Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-03-11

anu nllne we COulu hnOIu tnoueSS
home.
We would begin plainly and live
cheaply. She would still ply her brush
and | would dig away down in Wall
street, but we should be together. We
had our love as splendid capital.
That was invested tor us, and with that
we could not be poor.
These We're days and nights full OF
happiness. Helen seemed TO need no
sleep. She was often by my side ut
that dread hour of three in the morning,
wiping the dews from my brow and
helping to account for the strange
noises. We came to the conclusion
that the periodic dropping of the crow
bar was some midnight assassin OF
sleep repairing the elevated railroad
The little tinkling bell, we thought,
might be some cat entangled in net.
work of resounding metal, the descend
ant of Ben the Cat, whoever he might
be-. Helen was the only person who
had attended me- through my illness,
who ever tried to explain, and to help
me out of my intellectual mazes. The
others ignored them.
1t was the power of love, that one
blessed inspiration, which never tires,
never grows antagonistic, never sneers
and never trGats MS trivial the slightest
wish or theory of the beloved object.
Helen was always fresh. She seemed
to have just stepped from her firing
women, like Helen of Troy. never
saw in her the disorder of early morn
ing or night; the fatigue and heat OF
the sick room never reached her. Tho
freshest colors, the freshest flowers, the
sweet, careful arrangement of her hair,
the perfume of neatness-all this and
more-fol!owcd my beloved and mado
her priceless. And then began to call
her my wife. To be sure, it was pre-
mature. But she forgave it. Perhaps
the sweetest word known to the ear OF
man or woman carried with it its own
apology. She should be my wife!
And prcpostcrous as it was, she for
gave me.
She was not by my side when l need
ed her most, when the two men were
rubbing me with salt flannel cloths and
the doctor was pouring brandy down
my throat. Oh, how / needed her in
that painful struggle, when, as they
said, 1.-the fever turned" How need,
ed her in those hours of mortal weak
ness which succeeded. l could not asl,
for her. l could not speak. / could
only think and pray for her, and look
ut the door to see II she were coming
in. 1t was the third day, / think, after
this that the doctor told me that Arthur
had the fever, upstairs; that had worn
out two trained hospital nurses, and
that had been so delirious rs to need
the attendance of two men.
"These pictures, said the doctor,
smiling, "have come in for good deal
of brain trouble" and he pointed to the
Ccnci, still covered.
He stepped to the frame and took
down the cover. How poor and pale
a copy it seemed, how utterly insigniii'
can't
But" said l, "doctor, all this is
very well; but what has become of
Helen, my Helen Fromcnt, my wifep"
The doctor laughed.
"My dear boy" said he, "she was
only part of the fever. One of your
insane dreams. That excellent Miss
Hunt she is elderly and plain enough
for all professional purposes, but she
had to ring the bell and summon Simon,
you made love to her so fervently. She
knew, however, that you were as mad
as n halter, and she will never sue you
for breach of promise of marriage. She
is down with the fever herself, poor
girl"
/ would not believe it; / did not be-
lievc it, and don't believe it. would
Art ,.r nd Sly i,,,s
were not conspiracy of my enemies.
When we two met again we were two
ghosts of long standing. The same inn
perfect plumbing which had made me
i'll had reached my generous friend, and
together we had made night hideous for
the respectable mansion in West Blank
street.
But Arthur had not lost wife as ]
had done, and he got well quicker.
could not help asking him if there was
not some foundation for my theory OF
Helen. Had not somebody entered the
house by the balcony that dreamy, star
ry nightp
Yes" said Arthur, "that was true.
My sisters govcrness did come home
late, after u railway detention, and did
get in over the balcony, and was scared
at finding YOU in the room. She wa;
off the next morning however, bright
and early, and YOU would not call her
Helen If you saw her now, / am sure. "
/ did see her later; and l agreed with
Arthur that she was not my Helen, al
least.
But the memory was too strong to be
shaken off. Where had gone that real,
that beautiful person who had made me
so happyp Where was that rare intel
ligcnce, that cool hand, that fresh. wig
orous, untiring young girl? Ii l had
created that Eve | was a demi-god.
could not surrender the powerful inn
preston to disbelieve in her. 1t seemed
like an infidelity to real woman.
What if, unknown to all the world,
some dear creature, inspired by divinest
pity, had deceived the nurses and the
doctor, hal entered and cared for me,
had loved me and had accepted my love
in returnp was pledged to this being.
She was mine. She should be my wife.
i should meet her again. shall meet
her again; am convinced Of it.
My doctor sent for DIR. Hammond to
come and talk to me about the brain.
He told me of one of his patients, who
always saw Sir Walter Raleigh il he
tied bis nccktic too tight, and so on.
doctor, said /, "will you kindly
tic my nccktie in such manner that l
can see Helen again."
"Afraid to do it, sir!' said tho great
brain man. "Helen was born of Sc
we're typhoid delirium, and picture.
Your nursc-the curtain even took her
shape. She was the aesthetic untouched
side of your brain, the relief from the
tortured side; that in you which loved
music and painting and poetry, called
itself Helen, No! am afraid you have
lost your wife,
doctor" said l, "do these spirits
or visions paint in water colorsp'
And / drew from little drawer in
my table, where l had seen her place
It, Hclen's copy of the Rubens.
That's pretty study" said tho
doctor, looking up at the original.
.'Done by one of 'Arthur's sisters,