Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-20

her face, which was unusual to Its Ordinary
sharp expressiveness Westhayen leaned
on the back of her chair. I sat near Mrs.
Westhaven and looked at her.
She was dressed in some sort OF dead
white gown which chung softly 70 her
lovely figure and was relieved by heavy
gold clasps. The moon fell upon her, in
tensify1ng her loveliness, though fancied
! she looked rather more delicate than usual.
Her eyes, beautiful, dark, ignorant pathet-
| ic as the eyes of Italian children were liked
dreamily upon the scene before her-her
| hands, long, white, idle-looking bands lay
upon her dress. | almost held my breath
in the presence of her beauty, and felt
paDg OF regret when | reflected upon the
| void it covered.
i. The band PLAYED softly somewhere IN the
| distance. No one spoke. Then woman's
voice rose on the air, low, passionate
voice that sang, with a great sob IN Its
| depths, some minor native melody. The
/ peace of the night was broken only by this
| wailing song. Il rose 10 throbbipg inten-
| sity and sank again almost to silence. 1t
| thrilled my very soul, and when it ceased,
| suddenly as il had begun, 1t left me tremb.
| ling. Miss Carlyon shivered visibly, and
| WeSthaven bent instantly over her, tax
| ing both her hands in his own and then
! drawing her shawl closely about her. The
silence seemed to hold fatal significance.
1t grew intolerable. ! leaned forward and
I spoke to Mrs. Westhaven. said:
What beautiful voice and what
beautiful song She smiled quietly, and
! thought she had not heard me. l re-
peated my remark somewhat stitiy, and
she replied, still smiling:
a. did not notice it."
Westhaven drew himself up sharply, and
Miss Carlyon's chair, upon which he had
leaned, rolled forward with disagreeahle
soueaking sound She laughed her little
cutting laugh
The charm is broken, she said, q let US
go in"
I babe them goodnight, feeling uncom-
Portable Westhaven gave me his hand.
and we stood there moment looking at
each other, and l felt great sympathy for
him, for | realized his unhappiness.
Little by little my prejudice against Miss
CARBON was allayed, | use the word ad-
visedIy, for think il never was quite
lulled TO rest. She was wonderfully like
Westhaven. 1t was absolutely the same
nature, differently clothed. And, to do her
Justice her views were as wide, her thoughts
were as liberal, as far-reaching as q mans,
and she had passionate energy Of feeling
and purpose which occasionally rose up
and struggled in her feeble little body and
left her shaking. | could scarcely express
her feelings for Westhaven. II it was love,
it was love of most unfeminine nature.
Calm and without caprice, unexacting, and,
in q certain sense, deferential, she showed
with him neither the Impotence nor the
hooking spirit which ruled her mood with
others, and accepted his utter devotion TO
her gently and gracefully. 1t was a great
pity he had not married her, reflected.
Miss Carlyon was certainly improving.
She told me quietly one day that the Lon
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 con inued, in her
little, sharp way. No one knows but
myself, and l will tell you. l am the
Nervous Exhaustionist of the society novel
who has drained life and intends to die
after an improved method Of her own
But you are not succeeding" | re-
piled, with some warmth, for there was
something terrible 20 me in the way the
young girl calmly spoke of dying. You
are not succeeding in the least. You will
find that your method will outwit you and
work q result of which you have never
dreamed
She turned very pale and looked at me
(
spoke again il was nelvously, eXcitediy
and of quite different topic. She seemed
relieved, TOO, when Westhaven came into
the room, and left US Immediately.
l have some books from the East in
box there on the table; you must look
them over" he began, and then we drifted
into the semi-scientitie chatter can give
it no more dignifed title-in which we so
often INDUCED. We laughed a good deal
over the erratic, insane theories which the
late advances in electricity had sent, like so
MANY electric shocks over the world, and
Westhayen drew me out at some length
on the subject of electrical magnetism, as
applied to individuals.
He looked about for his cigar case and
went out of the room to ind out. After
waiting a 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 a pile of
papers. and this one | opened. Beneath
laver of paper / found several coils Of insu-
lated wire and portions of magnetic-eleo-
trio battery. Westhayen entered the room
and called to him;
am in the wrong box
He uttered hoarse cry and sprang to-
ward me, suddenly checking himself and
! endeavoring' to master what appeared TO
3
/ emotion was too apparent fer either Of us
/ to completely ignore it, and l felt COM
PEELED to turn away and pretend to be en-
/ crossed in the contents Of the other box
/ until he could recover himself. Selecting
a magazine went away Immediately. con-
/ siderably amazed at my stupid mistake.
vet more puzzled at the agitation i had
/ caused him. So simple a discovery as
/ that of finding in the possession of a man
/ who openly aYowed his interest IN eiectri-
/ cal studies an instrument constantly in
! vogue among electricians was not in itself
I sufficient utterly to confuse the possessor.
/ But then Westhaven was a queer fellow.
/ He possibly did not wish me to know that
| he experimental or perhaps ne was in
venting something. And I cast the whole
affair of my mind with laugh.
The next day neither Mrs. Westhaven
! nor Miss Carlyon were at breakfast. Miss
| Carlyon was not well, Westhaven said, and
I to this I attributed his moody silence and
/ strange, excited manner. He did not ap-
/ pear through the day, and contrary to my
custom, went to his rooms in the after
( noon to inquire for the invalid I found
! the door open, and was entering the parlor
/ when g voice from the inner room fell upon
my ear. Westhayen was speaking harshly
and rapidly:
Come It is timel Come I say ~
4 woman's voice, Mrs. Westhaven's I
fancied, moaned and protested family.
/ Another imperative command from West
/ haven, followed by curse, then the sound
} Of some heavy body dragged little way
( across the room, door shut sharply, and
/ all was still l turned and hurried from
( the room, conscious that ! had already
STAYED too long, thankful that my presence
had not been suspected by the inmates.
went directly to my own room to read, and
tried to dismiss the circumstance from my
( thoughts. Westhayens harsh voice and
the pitifui moan which answered il had
impressed me strongly. / was most IN
willing to believe him capable Of physical
cruelty to his wife yet how otherwise 10
explain satisfactorily the sounds I had
heard
I dressed slowly and went down stairs; it
was nearly dinner time. Miss Carlyon was
S;tt;ur ~, fba varanda She i0okad brighter