The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-02-22

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/. ssFLING HER CIT THERE"
the dcmb anguish of grief to the most, FOX
few families had escaped entire, while the
shrieks from the burning building had al
been hushed when the great walls fell IN.
J! Twas still searching among the crowd for
a trace of Miss Armund, when call from
Mr. Dadley summoned me to him. found
him bending over the still form OF the poor
lold woman, whose white face looked still
and set as If in death. Her clothing was
badly burned, but her injuries must have
been mainly due to her fall on the brick
pavement. T raised her head and famed
) her face, meanwhile rubbing the cold hands
but no sign Of life returning, begged Mr..
}Duaacy to get carriage, if possible. and
: have Ter taken to house. He did so, but
lit was when attempting to help the driver
lift her in that observed his right arm was
helpless, ran to help IN his stead, inqpir'
ing if he was hurt.
5 ssIt is my arm he said, steadily, though
he was deadly pale. ~ fear it is broken
z could have helt down at his feet in the
cold street and begged his forgiveness for
all the unkind things had ever said Of him;
but he motioned me to enter the carriage,
and, after giving the driver orders to drive
! to Mrs. Leiberg's, did so. We entered the
great house that had left short hour be.
fore in such gaiety and sp,endor, in sorrow
and mourning. Mr.. Iceberg had escaped
iunhurt, but his wife had been severely in
5iued by the crush, we found. She was
lying on a couch, pale and still, gasping
family, when we bore Miss. Armund into the
room.
!; The doctor who was attending Mrs. Lei.
berg had the satisfaction Of seeing her soon
appear little revived; but Miss Armund
remained unconscious for ten hours, despite
the combined efforts of Mrs. Kent, the doc
tor and myself to arouse her. But just al
dawn she revived. I bent over he-, asking
softly il she was better. She looked up into
my eyes, strange gladness in hers, a sort
sof dumb Joy that made my heart ache, but
she did not answer. The doctor gave her
sleeping 6raught and then bade US all leave
the room except Mrs. Kent, who would
watch with the sick woman. Iwent to ny
room and, after throwing of my rich dress
and donning calico wrapper, went down
again to inquire about Mr.. Dudley, who I
found was being attended by the physicians,
who pronounced his arm broken in two
places, and he was now lying in the west
parlor, looking strangely pale and Ill; yet
he smiled family and endeavored to make
light Of his injuries when I inquired and ex-
pressed my regret at his misfortune.
For the next few days little else was at
tended to except the wants Of the three in
,valids at the Iceberg mansion. devoted
myself almost entirely to Miss Armund,
who seemed III at ease whenever left her
sight. Her injuries were Of very serious
character, and the doctor gave little hope OF
her recovery, even from the first, and at the
end Of three days he expressed his very
grave doubts as to her surviving twenty.
four hours longer, and hinted that if she
had any business affairs to settle she had
better attend to them at once. The doctor
was then cioseted with her for some time,
at the end of which he came out looking ex-
'tremely grave and concerned. He motione6
me to his side. 'sAiiss Armund," he said,
sis much worse, but she seems in more an
guish Of mind than body. She desires me
to telegraph at once for Mrs. Clayton, who,
she SAYS, is a friend of hers; and she also
desires to see Oliver Dudley at once. I
WI, }" he continued, ''go at once to the tele-
graph Office and send the dispatch VIII
you, Miss Lynn, be so kind as to deliver her
message to Mr.. Dudleys"
81 will at once" answered, and the doc
tor hurried away. Then all at once it flashed
upon me that now most likely was to
be revealed the mystery that surrounded
me, for that Mrs Clayton and Miss Armund
possessed secret that was OF more or less
value to me ! never doubted. But would
the dying woman reveal it? or would She
die and the precious secret be buried with
her2 felt my brain whirl at the thought.
Surely fate would never be so cruel Miss
Armund had seemed to find my presence
agreeable in the last few days, though her
injuries had prevented her from conversing.
Lclung to the hope that she was my friend,
after ali, and this helped to calm, somewhat,
my: excited feelings. delivered her mes
sage to Mr.. Dudley with tolerable COM
posure, and then rushed of to my own
roon to wait in strange, shivering suspense
the arrival Of Lena Clayton. An hour
passed, two, three and then there was a
summons from Miss Armund's room. / was
sent for. went in and was struck at once
by the change in her few hours had
wrought; her face was gray and drawn, her
eyes sunken, yet gIttering with a deadly
brightness. Evidently this world and its
troubles were nearly over with her.
Invent in softly. Mrs. Keut, Mrs. Lei
berg and Oliver Dudley were in the room,
but they withdrew at once, leaving US alone
together. a strange, solemn&nsh brooded
over all at first; the bright fire cracked
and blazed on the hearth, sending warm
glow over the richly furnished room; the
rich damask curtains, drawn aside, re-
vealed the snowy world outside, where the
keen winter winds whistled shrilly. A few
chattering snow-birds few wildly about,
and now and then a passer-by walked
swiftly past. All within was warmth and
luxury; outside cold and bitter wind; Int
to the pallid face on the pillow snow and
sun were alike unheeded. She had passed
the line where earthly elements cease to vex
ps.
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