The Penn's Grove record., 1885-08-15

has always been a nasty self-willed
thing"
Pull and push as you like, sweet Eve.
Ign, it will not shut, for a cunning
stratagem has come into my head.
There was a cord hanging down from
the window above, and l have thrown
it over the handle, and the end l hold
IN my hand, while a wicked smile
adorns my face.
81 think l must leave it." SAYS Eve
Ign, p%rettily painting. MY heart SINKS
All my subtle planning in vainl And
my hands are smarting horribly with
that vile cord.
"But the night air will kill the flow
ers," says Miss F~ortescue, with a
SILVER; sit is gradually ~shrlveling me
up"
Heaven bless herl May she never
shrivell
$50 1t will, =" says Evelyn, "but you
are so cold, dear. Go in and | will try
II more, for l hate giving things up,
and then 1 will come"
| almost chuckle.
Evelyn pulls with all her might. /
pull with nearly all mine until l hear
the drawing OOH door close behind
Miss Fotescue. Suddenly she finds the
door yield to her endeavors and shuts
with a bang.
Then she sees a man among the dark
plants. With a little surprised scream
she moves toward the other door. For
getful of the fright it must cause her
and everything else but my great love
and my fear of losing her, 1 spring out
and seize her hand.
AS she catches sight of my passionate,
flushed face / see distinctly in her eve
that she still believes me under the in
fuence of wine. She grows white with
terror, trembles and would fall, but
that | catch her in my arms.
Dumb with horror, L carry her life
less form into the little room and lay
her in a chair. She is as white as death.
Mad 1 was before. now | am rabid.
Her pulse does not beat.
l have killed her, l tell myself, as L
chafe her hands. Then 1 pace wildly
to and fro across the room. Why did |
not rush from the house, regardless Of
everything and everybody, rather than
sit down with thirteen2
l dare not summon help. | will go
out by the garden way and put an end
to my wretched existence in the river.
But l must take leave of my lady
first. l kneel by her side and take her
cold hand in mine. | press my lips to
it. Joyl she moves; a faint color comes
into her cheeks. Ny late suicidal inten-
tions are all forgotten. / watch breath
lessly for more signs Of hope. Then it
dawns on me that she has only tainted.
| have never seen any n faint before.
My spirits rise to height proportionate
to the depths where they brooded be-
for.
She opens her eyes and meets mine
full Of love and joy.
'Mr. TrevoT2" she says in a faint
voice of wonder, not remembering any
thing; then L know, as surely as though
it were passing in my own mind, that
utes is coming back to her, and she
shrinks away from me.
But the touch of her hand, as | hold it
in mine, sends a thrill through me, and
gives me new strength.
She trembles and seems afraid of me,
and l do not wonder, if my face express
ses all l feel.
"No, Evelyn" 1 say, answering her
thought, forgetting how strange her
name must sound from my lips, 81 have
not taken too much wine"
"It was only for n moment" she
says, shyly blushing, and now she no
longer attempts to withdraw her hand.
Evelyn" l say again, passionately,
still kneeling by her side and looking
up into her deep blue eyes-"Evelyn,
do you love MacPhoole7"
She smiles, she looks at the floor, the
walls, anything, and at last at me
Place u DANES" she says kindly" [
| want to ask you a question. What
has been the matter with you to night?"
81 was mad, l say, feeling poor and
shamefaced under her clear gaze, ''mad
with jealousy and love, because, Eve
Ign, no man ever loved before as l love
you She does not frown; she does
not draw away her hand. "And l was
30 mad that l lost all control over my
brain, and my head grew full of wild
fancies. They told me that when there
are thirteen at dinner the first to get up
dies within a year, and l brooded and
OlODNiCd Oh tliAo VIA l. OCiAtNCd ~ q ny
sacred privilege to give my life for yours
by insisting on being the first to RISE"
She gently lays her hand on mine,
which tightly clasps her other. This
sweet action so bewilders me that l
hardly know how to get through the
next words. "And it was not till | had
actually got up that | saw what a fool
was"
"Poor-Jack," she murmers softly.
"And you don't love MacPhooleP"I
ask, hardly knowing what to say.
perhaps there is something in it"
she says, shyly, with the prettiest
hesitation in the world, quite disregard
ing my question, tiff" here she only
whispers, quite close to my ear, ''if ever
| should become-Eyelyn Trevor, Eve
Ign Bellairs would-be dead, wouldn't
she?"
L cannot speak. 1 rise and kiss her
on the lips.