Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-08-10

tion and mental strain they woro force
to dcsist.
With tottering stops, Gordon wallo
TO the window and looked out upon
cloudlcss night-a soundlcss ono saw
the low melancholy swash of tn
waves,
The calm was followed by storm,
day; It found tho mon still Watching be
sido tho FUR sleeper, and attempting {,
fnce the awful result OF the test HOY
tho hours passed, Gordon scarccl,
knew. Aftcrwnrd, he remembered hnv
ing been left alone with the dead whil
the brother went to procure refresh
ments, and that kneeling he poured
forth incohorent words. Then, rs II il
n somnambulistic state, he assisted IL
transporting the light burden (hcavl
enough to their trembling limbsD dowi
long flights of stairs into damp
gloomy vault filed with rubbish and the
accumulated dust of years
In niche rested the black coffin, ant
In its moldering depths they placed the
fuir form of tho young girl untimcly
talsen from the glad earth.
After this Gordon had no distinct re.
mombrance. Upon the stairs, there
was faint vision of u crouchiug form
like the cat of Betty, with eyes of fire
also OF two conscicnce-strickcn men
sitting out the remainder of the second
night. And sometimes they talked,
recriminating or commenting upon the
terrible consequences OF the act that
had blotted out u lovely life, and
branded them with Cain-likc signct.
Then came the pink dawn creeping
through the black curtains of night,
and Doctor Gordon remembered creep
ing with paralyzed limbs out of the
fearful place, and fleeing with frantic
haste from the accursed habitation by
the sea. Days of Oblivion and of an
guish followed, then came reason and Il
full consciousness of all that had hap
pened.
"Well, my good fellow, no more jun
keting off to the seaside for health and
rest, if you are to get head full of
cranks and veins filed with the fire of
fever, laughed the old medical partner
of Gordon.
"What have | done? What havo
saidP" foebly questioned the sick man.
"Why, man, one would think you
had committed the impardonable sin by
the way you look. But keep quiet, if
you have u grain of common sense left.
AS TO what you have done, | presume
moonlight ramblcs and damp boat rides
gave you the fever, and as to what you
said, it was II lot of rubbish about audi
tory nerves, capitalistic state, antehyp-
motto medicines, and all sorts of disjoint-
ed croakings that nobody could compre-
hend. But you must hurry and get
well. l can't afford to dance attend
ance on you much longer and let our
practice go to the dogs. Beside, you
are wanted at home"
"At home? Where am I?"
"At the rubbishy place called Craig
Hill, and troublesome guest, | imag-
inc, to all save perhaps pretty Miss
Margaretta, who but moment since
brought for you this huge nosegay of
posies."
"In the name of Heaven, tell me If
she has been resuscitated? Is she not
dead?" he gasped.
"There you go again! But we have
had more than enough of that sort OF
trash. The fever made you as mad as a
March hare, and l don't intend to put
up with it any longer
With the words the good, brusgue
old physician walked out of the room,
and few minutes later the cool, soft
hand of Margaretta was resting upon
the throbbing brow of the stricken
man.
Tell me all about it?" he pleaded,
seizing the white fingers. "Were you
not the victim of your brothers test
and"
Nothing of the kind" she smiled.
ave sat up late talking of his chemical
experiments, and when we retired you
appeared weary and i'll. In the morn
ing my brother found you cropping about
in the dark cellar vaults. He brought
you back very ill. You were con-
stantly talking of some great wrong
done, some fearful, cruel test of which
I was the victim"
"Thank God, it was simply delusionr'
Then he related all of his wild and
terrible imaginings which had seemed
so real, and was comforted and talked
out of them, as only n tender and low
ing nurse could have done it.
The only test to which Margaretta
fell victim (and IL willing one) was
that OF love as offered by Doctor Cor
don when he again was well and strong
thanks to her kind ministrations.-
Helen Lnqueer, IN 50. Louis Magazine.