The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-11

finally and entirely from Sydoni-. He opened the drawing room door gently and looked in the fire was low in the grate, and for the moment he was unable to distinguish his wife; then he saw her leaning back in her arm chair, her felt hat on her lap, her head thrown back, and her eyes closed. Something in her attitude was unfamiliar to him, and he said gently in startled voice:
 "Bea,ricel
 She woke suddenly with sound be- tween sob and scream, and then sat upright without speaking.
 "Beatrice, dear, have startled you ?"
 She rose to her feet and answered him
 "Oh, no, no. Is it you, Leonard have you come back? Are you better for your trip?"
 Was it only the surprise that made her voice so unfamiliar to her husband?
 Beatrice, was it wrong?" he asked as he took her hand in his. It burned his fingers as 1t lay there passively.
 Nothing, Leonard, nothing. You would like some tea, would you notT'
 As she spoke she moved toward the bell, but before she reached it she swayed and fell to the ground. Leonard was not in time to catch her, but he knelt in an agony of terror beside the prostrate and motionless figure. How the servants and the doctor came he never knew, but he suddenly was aware that the room was brilliantly lighted, and that busy hands were bringing Beatrice back to life.
 "A touch of low fever, caught in some of her visits to the cottages" was the doctors verdict next morning. Mrs. Dazell is so young and strong that the matter is not likely to be a serious one."
 But as the days went on his tone al- tered :; he had never seen so little power of rallying io any young patient; there seemed to have been some terrible shock to the nervous system-could MT. DalzGll give him any information
 With sinking heart MT. Dl'zell made his inquiries of the servants, who were however, not able to give him any intel ligence, further than the fact that ever since his departure Mrs. Dalzell had com plained of terrible neuralgia-had eaten little or nothing, and had spent whole hours of the night pacing up and down the room-"to quiet the pain, sir, as she said :" the respectable middle-aged house. maid had added with tears in her eyes {; "although it stood to reason that she couldn't get better as long as she didn't eat or sleep, and kept taking those long walks, for she would go out every day, and, judging by her boots, must have walked miles"
 Leonard's conscience left him no peace. He sought anxiously for some token of that which he dreaded to discover. He questioned the servants as to his wife's visitors and the letters she had received the doctors inquiry justified him in making the closest inqusition--but he was unsuccessful in his work, although he gave up to it every moment he could spare from the sick.room. He was a most tender, watcbful nurse, and Dr. Giles was almost justified in his remark to his wife that Leonard was the best husband he had ever seen, and that he only hoped Mrs. Dalzell had appreciated him. For Beatrice showed but little con- sciousness of his presence, sometimes smiling faintly when he spoke to her, but generally lying in a stupor, watching the leahess vine br inches which beat against her window-pane.
 | She was most obedient patient, never complaining, and always ready to carry out the wishes of those about her--only she would not speak. It seemed as if speech was an effort beyond her powers.
 Beaty dear," asked her husband one day as he sat by her side, "has anything happened to alarm or grieve you while was away ?"
 She only shook her head, nor could his searching inquiries win from her any word or any sign but that.
 At last he could bear no longer his own agony of doubt. He decided to dis cover the truth. Kneeling by her side, where he could see her colorless face and closed eyes, he asked her (so cruel may man become under the conscious ness of his own misdeeds):
 Beatrice, you seem very lonely and dull with no one but me. Would you like some one to sit with you? Shall ask Sydonie Marvel to comer'
 His dry lips would hardly form the name, but its utterance did not affect tha. impassive face for moment.
 Beatrice gently shook her head, and then said, after pause
 should like to have Alison" Leonard was deeply thankful for the calmness which exercised his haunting dread, and felt, too, with little throb of selfjustifcation, that the only wish his wife had expressed was one in relation to her sister, not to himself
 Alison came, and Beatrice was con- tented; but her content did not show itself in words, only the smile came little oftener to her lips. She spoke once
 Love me always, Ally dear-even afterward.
 And this was the only consciousness she showed of the swiftly approaching end, which those around her expected day by day.
 Once. indeed, Alison heard her mur- mur, "It is better so-i. is better so :" but when she bent closer over her sister, Beatrice opened her eyes, and looking at her, said distinctly, "Always be good to Leonard, Alison, for he has been very kind to me-" as if she feared that the murmured words might have done him