Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-24

t. You win leave niu at T."
"And is that 20 BE- ally Am not to see
him again ali day.
81 shall be here in inc evening, and if
find there has been no mischief done-if
Sir Allan is quite calm and comfortable. |
may-wcll, | will be very indulgent and
let you see him again for ten minutes"
~ will he very obedcnt," said Lady Oar
mel, opening the door as she spoke.
She went softly into the roOm-the spa.
cious, Old-fashioned belchamber which
looked larger in the semi darkness of half
drawn window curtains and lowered
blinds. 1t WAS a noble room, furnished
with the artistic cabnet-Work or the
Jacobian era-o,d walnut wood ward.
robes and secretaries, old cherry wood
chairs with cXquisitcly carved backs The
only modern piece of furniture was the
low, broad brass bedstead without a yes
tigc of drapery. Tho wide, deep hearth,
with its old blue and white tiles and basket
CRATE and high mantclpicCc, was study
for painter of still-llfe. The window
curtains were Of old brocadc, red and
tawuy. The room had a look of somber
oldworld luxury, very pleasant to the
eye.
The nurse rose and slipped very quietly
away to the adjoining dressing-ruOm as
Lady Darnel approached the bed. Sir Al
Ian was lying with the freight shining on
his face. on, what changed Countenance
-shrunken, pallid, as with the lines of
death. For the first time Clare under
stood how near he had been to death. It
was almost as if she were looking upon a
face she had never seen before. The eyes
those dear eyes that used to gaze upon
her with such Overlooked at her now
p,t,, 4; for
shocked. Mortified by the extent of the
change, 50 much greater than she had cN-
pected, Clare Darnel sunk into Il chair by
the bedside, waiting hoping for some lit
tie word Of greeting from those pale lips;
but no such word came. Her husband
lifted his eyes to her face and looked at
her graycly, mOurnfully. His wasted,
half-transparcnt hand lay on the sillen
coverlet She bent and kissed it, but he
drew it away the next moment with
quick, nervous gesture, as if the touch Of
her lips offended him.
She set a watch upon herself, remember
ing the doctors injunctions.
MY beloved She murmurcd softly, lit
is such a happiness to me to see you once
again-to be allowed to sit by your bedside
for little while"
There We're tears in her voice The y ock
of his altered appearancc-his strange
mauner-wcre alike a-itatnc to her. and
she had to be So careful lest her agitation
should communicate itself to him. She
waited with her heart beating vehemeuUy
waited for some word of loving welcome
In vain.
you are much better, Allan, Mr.. Dan.
vers tells me. You will soon be among us
again"
:: -.
How weak and faint his voice sounded;
how strangely cold his tone
"Ihe mousse Is so dreary without you,
she sad trenulously trying to command
herself not Tor an instant forgetting the
doctor warning. l nave not Dteu down
stairs slnce-that awful night
do you think it was necessary to carry
on the comedy so iongE' he said, with a
scathlhS sheer But forgot; You are such
skilltul actress that the deception would
cost you no elIort GU, VINO nave de-
celVed me 50 long, would ma no diulcuIty
III hoouN !hAlhS the OUTSIDE word
Allah. she exclaimed, DreathItSSly
was inns utHiluIh; MS WORDS were
measured ueilnera'e, cool as the speech OF
judge VINO calmly discusses the details Of
crime anu Wrohg-dolhS. she cpuIl not he
lieNe thdt ms ,llllu was WahueiihE' ne
doctor h"u 'oIu her tnat FEVER deIlrlum
were past Inc patent extreme weak
ness was now the only peru, ana that
weakness made any emotion dangerous. II
some uark cInud OF suspicion had "p'cured
her husband mlhu, II love hal been
changed INTO IoaIhlhS she dared not queS-
tion MN she dared not strive 60 set her-
sell rlght. She must wait ana suffer III pa
tence'
silently prayerlully, CIare Darnel sat
by her husbands sick-bed and listened to
the ticking of the clock. to he falling of
the wood ashes from the old basket crate.
She could pray for her beloved; yes. that
was all she could do in this hour of sever
ance-seyerance, albeit she was sitting by
his side She could pray and put her trust
in God. She could not believe that any
estrangement between herself and her
husband could last Life had been made
very bitter to her in the days of her first
D,orriaCa lor,r ,,ari,J e ,,nir aud >,