Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-04

be laid his hand on her head, and the
girl looked up squarely ia his face.
Something In his eyes seemed to encour-
ace her, for she took the sturdy old fin
gers and held them q moment between
her own.
NY mother Is very i'll, = she said. in q
quick, suppressed voice 'sYou heard
what the doctor said-that she must
have some change or she viii die"
And she shall have it, my dear; but,
dear me, it's stupid for woman 70 work
herself up like that just because she
doesn't like her house"
why couldn't you have moved to
please my mothesG"
Hey, heyl why couldn't she have
been contented 70 please me, If she had
married me for myself, as she said she
did9''
The girl hung her pretty head, and
the old fellow patted it again.
where is your loversn he asked,
bluntly, sand why does he never come
to see your
''My-my mother,n she began, hest
tatingly, docs not wish him to-see
the way-we live. They are such aris-
tocratic people" she sighed, APOLOGIZE
cally.
s.Swells. ehl' snorted the old man,
and then they were silent for while, he
with his head crooked on one side watch
ing her out Of the corners of his screwed
up eyes; she with her own dewy eyes
lifted, as If in appeal, and her firm
little white hands folded on her lap.
s'Do you love hiIns" he asked, abrupt
".
The flush in her cheeks answered as
promptly as her lips yes"
Love HIM for himself more than for
the money he can give you-eh2"
HE has very little money, she an
swered, quietly, but no one could help
loving him. But / should be thinking
of no one now but my mother-don't
you think her very i'll, sirf"
YES" he assented, with small show
of affectionate alarm; 'sshe's worked
herself up to a pretty bad state"
"And when may we start, Mr.. Shaw"
Mr.. John Shaw laid his hand on her
head with another clumsy, but honest
show of affection.
saint / your old daddy, nv dearG
Why don't you call things by their right
names9 I'll be a good daddy to you.
just you see, and, perhaps, when you
come back there'll be fine young fellow
waiting here for wedding-you'd bet
ter"
''Well, daddy" she laughed, with
little hesitation, may we start at oncef"
Tomorrow. if you like, my dear;
and bark We, leaning over her with
con fidential lowering of voice. st amt
half the bad man this town takes me to
be-" After which he squeezed her
hand, and, for once, voluntarily left the
room.
The next morning Mrs. Shaw and
daughter left for Aiken; but even that
failed to benefit her condition. AT the
end of six weeks she and her husband
seemed actually TO hate each other. Let
tiers flew like poisoned arrows between
them. In vain the girl tried to make
peace-the wordy war was fascination
not to be resisted on either side. They
intended it should be war to the death
and so it proved. What was keen
enjoyment to him heated and envenomed
her languid blood, and motioned it with
such dangerous leaps to her heart that,
at the end Of the visit that was to have
restored her to health, her daughter
brought her home again to die.
Brought her to home so modern
for Cairo-so stylish and so beautiful,
that the thin, white face flushed pink
against its pillow as they lifted her from
the carriage and carried her to her room.
She was dying, yes, but she had con
quered at last.
1--WE shall be having the wedding
soon, /" whispered the old man, delight
eddy, as he sat with his daughter beside
his unconscious wife's bed. .sAll we
want now is the
She turned upon him with reproach-
full eyes.
.sYou must not talk like that, !" she
said, simply. can think. of no one now
but my mother"
And when it was all over, the old
man came to her as she sat in the twi.
light Of that first dreary day of her loss.
and, laying his broad hand on her
shoulder. said, quite gently. for hmm
Don't fret, my dear. / used to fret
once. but, Lord. it don't payl''
..My poor motherv she sobbed. the
arms on the back Of her chair and her
face buried in them. ITO think OF her
lying out there, alone
mot alone, my dear, he interrupted.
soothingly; there's Maria right beside
her n
She sprang up and stood before him
trembling, gasping in her outraged
grief.
Now Emmie. Emmie, . he went on re-
proachfully, don't turn on your old
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