The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-02-24


"But Martha knows better than
do how to deal with these attack 5,
/ can do you no good"
"Oh, you never want to stay with
ME minute, aud suffer so terri.
bly," she complained, aud straight
way the "attack" came Gu; 4 sort
OF nervous spasm, partly hysterica
aud partly disordered action o
the heart.
IN about haIf an hour she had
fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion
and taking his hat Mr.. Hall hurried
out.
"Pll have q horse saddled and III
ride to the devil" be sald, desper
ately; then added: "No, won't
Curse the horses! Curse every in
fernal thing that her money has
bought and my freedom has paid
tor! III walk, walk, walk to the
ends of the earth and there launch
myself of into space and - Oh,
Lord" for 1t selvunt stood before
him, saying respectfully:
"The mistress is awake and bade
me to find you.p
"Tell her | have gone down town
and you could not overtake me- he
said, starting oft a rapid pace aud
leaving the griuning darkey to car.
ry the message back and listen 10
the complaints it called forth"
There was the paik not far away.
The trees were gaunt aud leafess,
the walks brown and bare but the
warm spring sunshine was delight
I fully tempting, and so he "walked,
walked,n until, thoroughly weary,
he took seat on a rustic bench aud
went on thinking.
"If she would only let me attend
to any kind of business, or specu-
late, or drive out alone, or go to the
club, or anything, without that
eternal whining and complaining !"
Gradually his thoughts went back
10 the time when he was a poor
clerk, and Fanny Howard was at.
tending the drawing school at Coop
er Institute. GLOW transparent
and unaffected was her love for
him, poor girl, how"
His thoughts were interrupted
by the appearance of the same ser
want who had Intercepted him as he
left the house.
"The mistress is dead," said the
man gravely, 81 was bade to bring
you home as soon as possible"
"Dead y His heart gave a great
bound and seemed to lie still, as
though it would suifocatQ him.
How he reached home he never
knew, or hew the next few crowded
confused days went by /; but again
he escapnd from the house alone,
and wandered in the park, and
again his thoughts took him out OF
himself and away from his present
life.
"He would sell everything that
ever had been hers and bury the
money beside her grave in Green
wood, and then be would go out in
to the world-free-and earn the
roof that sheltered the bread that
nourished him, aud perhaps -" as
if to continue his train of thought,
Fanny Howard appeared in sight.
She had been to give "a drawing
lesson over the west side of town,
aud was going home across the
park. She looked startled when he
spoke to her, but smiled such
glad, happy smile that he forgot all
else on earth, aud remembered only
thai she was with him.
"You are weary" be said, watch
ing her face pale slowly after its
first flush of delight. viii you rest
little whilep
"Without "a word of demur she
nestled beside him in sheltered
nook, her very eyes brimming over
with the restful content OF her soul.
He meant to talk only of the
most commonplace subjects, aud
the first words he heard himself
saying we're:
Sand have you loved me, darling,
all this weary while =
GAN this weary while,D she an
sgered, dreawily, Gas flowers love
sunshine, OF as bees love flowers"
"And you will wait for mep
"Forever aud forever, if need
be-"
He saw her red lips thrilling
with their sensitive sweetness; F.; he
remembered from the old time their
clinging warmth he bad huDgered
and thirsted through all his bond
age for their comforting touch ; he
would have a million kisses by and
by, when the days of decorous
waiting (not mOurning) we're over /;
but be wanted one now, just one,
whose memory should 60 with him
when be could not see her face he
bent his head with quick, delicious
daring and bis lips touched some
thug cold aud hard. The shock
awake him.
He was sitting in the park, with
his face pressed close against the
cast-iron arm of the settee upon
which he was restiug-and those
h0t-house grapes we're not ordered
yet.
he stood up. The yaWn that
parted bis lips was the stifded howl
Of a hungry heart.
The two clinched hands that be