St. Landry democrat., 1886-08-21

ike TO take 8 mondays!
what! You mean me to 60 away"
she exclaimed, in a startled, imploring
tone.
''God forbid!' The words dropped
from his lips almost unawares before he
added: ''Just little trip, say to the
country, for your health; although how
we shall get along without you, / do not
know
''Then, if you please, sir, Ihad rather
not CO." was the quiet answer, and SO
no more was said.
In his heart the doctor was pleased
that Mrs. Sphinx had elected not to take
holiday. Somehow he had liked her
to welcome him when he came home,
and once he had said to himself, as he
noted the gray hair so smoothly tucked
away beneath her snowy cap:
81 am as fond of her almost as if she
were my mother
Toward the latter part of that sum-
mer virulent fever broke out among
the poor of the district where the doctor
lived, and hardly an hour could the doc.
tor then call his own. And Mrs. Sphinx's
helpful hands were always busy those
days-oft soothing a fretful little sufferer
where others had failed, until her name
also became beloved of the poor that
learned to know-till one night, when
the doctor came in to snatch hur-
ried mouthful, Jane met him, eiacula-
ting, as best she could between her
sobs:
ooh, master, the mistress is awful
bad, and she's locked in her room, and
she won't let me in, and-ohr' she
added, with a gulp, ''she's been a-talk-
ing to herself like anything, and-oh,
master, if she's been gone and took the
fever.
For moment the doctor did not
speak-a something about his heart
seemed to haye ceased its motion; then
pushing open the sitting room door he
gazed in. With shudder he turned
away. How empty the room seemed
without the little figure that it had
known so long! Putting the weeping
Jane aside, he hurried up stairs. AS he
listened outside his housekeeper's door,
her voice babbling disconnected SEN
fences fell upon his ear; then, with a
white, set expression about his mouth,
he, pressing all his weight against the
door, burst it open.
cred in the doctors eyes as he bent
over the slight figure of his housekeep-
er, who, still babbling wildly, gazed
with an unconscious stare into his face
my God, spare hertz came with
stitied groan from the doctor, as his
lips caressed the little hands that had
always done him such willing service.
y
The autumn was well under way be.
fore Mrs Sphinx was able to sit up, for
the doctor had fought with death and
conquered. 1t was the first day of her
convalescence, and the housekeeper sat
in large easy chair before a cheerful
fire, awaiting the doctors coming. A
wistful look shone in her brown eyes
(the spectacles had been laid aside dur
ing her illness), and there was tremu-
lous culver to her lips, while one or two
tears chung to her dark lashes. She
dashed them hastily aside as a we'll
known step sounded outside. The next
moment the doctor was asking her how
she felt.
.Oh, / am much stronger" she an.
swered with lowered lids. Then, as the
color literally dyed her cheeks crimson,
she exclaimed: "Oh, what must you
think of mea But, indeed-indeed, l
never thought to be found OUT
The doctor was about to speak, but
she stayed him with:
..No, you must hear me. | believed
it was my last chance, and it seemed
such an easy thing to do when | read
the advertisement. I had tried so hard
to get place as governess, but l was
always too young. [ made sure you
would be an elderly gentleman, and
was dreadfully scared when found out
you were not, but saw that you never
suspected, and that you gave me cour-
age, and then you see poor papa having
been an actor, took to making up quite
naturally. 1t was the finding of the
wig and things in his trunk that first
put the idea in my head. And-oh!
doctor! hope you don't feel very dread
full of me. was quite alone here in
this great city. l never could make
any friends, you see, because we were
always travelling about, papa and |, at
ter he took me from school, until he
he died, and then the money was so
soon gone and did want home SO.
But, of course, will go away now. l
don't think can to-day, but tomorrow
will be stronger, and my name is not
Mrs. Sphinx. 1t is Ruth Langley"
Softly drawing away the hands that
shielded Ruth's fearful face, the doctor
said, huskily:
.sAnd what am I to do without my
little ouse-keeper? Do you suppose ]
can bear to lose her when she has
grown to be part of my lifep OF
course" he added, smiling slightly,
s.she can not stay as Mrs. Sphinx, but