowered me. Your deadly
weakness-you, who were strong, poor
dear-oh, let me kiss you, dear darling
till you had saved your child; Walters
terrible danger. Oh, my dear father,
spare me. How can poor weak wo-
man think of such different woes, and
realize and suffer them all at once?
Spare me, dear father, spare me! Let
me see you stronger; let me see him safe;
and then let us think of that other cruel
tlillSs NhdV NO OuSuo w Day w
Colonel Clifford, and what we ought to
do, and where we are to CO."
"My poor child" said Hope, family,
with tears in his eyes, 81 say no more.
Take your own time"
Grace did not abuse this respite. So
soon as the doctor declared Walter out
of immediate danger, and indeed safe.
if cautiously treated she returned of
her own accord to the miserable subject
that had been thrust aside.
After some discussion, they both
agreed that they must now cOnfide their
grief to Colonel Clifford, and must quit
his home, and make him master of the
situation, and sole depository of the ter
rible secret for time.
Hope wished to make the revelation,
and spare his daughter that pain. She
assented readily and thankfully.
This was a wOman's first impulse-tO
put a4nan forward.
But by-and-by she had one of her fits
of hard thinking, and saw that such
revelation ought not to be made by one
straightforward man to another, but
with all woman's soothing ways. Re