Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-12-25

| she did not rcciprocate, as he was 10
her only 4 patient, nothing but a
suffering human being.
Nothing so trivial as love affair had
| ever entered into her researches.
Tho physical weH.being of the
patient was all that interested her, al
;hcussh she was aware that it was fine
subject, really a very handsome patient.
! lie was wealthy man. In fact, he
haa lost his health in mine where he
mad dug gold, and not being content
with what ne had and could make in a
slower way, he determinedly followed
lead far under ground. hoping to
I make a grand thing out of it, though he
had been warned by older miners to
keep away.
But he went on alone, and one dav
after inhaling more than usual of the
n0N Gus gases, he fell in a faint at the
head of the vein, and had never since
been well.
1t would seem that all the water in
Nanako Springs was not sufficient to
eliminate the poison. There had been
no words of love between him and Miss
Field.
She had been so matter of-fact that
it seemed impossible for him to talk
sentiment any way.
Beside. as he bitterly said TO himself:
ut would never do for 4 man with
one foot i'll the grave to think of matri-
mony.N
One evening he escorted Madeline
home from the inyalid's experience
meeting.
All the way up the long bluffy hills,
the good people of the town have placed
rude benches. that the invalids may
not weary themselves too much with
climbing.
These two were sitting awhile be-
meath the starlit skies upon one of
these rustic seats, when Madeline Field
did most astounding thing. She
made proposal to this black haired,
blonde-bearded man, with the colorless
face. She declared that she knew she
could cure him if she but had him en-
tlrelv under her supervision, so that she
could diet him and starve him to her
hearts content. So she offered TO
marry him. This was merely for the
sake of convenience.
There was no romance in the matter,
a purely practical business transaction.
She wasn't at all in love with him, and
he was not such man. perhaps. as she
should choose for husband, but she
wanted him for subject, she wished to
experiment on him.
She would marry him and cure him.
and then she or he would 90 away and
the other would get a divorce on the
ground of desertiOn.
No one in his home or hers, remote
from this little pioneer town in Arkan-
Sas. would ever know anything of it.
The marriage should be simply
legal contract, and broken when they
were ready to dissolve II.
He entered into the spirit of it. At
the rate he then was going. he reason
ed, he could not live long, anyway, and
he was stagnating there for want of a
sensation OF some kind, all had been so
humdrum and monotonous for him
since he had been obliged to leave the
hustle and war of active life. Beside,
he was very much IN love with this
erratlc little person, and when he died
he would leave her the whole of his
large fortune. which should make her
comfortable for the rest of her life,
whether she married again or not.
Added 10 this, he knew she was not
cognizant of the fortune he was pos
sessed of, and that her interest in him
was born entirely of her disinterested
love for all of the human race, her Won
derful sympathy with suffering and
noble self-abnegation. He admired and
respected her above all women, and
would have done so. had she been old
and ugly; but when large-hearted
young man admres and respects wo-
man who is young. sympathetic, and
good-looking, with thousand little
tricks of manner that are absolutely
charming, it generally happens that the
admiration deepens into affection, and
the respect into the warmest love. So
they were married very quietly. No
one thought it odd in any way or differ
ent from other marriages. Every one
in Eureka Springs was stranger to ev
cry one else; no one knew anything OF
his ncighbor's home-life, or antecedents,
Or cared TO inquire. She took him un-
der her especial charge. and strange
honeymoon it was, with never kiss or
CslItSS, anu DtNti a. "Oiu WI WV hOi
that was part of the business arrange
ment She had said:
''Of course you don't care anything
for me. nor for you, except as the ply
scian cares for his patient. and there
is no use in pretending we do, so there
will be no making believe the love we
have not. and do not care TO have. We
shall treat each other in every way ex-
actly as we have done before, except as
you give up all these poisonous medi-
cines YOU are taking, and leave your
cure in my hands.
| She was very much surprised when
she found the lavish way in which -
spent money. She suggested russian
/ bathroom, and soon he had it con-
siructed. She wished for this or that
appliance to ass st in his care; they
were each forthcoming.
She was in her element. There was
her mother for propriety. and it SEEM
ell as if she were AT home, and here was
this gentleman, pleasant and intelli-
gent, only an ordinary guest and
docile patient
She got ali the books she could find
on gas poisons of al sorts. and entered
enthusiastically upon her life of expert
! nlpDt