The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-04

Mrs Zant was alone, in an imperfectly lit
| room. II hope you will excuse the bad light"
she said 'my head has been burning as if the
fever had come back again. Oh, don't 60 away!
After what have suffered, you don't know how
dreadful it is to be alone" The tone of her voice
told him that she had been crying. He at once
| tried the best means of setting the poor lady at
ease by telling her of the conclusion at which he
had arrived, after reading her manuscript The
happy result showed itself instantly; her face
frightened, her manner changed; she was eager
| to hear more.
Have l produced any other impression on
your she asked
He understood the alusion. Expressing sim
cere respect for her own convictions, he told her
honestly that he was not prepared to say more.
Grateful for the tone in which lie had answered
her, she wisely and delicately changed the sub
ject
L must speak to you of my brotherin- law"
she said HE has told me of your visit, and1
am anxious to know what you think of him. Do
you like Mr.. John Zantl"
| Mr.. Ray burn hesitated.
The careworn look appeared again in her face.
| IF you had felt as kindly toward him as he
feels toward you," she said II might have gone
to ST. AIMS with lighter heart"
| Mr.. Ray burn thought of the supernatural APP
pearances described at the close of her narrative.
| You believe in that terrible warning" he
demonstrated, land yet you go to your brother
| in-laws house'
II believe" she answered, Sin the spirit of the
man who loved in the day of his earthly
bondage am under his protection. What
| have l to do but to cast away my fears, and to
wait in faith and hopel 1t might have helped
my resolution if friend had been near to
| encourage me-" She paused and smiled sadly.
Il must remember" she resumed, that your
| way of understanding my position is not my
way. | ought to have told you that Mr.. John
Zant feels needless anxiety about my health.
de declares that he will not lose sight of me I'M
til his mind is at ease. 1t is useless to attempt
| to alter his opinion. He says my nerves are
| shattered-and who that doubt it?
| he tells me that my only chance of getting bet
| ter is to try change of air and perfect repose-
how can / contradict him9 He reminds me that
l have no relation but himself, and no house
open to me but his own-and God knows he is
| right!'
| She said those last words in accents of melan-
choly resignation, which grleved the good man
| whose one merciful purpose was to serve and
console her. He spoke impulsively, with the
| freedom of an old friend
Il want to know more of you and Mr.. John
| Zant, than know now" he said my motive
| is better one than mere curiosity. Do you be-
| lieve that l feel sincere interest in youg"
with my whole heart"
That reply encouraged him to proceed with
what he had to say. when you recovered from
your fainting~ft," he began, 'Mr. John Zant
asked questions. of courses"
HE asked what could possibly have happened
in such quiet place as Kensington Gardens, to
make me faint"
"And how did you answers"
"Answers | couldn't even look at him!
You said nothing?"
Nothing l don't know what he thought of
me; he might have been surprised, or he might
| have been offended"
| us he easily offendedp Mr. Rayburn asked
mot in my experience of him."
! do you mean your experience of him before
| your illness2'
Yes Since my recovery his engagements
| with patients have kept him away from London.
| have not seen him since he took these lodgings
| for me. But he is always considerate He has
| written more than once TO beg that | will not
| think him neglectful, and to tell me (what l
| knew already through my poor husbandl that he
has no money of his own, and must live by his
! profession"
I'm your husbands lifetime were the two
| brothers on good termsP
| Always The one complaint ever heard my
| husband make of John -Zant that he
| didn't come TO see US often enough, after
marriage. Is there some wickedness in him
| which we have never suspected? 1t may be-but
| how can it be2 have every reason to be CRATE
| full to the man against whom have been super
naturally warned His conduct to me has been
| always perfect can't tell you what owe to
| his influence in quietng my mind when the
dreadful doubt arose about my husbands death"
DO you mean doubt if he died natural
| deathi"
"Oh. no! mo- He. was dying of rapid consump-
| tion-but his sudden death took the doctors by
surprise One of them thought that he might
! have taken an overdose of his sleeping drops by
mistake. The other overruled him, there
might have been an inquest in the honse. Oh,
| don't speak of it any more. Let US talk of some
| thing else. Tell me when shall see you again2"
II hardly know. When do you and your
| brother-n law leave Londong"
ITO morrow" She looked at Mr. Rayburn
with piteous entreaty in her eyes; she said
| timidly: "Do you ever go to the seaside. and
take your dear little girl with youl"
| The request, at which she had only dared to
hint. touched on the idea which was at that mo-
ment in Mr.. Rayburns mind.
| Interpreted by his strong prejudice against
John Zant, what she had said of her brother-in-
law filed him with forebodings of peril to her
self; all the more powerful in their influence
| for this reason-that he shrank from distinctly
realizing them. IL another person had been
present at the interview, and had said TO him
afterwards THAT mans reluctance to
visit his sister-in-law, while her husband
was living, is associated with secret
sense of guilt which her innocence cannot even
| imagine: he, and he alone. knows the cause of
| her husbands sudden death; his feigned anxiety
| about her health is adopted as the safest means
of enticing her into his house"-if those for,nid-
able conclusions had been urged on Mr.. Ray
| burn, he would have felt it his duty to reject
| them. unjustifable aspersions on an absent
| man. And yet, when he took leave that even
ming of Mrs. Zant, he had pledged himself to
! give Lucy holiday at the seaside; and he had
said, without blushing. that the child really de-
served it, a reward for general good conduct
! and attention to her lessons
| TX.
Three days later, the father and daughter
arrived towards evening at st. AIMS on-Sea.
| They found Mrs. Zant waiting at the station.
| The poor womans joy seeing them. ex-
pressed itself like the joy of child "Oh am
so glad so glad." was all she could say when
| they met. Lucy was half-smothered with
kisses. and made supremacy happy by u
present of the finest doll she had ever possessed.
| Mrs Zant accompanied her friends to the rooms
which had been secured at the hotel. She was
| able to speak confdentially to Mr. Ray burn
while Lucy was in the balcony hugging her DOLL
| and looking at the sea.
The one event that had happened during Mrs
| Zant's short residence at ST. AIMS was the de-
! parture of her brother-in-law that morning for
| London He had been called away for a few
hours by business; his housekeeper expected