Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-01-22

task must be to undo, or to use every,
human means atoE aver, the dire conss-
quences of.mY, muraereus deed. 4
II left ths, room saw tn innkeepsr9 and o 4
hisVwife, &af gavs such unlimited rinstruc- al
fstions fr every care mfmtpr ocurabls, i
. that the cool peoples eyes. brightens1. No
doubt it Seemed to them that prosperous
Z days were d a~ning on ST. Seurfn. Iordered al
a nesssnger to be SEMI at5once to Torrent, !
torequeststhe attendance Of the best sur
geon the place b2aste1,. saould have tsle-i
iafeared, to- waste precious tnfs. Then I,set-,
tiled down to nurse my late foe as ons nurses
"a brother, I need not give in detail the !
account Of Grants progress toward recog- &
ery.- Ineednot describe the hopes and fears, n,
which shook me as each day, he seemed :
little better Or little worse The AN 4uish
Ifeltwheu fsvsrset in-an1 he was for anil
while delirious, and, as l believed, on the !
point of death-was punishment am fam
to think al M commensurate 9 ! to my az
serts WATCHED BY him day AMI nightI
Such slee5s AZ r took was snatched in "a, bed,
laid a. tie foot of hiszc All the world for
/ me seemed to p res tsiss5 i4lts si;ss IS room
Even Viola was for the tina almost driven-
from my thoughts. Until Grant grew well, 4
y i could think ef nc, one but him.
Everything he took was from my hands.
+, 1t seemed to met be part of my atonement
that should wait upon him, like q slave. i,
. Had Returned from me in disgustThad he
by word or gesture shown that the constant
. presence of the man who had done his bsst J
to kill him was indispensable, I thinkTI
| must have gone mad. a. ,3..-
Pr But he suffered me to nurse him; nav,
3smore, seemsd grateful for my aid Perhaps
ii, was my. devotion and solicltude for thss.
sufferer which averted the suspicion which
= might we'll have faffen upoh M. 1 believe
/ the local surgeon guessed something Of the
| facts of the ease. but he was a dis crest man
and sail nothing; The people at the. inn
were too much delig ate1 with ths windfall
4 = to be curious as to how it was brought to
i { their feetaro Asod ! sA--iSi-1s iIu12 ~
!. As the local surgeon had predicted, the
case was long AMI tedious affair. -Four
dreary weeks passed. before /, for one
could hopes that danger was at an end.
Then, to my inieseribables joy Eustace
| Grant began to men1 rapidly, so rapidly
I That the little surgeon swelled with pride,
ID and plrinied himself un5n the successful
is iue brou hit about by his treaament.gE r, =
By his own request, Grant was moved to,
his own house. the farm on the hill
I Ia In shamefaced way 1 begged that 1
! ( might be allowed to accompany him, and
, continue my duties of sick nurse In reply
| he held out his wasted left hand, graspei
r. my own, and SO settled the matter. 80
/ i Scarcely a word had yet passed between
\ JUS concerning the vengeful act of mine
which had SO nearly proved fatal to the
man toward whom I now feel as a brot aer.
!O1cs OF twice i stamn,ered out some PRAYER
| for forgiveness He had always checked
me by an action, as one would make who
has forgiven, or who has nothing to for
/ "a giyeng AS all talk likely to agitate him had
! BEEN forbidden, 4 was obliged to let my ex-
pressions of contrition lie in allegiance 1t
: was also part OF the punishment which I
/ n mete1u out to- myself. that du ing those
yrwesks Viola's. name never crossed my lips
L. Grant, great, gaunt wreck OF his former
! self, was carried up to Boulay's farm.
4 5i1tT The journey did him no harm The
| q chaugs 6rom the sheltered village to the
high, breezy table land was most beae-
fc:al one N fortnights time he could,
by leaning on my arm, creep about, and
| every day brou ght him new strength.
as When he grew tired of wa king, I had
couch wheeled out in front of the house,
On this, under an awning made out. of an
old sail, he lay for hours, drinking in the
fras1 sea breeze One day he turned to me-
Julian he said-he often used my
| Christian name now-'I feel so much
stronger and better that must go to work
again. Will y GU be my amenuenssa' 4l
His right arm was still disabled. think
| .
the tears were in my eyes as thanke1 him
| for the suggestion. II s-lsg .-.f-
He cave ma look full of sympathy and
forgiveness. Then, at his Request, sought
| for and found bundle of m lnuscript and
writing materials. Still living on the couch,
with his eyes half closed, he d ctated to me
page after page of work which has since
appeared, and brought him more fame and
! fortuna. = l. e.. 5+} f-4--s
Except for the re-awakened desire, the
craving, which grew stronger AMI stronger
every hour-to hear tidings of Viola, those
| hours spent with Grant at that lonely farm
house on the edge Of the sea would have
been very happy ones to me. Leaving out
of the question the feeling of thankfulness'
that my murderous designs had failed, the
very charm of the mans society was such
that I coull have fingered for months at
his side. I knew that Eustace Graft was
making, not only wiser, but better man
| of me. etl Ll.+ st..-E- .....
But Viola must hear Of her! There
| is limit to self-restraint; and Grant wa;
now strong enough to talk on all and every
subject. Sooner or later, felt sure that
| he would enter upon my own troubles; that
| from him I should learn why my wife left
me, where could meet with her, how I
could best bring her to me again. Is it any
wonder that longed for the moment when
| he might speak? v sg- -.--.
1t came at last. One night-a night so
sGn and calm that even the proverbially
turbulent waves Of the Bay OF Biscay were
all but at rest, Grant and were sitting out
| in the moonlight. He was in thoughtful,
silent mood, and for while ! respected the
y sanctity of his meditation. Then, moved
by sudden impulse began once more to
express my deep contrition and remorse for
my rash act, mi joy at what 1 now hoped
was my new friends all but complete re-
covery. G4l -. II
He checked me quickly. s-s.a s.tt
DO you know what thought flashed
| through me, even as I felt the suing of the
bullets You may believe had no wish to
die; but l said to myself, were l in that
mans place-ignorant as he is of the truth
i should have done as ne is doing, or even
worse. If it gives you any satisfaction to
hear me say that I forgive you, I say it.
Now, let us never again mention the sub
jectI' ...
He held out his hand I grasped it in
deep gratitude, and once more there was
silence between us .I .a- ---s tA4
My thoughts flew to my missing love-.
| Oh! if she were but beside me-beside us!
for jealousy of G. ant had left me. If we
were but gazing together on that bright
| moon. If my arm was but around her, a I'd
my lips whispering the words of love into
| herear! If her fingers, with the sot. caress-
Z, ing touch which 1 so wei. remembered, were Il
| resting on mine! If .--t g.. ...r
7 could bear it no longer. I turned to
| Grant, and cried in a voice Of anguish:
s'Tell me all Tell me where she isl Give
| me Viola again. ....... IT, .-s.i ~
He turned at my cry. The moonlight was
full on his pale face His eyes-his features
--evinced deep sv mpathy and compassion
! A fearful thought ran througb me-. f
| "She is not dead'" gasped out.
| ''No; she is not deal"
''Then where is shea For msrcys sake
tell mel Ssel have been patlent-I have
not even asked yot! But the time has
| GOMEZ must knowi"
| % I saw him knit his brows, not angrily,
but as one in deep thought Ny lips were
trembling; my emotion so great that l
| could not repeat tie question.
! Breathlessly waited for Grant to speak.
! At last in grave voice, he broke silence:
you believe the words 1 spoke when
when thou ht was dying?'
''Corld be with you now if did not be-