News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-01-12
Mrs. OCkdyne's Fright.

When John Ockdyne lay insensibl,
from the apoplectic seizure which termi
mated in his death, his wife acted a,
though she was singularly heartles
and deceitful woman. Taking advant
age OF the temporary absence of the doc
tor, who had pronounced that fata
issue of the sick mans malady, was hu
namely speaking, inevitable, Mrs. Ock
dyne possessed herself of her husbands
keys, and crept steathily down to his
study, whore she unlocked drawer III
his escritoire, and took from it bundle
OF documents, which she carefully con
cealed about her person. She then re-
turned to the sick-room, replaced the
keys with trembling hand beneath the
pillow on which the dying mans head
rested, and resumed the anxious and
watchful position by the bedside which
she had occupied for many hours previ-
ously. But she looked so pale and agi-
tated that the doctor, who made his APP
pearance q minute afterward, accom-
panied by his assistant, glanced keenly
at her, and said, IN peremptory tone:
''You must really obey my directions.
Please go to your room and rest, and
take some refreshment Your husband
may remain in his present state for
hours, and you are already over-wrought
and fatigued. If the slightest symp-
tom Of a change occurs you shall be sent
for instantly
81 would rather remain" said Mrs.
Ockdyne, with decision.
The doctor shrugged his shoulders
irritably, and turned his attention to
the patient, whose lnbored and stento-
riau breathing rendered inaudible the
consultation which ensued
between the medical men. This was in
terrupted by the entrance of William
Ockdyne, the younger brother and part
ner of the invalid, tall, stern, elderly
unsympathetic-loohng individual, with
cold, steel-blue eyes, which, after G
quick glance at the unconscious form
upon the bed, he directed with suspi-
cious scrutiny upon the pale face of his
sister-in-law, as she advanced to greet
him.
"How long has he been like this % he
inquired, abruptly.
''Since midnight" answered Mrs.
Ockdyne.
"Why did not you send for me be-
fore?" he demanded in harsh, unpleas-
ant voice.
81 sent for you as soon as DR.. Thorne
pronounced the case to be hopeless,
said Mrs. Ockdyne, tremulonsly.
Mrs. Ockdyne evidently resented this
cross-eXamination for some weighty rea-
sons, and her handsome features hard
ened while her brother-in-law spoke,
William Ockdyne, whether consciously
or otherwise, evaded her glance, and his
cold, blue eyes ranged round the apart
ment with look of cunning suspicion.
"Come, Mrs. Ockdyne," said the doc
tor, removing his fingers from the sick
mans pulse, 'tnow that your brother-in-
law has arrived, you need have no hest
tatlon about going to your room. We
will remain here, and I will remember
my promise. r"
Either yielding to the doctor per-
suasion or in consequence of the uneasi-
ness and aversion which the presence of
her brother-in-law evidently caused
her, Mrs. Ockdyne no longer persisted
in her objection, but rose from her
chair without word, aud left the room
with an air of suppressed agitation.
Walking quickly along the passage and
down the staircase, she entered small
sitting-room ON the half-landing, and
having closed and locked the door be-
hind her, she fell in an almost fainting
condition upon the nearest sofa.
Very different was now the aspect of
Mrs. Ockdyne from that of the proud,
cold, self-constrained woman of mo-
ment ago. All her energy and spirit
seemed to have decerted her, and she
looked the picture of helpless misery
and apprehension. The hard lines
about her face had disappeared, reveal
ing character of weakness, irresolu-
tion, and even feebleness. Her features
were no longer handsome, but rather
showed the remains of a soft, tender,
girlish kind of beauty, half oblitereted
by life of hardship and unhappiness.
She presented, in fact, a glimpse of her
true self; the Mary Bannerman who
had married John Ockdyne ten years
ago; a woman designed by nature to be
4 gentle, tender, loving wife and mo-
.her, but transformed by harshness and
tyranny into the semblance of q strange
y dissimilar character.
Ten years ago! 1t seemed century!
And yet it was, in fact, less than ten
years since that fatal day when her
rough kindness-for it would
De profane to dignity his selfish affec
ion for her by the name of love-was
;urned into relentless distrust and tyr
any. The visible cause of this trans
she now held in her agitated
land-a bundle of letters written in ink
which was now faded Alas. if they
lad been written with her hearts blood
,he would have suffered less.
There is no occasion to rake up the
letails of her unfortunate Irritation with
Allan Graham. 1t was not generally
to be of serious nature by
hose who knew of it at the time. A
weak, giddy, thoughtless girl, married,
against her will, to a man of twenty
vears her senior; young soldier-love
If former days, culpably reckless of
reputation, but meaning, per-
laps, no harm; fiercely jealous hus-
,and, of disposition crnel and vindIc-
ingredients these, in
,lighted lives and domestic misery; and |
IS Mrs. Ockdyne'G story contains
lothing novel or entertaining, we will |
,ass it over hghtly-as the world did |
or wonder-without imputing blame |
o anyone.
John Ochdyne, however, neither for
rot nor forgave. His brother Will
lam, whether from basely selfish |
motives, or from real suspicion
red of the proneness of some con