The Penn's Grove record., 1885-06-20
SMOTHER. motherir moaned the

ed his cool hand upon her forehead.
She looked up with a troubled yet fixed
gaze.
"Who are you2" she said.
~ am a doctor, my child, come to
make you well, " answered Avrell gen
tly.
ITO make me wellI'' she echoed with
the deliberate utterance of a wandering
mind. Cant you make mother happy
tooP"
lie saw the figure sitting so quietly
at the foot of the bed shiyer and drop.
but his voice was as steady as ever.
''She will be happy my child when
you are we'll"
"Wlll she? Are you sure?" said the
child wistfully. Mother isn't happy
i know she isn't"
His heart bled for the woman whom
he loved still with a deathless love. lie
saw her rise and glide ont of the room
-he knew she must have broken down
If she had stayed-and Mary the nurse
came in to take her place.
Outside Gwend0len stopped and
wrung her hands in mute MISERY. 4
step was heard on the stairs-a. servant
came W. Gwendolen was calm, erect,
herself again to all outward seeming.
"Mr. Craufurd's compliments, my
lady, and he would like to see you for a
few moments"
81 will come.
She entered the dining ROOM. A tall
fair, MISUNDERSTANDING man, who
was lOunging In IN easy-chair, glanced
up as she came in, but did not rise.
"Who told you to send for Avrell?"
he said, in an imperiOus tone.
She flushed a little and answered
81 sent for him because he is the first
physician in London; aid Daisy is in
danger"
doctor Partridge will do for her. "
"He will not; he is not clever, and
have no faith in his treatment"
"Theren be a confoundedly heavy
bill to payl" SAID Craufurd, getting up
impatiently. 81 know what these
fashionable fellows are-run you up a
hundred or two in no time"
LAS you will not be required to spare
so large a sum froA your debts of
HONOR returned GwendOlen coldly,
you may safely leave the choice of a
physician to me-"
81 tell you | won't leave him in the
housed" exclaimed Claude Craufurd
savagely, stamping his foot. "D'y0u
think l do not know why you had him,
and why he comes2"
She stood absolutely rigid for a mo-
ment or two, her hands pressed heavi,
ly on the back of a chair, her eyes fash
ing. Such taunts were not new to her
but this had an additional sting.
81 can answer your words" she said
~ sent for Doctor Avrell because |
wish my child to recover. | nurse her
myself because l wish her to recover.
Don't talk heroics, Gwen" he said
avoiding her eyes. What is the mean.
ing of all this nonsense? You're not
to nurse her. / won't have you sitting
up and losing all your good looks"
81 shall do precisely as l think fit.
have you anything more to say2" Then
moving away-"Daisy will want me-"
"Go and" He stopped short and
bit his lip, looking after the tall grace
full form of his wife as she went out of
the room. 81 say, Gwen,' as she paus-
ed, ''you haven't a cheque about you?
I'm awfully short of cash."
She came back an expression Of con-
tempt passing ove her beautiful fea-
lures. Unlocking a desk on a side-table
she took out a cheque, which she filled
out and laid on the table, then locked
the desk again, and left the room with
out saying a word,
my punishment, my punishment.
was her inward cry: what bitter
humillationl oh heaven, it is terribly
bitter. Was my sin 80 great that it
must beatOned for by such suffering?''
y
Sand | must be in her presence and
speak to her daily--a stranger, an ac-
quaintance, her physician-must see
her suffering, and may not speak one
word to tighten the load, / had thought
this buried, past for ever: my love is
deathless; and she is the same Gwen
dolen-the same girl who whispered
she would never forsake me. Sixteen
long weary years, and l cannot tear
this love from mel"
And now she was an unloved wife, a
miserable woman, with all her glorious
beauty undimned, still, as ever, aqueen
of society, sought ou5, fattered by the
world, but not the loved queen of her
own home, her husband being a rOue
and gambler.
Day and night she watched her child
taking little rest and little food. and
that only when Doctor Avrell, with
gentle imperiousness, babe her take it.
"You will be i'll" he said; and Daisy
wants you"
That was enough.
Society missed her presence at ball
and garden party in those days of sus-
pense. Hell husband told her impa-
tiently and angrily that she would lose
her place in the world of fashion, and
tainted her anew with the novel at
traction she had found at home. But
his taunts fell on unheedIng ears; she
seemed indeed scarcely to hear them,
and had not the remotest thought of at
tending to them. Her every thought
was for her child.
All this time Claude Craufurd never
encountered the man he had so bitterly
wronged. Craufurd shrank instinc-
lively from meeting the physician, and
kept away as much as possible.
There came a day at last when Doc
tor Avrell said
"Your daughter has passed the crisis
Lady Gwendolen: she is out of danger
Her constitution Is good; | think she
will rally"
Then he turned away he could not
meet unmoved the look on her face,
the gratitude that spoke IN her eyes.
sit is not my doing; it IS Heavens
will, " he said briefly, almost abruptly;
and she shrank back.
So the day came when Daisy was
strong enough to be moved from one
room to another, and then to 20 out OF
doors; and then she was almost herself
again, the bright child spirit of the
house, who could bring a smile to her
mothers lips.
AT last came the day that Lady
Gwendolen dreaded, when Philip Avrell
SAID there was no further need for his
services. But Daisy must go away fer
a change of air to s0me warm seaside
place, for she wa delicate, and would
require the greatest possible care for
some years to come.
"GOOd-b ye. bsaid Philip AVrell quick.