The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-11-13


over-tired
That is it, she replied. Il have
been over-tired all day; [ think my
head aches; | have had "A strange sensa-
tlOn of dizziness in 1t. | am tired,-Oh.
Lance. | am so tired
Il shall not leave you again. = said
Lance to her, and | fancied he was not
quite pleased with me. and thought |
had neglected her. We all three went
home together. Mrs. Fleming did not
say much. but she kept up better than
| thought she could have done. | heard
her that same evening express a wish
TO be driven to Vale Royal on the day
following; young girl whom she had
been instrumental IN saving from ruin,
had been taken suddenly i'll and wanted
to see her.
My darling" Lance said, ''you do
Z not seem to me strong enough. Let me
persuade you to rest tomorrow
Il should like to see Rose Winter
again befOre-befOre I" then she
stopped abruptly, and her face grew
crimson.
Before you-what, Frances?" asked
her husband, with a smile.
Il mean" she said. that | should
like to see Rose before she grows
worse
Il think you ought TO rest. but YOU
shall do as You like, Frances; you al
ways do. | Will drive you over
myself
l saw them start on the following
morning. and then | tried to think over
in solitude what it would be best to do
Her story certainly altered facts very
considerably. She was not murder
ess, as had believed her TO be. If the
death of the little hapless child was at
tTlbutable toan overdose of the cordial,
she had certainly not given ii purpose
ly. Could | judge her?
ct, an honest, loyal man like Lance
ought not to be SO cruelty deceived. /
felt sure myself that if She spoke to
him-if she told him her story with the
same pathos with which she had told it
to me, he would forgive her-he must
forgive her. | could not reconcile it
with my conscience to keep silence. |
could not, and | believed that the truth
might be told with safety So. after
long thinking and deliberatiOn, [ came
to the conclusion that Lance must
know, and that she must tell him her
self
1t was in the middle of a bright sun
shiny afternoon when they returned.
When Lance brought his wife into the
drawlng-room he seemed very anxious
over her.
Frances does not seem well, = he said
to me. Ring the bell John, and
order some hot tea; she is as cold &C
death"
Her eyes met mine, asd in them l
read the question w hat are you going
to do?' Twas struck by her dreadful
PalleT-
rs your head bad again to-day"
asked
Piled
The hot tea came. and il seemed to
revive her; but after few minutes the
dreadful shlYerlng came over her again.
She stood up.
Lance, She said, Il will go to my
room, and you must lead me. my head
aches SO that | am blind"
She left her pretty drawing-rOom
never to re-enter it. The next day at
noon Lance came to me with a sad
face
John. my wife is very i'll. and have
just heard bad news"
What is it, Lance?' l asked
by, that the girl she went yester-
day to see, Rose Winter is i'll with the
most malignant type of small pox.
looked at him in horror.
DO you think ,gasped, that the
that Mrs. Fleming has caught it,"
Il am quite sure" he replied. II
have just sent for the doctor. and have
teleCraphed to the hospital for two
nurses. And my old friend. " he added.
Il am afraid it is going to be a bad
case"
II WAS q Ddu case. never IeIJ MIN
while the suspense lasted; but it was
soon over. She suffered intensely, for
the disease was of the most virulent
type. 1t was soon over. Lance came
to me one afternoon and read the YER
dict in his face.
She will die he said, hoarsely.
They cannot save her" and the day
after that he came to me again with
wistful eyes
john he said, slowly, my wife
Frances is dying, and she wants to see
you. Win you see hery''
Most certainly" l replied.
She smiled when she saw me, and
beckoned me to her. All, poor soul,
her Judgment had indeed been taken
from me. She whispered to me:
Promise me that you will never tell
him. | am dying! he need never know
now. VIII you promise me?'
| promised, and she died. | have
kept my word-I.ance Fleming knows
nothing of what / have told you.
Only Heaven knows how far she
SInned or was sinned against. l never
see the sunset. or hear the waves come
rolling in, without thinking of the trag-
edy on the pier.
TIE END.