Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-12
SCOURGR-TINIE.
a TEair-Raising Story of the Love of Two
Men for One Beautiful Woman.

room, which was respectfully appoint
ed, while q shade less glittering and
tawdry than similar lodgings in the
Capital. Of the fashions of these
Southern towns he knew as yet but lit
tie. Paris and London and the Ger
man universities had sufficed for one
whose sole purpose in living was to
reach the highest science of his own
profession; and it was but day and an
hour since he had heard a strange voice
calling. the voice which had summoned
him southwark to the shore of that
blue, vast sea by which a CHASTITY plague
was stalking. a day and an hour
and he was standing now in the cham
Der of awful pestilence, perchance in
the presence of the dying.
He brushed the haze from his sight
and tried to find things real. He
seemed strongly conscious Of some few
triaes: the white window-curtain flut-
tering family in the falling breeze, and
the morning sun, which grew hot and
pitiless; the twisted draperies of the
bed; the silence of the stricken outer
world; s his own image in the
mirror opposite. He regarded this last
with vague wonder, What q pale,
dazed countenance was reflected! How
strangely gaunt that shayen face had
grown; how thin the brown hair at the
temples! How hollow were the sockets
Of the eyes! x s He went again
to look at the man on the bed, who
still tossed painfully and moaned for
Water water, waterrn Pinched face
and purplish, shriyeled hands told in
stantlv the awful truth.
Janeway had come prepared. No
longer hesitating, he opened his case
and took out the remedies. He bent
and held the spoon to the lips of the
sufferer; then he stood erect and spoke
one quiet word:
Seymour"
The mans eyes opened; he looked
up half deliriously, and gasped as if
Death itself lowered over him:
"Crist! I0W here?'
sWered calmly:
Eyes, am here"
What have you come for? To kill
me? To take her from me?''
Where is she?" the doctor asked,
pausing between the words, although
no culver was perceptible of voice or
feature.
'She is safe-in Paris-waiting for
me, " the other answered in tone of
misery. waiting for me, and [ dying
mere without her. 0 God! 1t is your
curse upon us, | know-your curse.
Water! Give me drink of water! [
am burning up! Your cursen'
'.Hushn' JaneWay moistened his
lips. You are not the one nor this
The hour to speak of curses. Only one
rhing / demand to know-for the rest
be silent-if you have cherished and
been tender with her? Swear to me
the truth, as you may meet your God
his day."
The sick man cried out his answer
with despairing agony.
i sWear-I swear that [ have always
loved hertz He broke again into bit
ter moaning. The pain! o, my hands
my arms-my feet! The paint
JaneWay seated himself and chafed
the limbs of his patient constantly,
Untiringly, only pausing at intervals to
administer the remedies. There was
IN his face a set resolve,
The sufferer breathed more rapidly;
mis- voice grew huskier.
i don see-I thought that you had
come to-take her back
Take her back" repeated Janeway,
How can one take back anything one
has never had? [ never had her; she
she had once loved me, do you fancy
she would have forgotten it?" A GER
tain lofty pride seemed for the moment
to round his speech. 80, no; she was
never mine!"
He said no more, but continued to
chafe the cramping, limbs of the foe,
whom he had found so strangely in q
strange land.
Seymour grew little quieter; he
spoke in slow, husky whisper.
You are right, she never loved youi
She loved me, and [ her; you cannot
blame me for loving her. even though
you. yourself. did not
L! | not love Amy-not love-my
wife!' His wondering voice sweIled
suddenly with strangepathos, and as
suddenly he paused and seemed to rec
Ollect. mo matter. But swear to
me this also: That YOU viii never cease
to cherish-that you will never forsake
herl"
I swear" the husky whisper came.
Seymour by and by dropped into a
doze.
The afternoon driftod along. The
room was silent and the heat intense.
The window-curtain barely stirred.
Janeway's eyes rested upon it as he
sat there.
By and by came in Sister of Chart
ty.
rs he living still?" she asked.
He viii live, l think, said Jane
way softly.
The sister took his place and he went
out for some refreshment. He did not
go far; he walked slowly, looking about
him with grave and sunken eyes. He
could see Death striding through the
city, masked with the white and glar-