The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-15

throbbpg with a soualid fear
''Oh, she is not hurt much" said Grace. smil-
ing bitter smile, lit is only--thatw She
touched bottle on the floor with her foot My
tongue could not move, l stared vacantly at
Grace. at the faded elegance of the room, at the
sunbeams qnivering along the floor and over the
prone figure in its cloud of loose, black hair.
1--WE uust get her TO bed. anyhow" Grace
began and stopped-Miss Sally had opened the
door.
She flashed one glance at us. turning a deep
red; without word she walked to Mrs. Ravenel.
The unhappy creatures eyehds futtered, her
eyes opened, she murmured "Oh, Sally, take me
back to bed-dOn't tell Raoulw
An expression of pathetic tenderness swept
over Miss Sallys face She took the trembling
white shape into her firm arms, soothing her as
one soOthes child There there" she whisp-
pered. don't take on, Ro; I'm here!"
We bel ped as best We could. The instant we
lifted Mrs. Ravenel we discovered that she had
sprained her ankle; however, somehow got
her into bed
There is nothing else. ladies'" Miss Sally said
then. Il can do the rest. You have all been
right kind. Thank you"
We accepted the tacit dismissal, Going out
through the adjoining room l nearly fell over a
great armchair and Tempe lying in the Ian
guage of Milton, 'at random, carelessly off
fused" (e, pecially as to feetl, and slumbering
noiSiy.
She was on guard, suppose" said Grace,
land fell asleep and Mrs. Ravenel got up to
This was said when we were safely behind our
own door
perhaps it was an overdose of incidence I
said, my liking for Mrs. Ravenel making feeble
stand.
Did you see Miss Sallv's faceW said Grace.
NO, Freddy, it was no medicine. was wrong.
She isn't crazy. but all the same her husband
does well to watch her.
While she was speaking some one knocked. 1t
was Madame Asbury dismal and irksome
eppa nd her hay lpa mn her ka
she had come in Miss Sally place. She sat her
self in the one rocking chair. and rocked while
she talked. Ladies' said she, Il don't need to
ask you all not to speak about what you've seen.
| know born and raised ladies when | see them.
But Sally thinks it's only right that you should
know. Maybe you all have thought IT strange
the way were always following Ro round
Well you've seen why. Its an awful thing to own,
but lts Gods truth that We can't trust her out
of our sight. she has craving for liqUor
We don't let her have money for horse car tickets
even. She hasn't a mite of control. Ii the mt
WAS on her she'd buy it at the saloons. She has
brioed the negroes to get 1t tor her with her dla
mond rings; she'll give them her clothes--any-
thing That's why Doctor fetched her here to
be near Sally and /. It's wonderful how she
clings to Sally and Sally to her. They never.
either of them, had sister, and they have been
raised together and 1t was always, L want Eto.'
easy without the other And Ro
Il beautiful girl then, ladies', proud,
and high strung, and light-hearted as a bird
Fra!d of nothing-ah mel remember the time
she and Sally famed the roam colt trying to break
it. That was the solitary time Cousin Gordon
tried to discipline lto He found out something
and RO took al the blame, pretended she'd done
II all by her lone self-never a word about Sally
He took her dolls away for week. Well. fyou
please, Sally hears about it through Tempe. and
off she runs to Cousin Gordon, and takes all the
blame for herself and brings her dolls to be
taken away instead of RUs. Cousin Gordon
couldn't help laughing. We'll, chicken, says
he, Il don't know which of you to believe, |
reckon ought to lock All the dolls up but don't
take on, We given Ro back hers. He was just
bound up i'll Ro The only child, you understand
He never crossed her; neither did her mother
Sometimes think there is excuse for Ro. Her
father died. and her mother was a poor, weak
pining invalid that the doctors wouldn't leave
stay well when the Lord let her alone Ro
raised on stimulants. Her ma was ptrpetuany
imagining she had this, or that, or tother thing
the matter with her. and then it was Where's
the paregoricr or the drops or the soothing
syrup, and by-and by twas where's the wineF
or Give us the eggnOgg. or Make hot punch
for Miss RO'-always flying to some stimulant.
Maybe ought to have noticed things more, but
10 was so sweet and pretty, and so fond of Sally
couldn't. Then she met up with the Doctor
and they were married And he has been "a good
husband to her. Oh. he has ladies' If
man kept his marriage VOWS he has. He was
South Carolina man. from Charleston, and he
had large practice bnt he threw 1t all up and
came here to the plantation thinking he could
watch her better. All. we'll it did no
good. Fora while after her marriage Ro was
all right. then, after little Raoul came. she got.
IN weak. plnng way, and took spirits TO help
her, and the habit was firm fixed on her before
anybody suspected anything Maybe at first she
cond have stopped, but now Doctor says it is a
disease. She went on from bad to worse. Why
Miss Adams, she was dead drunk-yes, ma'am,
that's the only word for it-when she took little
IL, kh A.
was drowned. Yet the Doctor never gave her a
reproachful word But she has reproached her
self, and viii till she dies Yes. maam. She was
like a mad woman for while. She stopped
taking the stuff for most year, tiA little Sally
came"
Does the child know" Grace asked.
"Oh, 10, maam; never let her come into
the room when her mas been taking it, And
she's careful too. poor thing, and tries to hide
it from the little one You all mustn't thinK
neither. that She hasnt tried to quit it,
indeed she has. Such scenes! Whole days
she'd do nothing but take on. just crying and
screaming and tearing her hair--and the
house going to rack and ruin till Doctor'd beg
Sally to come and straighten out things. Then
maybe for a month or two she would not
touch drop-wouldn't want it--no matter
all at once the craving would her
and there would be the same scenes over
again She had place somewhere to hide it
in. l EXPECT she brbed the niggers to get IL for
her with clothes. They will do anything for
fnery. And can tell you that for all she feels
so bad about it she never lets on about her hid
ing place When she came here Sally tried
new way. "YOu tell me-" she SAYS, when you
must have it, and Iii get it for you. myself or
Doctor will, only promise to stay in bed, and be
quiet till it's over Ro promised, but l expert
she cant keep her word" ] be gan to recall my
occasional glass of claret at dinner with guilty
twinge.
1T makes me want to Danish liquor from the
world, said l. though don't suppose l really
meant TO give up claret.
Il don't know answered Mrs. Asbury, ''liQ-
nor is like ire-a good servant, but hard mas
ter. The faults letting it be master. 70 my
mind, It's cowardly thing putting all the blame
on the dumb drink, instead of the living, re-
sponslbie human being. with will and o
science, that takes 1t. The troubles back of the
LIQUOR. The Asburys have always been head
strong race, controlling everything and every
longing for excitement in the blood Ro's like
all her kin-she can't control herself! That's