Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-12-25


don physicians had given her but few
months to live. "They tried everything,
even electricity she said, laughing.
"They do not in the least know what is
the matter with me-, she continued, in
her little, sharp way. ''No one does but
myself, and / viii tell you. am the
Nervous Exhaustionist of the society
novel who has drained life and intends
to die after an improved method of her
ownn
"But you are not succeeding" re-
| piled, with some warmth, for there was
something terrible to me in the way this
young girl calmly spoke of dying. "You
are not succeeding in the least. You
will find that your method will outwit
you and work result of which you hay Q
never dreamed"
She turned very pale and looked ut Ine
in frightened sort of way. When she
spoke again it was nervously, excitedly
and of quite different topi She
seemed relieved, too, when Wetshayen
came into the room, and left us immedi
ately.
~ have some books from the east in a
boz there on the table; you must look
them over" he began, and then he drifted
into the semi-scentilc chatter-I can
! give it no more dignined title--in which
we so often INDUCED. We laughed a
good deal over tho cratic, insane theories
which the late advances in electricity had
! sent, like SO many electric shocks, over
the world, and Westhaven drew me out
at some length on the subject Of cleo
trical magnetism as applied to individuals,
He looked about for his cigar case and
went out of the room to find it. After wait
| ing few minutes for his return walked
over to the table to have a glance at the
new books There were two boxes upon
it, one nearly concealed by pile Of
| papers, end this one l opened. Beneath
a layer of paper found several coils of
insulated wire and portions Of magnetic
electric battery. Westhayen entered the
room and called to him:
| II am in the wrong boz"
He uttered hoarse Try and sprang
toward me, suddenly checking himself
and endeavOring to master what ap-
pearcd to me an upaccountable agita-
ton. His emotion was too apparent for
either of us to completely ignore it and
| felt compelled to turn away and pre-
tend to be engrossed in the contents of
|
self. Selecting magazine, l went awas
Immediately, considerably amazed ut my
stupid mistake, yet more puzzled ovEr
the agitation it had caused him. So sim
pie discovery as that of finding in the
possession of @ man who openly ayowed
his interest in electrical studies an instru-
ment constantly in vogue among electri
clans was not in itself sufficient utterly to
confuse the possessor. But then West
haven was a queer fellow. He possibly
did not wish me to know that he expert
mented or perhaps he was inventing
something. And | cast the whole affair
off my mind with laugh.
The next day neither Mrs. Westhaven
nor Miss Carlyon was at breakfast.
Miss Carlyon was not well, Westhaven
said, and to this i attributed his moody
silence and strange. excited manner. He
did not appear through the day, and, con
trary to my custom, went to his rooms
in the afternoon TO inquire for the in
valid. found the door open and was
entering the parlor when voice from
the inner room fell upon my ear. West
haven was speaking harshly and rapidly;
''Comel 1t is timel Comet I sayl'
A woman's voice, Mrs. Westhaven's
fancied, rnoaned and protested family.
Another imperative command from West
haven, followed by u curse, then the
sound of some heavy body dragged lit
tie way across the room, door shut
sharply and all was still. / turned and
hurried from the room, conscious that
had already stayed too long, thankful
that my presence had not been suspected
by the inmates. I went directly to my
own room to read, and tried to dismiss
the circumstance from my thoughts
Westhaven's harsh voice and the pitifu
moan which answered it had impressed
me strongly. / was most unwilling tt
believe him capable of physical cruelty t
his wife, yet how otherwise to explain
satisfactorily the sounds had hea-dP
dressed slowly and went down stairs
1t was nearly dinner time. Miss Carlyor
was sitting on the veranda. She looked
brighter and prettier than / had evel
seen her. Her improvement was daily
noticeable, and tonight her cheek!
flushed with delicate and becoming color
She was quite Unembarrassed and glad t,
talk with me. She said she slept all tn,
afternoon and her indisposition of tn,
morning was amply the result of sleep
less night Shs had not been presen
then, concluded grimly, at the wifi,
beating. Presently Mrs Westhavel
came out and Joined us. She seemed
pale and exhausted. For the first tim
noticed mGnked resemblance between
the sisters.
"You find the heat oppressive, do yo,
not2' l asked her, and her reply be
trayed eli agitation and an earnestness o
which had believed her manner in
capable.
"Oh, yesn" she said, laying her ham
On her heart as if she suffered there
eyes, indeed,, it burns met burns IN
terribly"
She seemed TO be desperately III
/ saw little of Westhayen for days afte
this. 1t Is possible that my manner t
him may not have been cordial ! coul
not help certain restraint, and / an
sure that for awhile he avoided me. Thi
In time wore away, and we resumed on
| former pleasant relations, there bein
nothing to excite even further curiosit
in his domestic affairs.
: Mrs. Westhaven steadily dropped, los
} ing flesh and color, which Miss Carlyo
: as steadily gained. The winter wa
nearly over. Westhaven and had dis
cussed the change in his wife, but
came so gradually that he seemed not t
notice 1t as did. One night he came
= INV door