The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-06-14

constantly az hCnl. we rCNcr 70 into
society ard receive fcw visits. for / am
not very strrig myself. and my husband
ncels Gil thr time and attention I car
devote 20 him. To seldom comes down
stairs. but | wish no would do so this
evening, for I should lil5o to introduce
Him TO you. Perhaps he has decided 10
dino with us this evening, and then that
would by vory pleasant"
She called to servant. who had come
10 remove tho tray: Jules, 10 upstairs
and SEQ II Mr.. Hamilton win bo able TO
como down this evening"
Tho servant, an elderly. grave looking
man. vanished, and speedily returned
with the message that Dr.. Somers did
no, consider it prudent for Mr.. Hamilton
TO lcavo his room.
"Ah. we'll" said Mrs. Hamilton, with u
! smile, lit would not do for him TO bo i'm.
prudent. But ! should havo boen so
pleased to present Edgar to you-ho Is so
| handsome and so Intelligent, and such a
brilliant conversationalist. However,
hero Is his picture, and you can judge
from that how very good looking he is,
nrart from ny conJugal prejudice" sho
! ndlyj, with blush H., swift and vivid as
though she were newly botrothcd
maiden instead OF u wife of many years
standing
Tho picture that she pat into my hand
was n beautiful photograph on ivory, col
| orcd and finished as II miniatures. II re-
presented Il singulariy fine looking man,
with blUo eyes and blonde hair and mus
tachc, but tho eyes had sinister eloam
In their depths, and the full, red lips were
| sensual and coarse in outline and In cN.
preston. Moreover, the face was that of
q much younger man than had expected
TO SEQ. Mrs. Hamilton, charming as she
was. was evidently not far from 20 years
of ogc, and tho photograph Of her hu5-
| band was certainly that OF man under
! 20. There was no trace OF i'll health Wis
iblc in tho high colorcl. handsome face of
the picture; so. after inspecting it for
sono moments, l asked: "ls this ro-
Gently taken likeness. Mrs. Haniiltonl 1t
docs rot look like the portrait OF any ono
| who had ever been ILL.,"
No; that is truo" Sho took the pho.
togioph from my hand nnd seemed
troubled, and also, TO my ustonishmCnt, u
little bcwildered. at was taken before
we were nayricd-twcnty, ''o''s oro. He
| ha< ncver haT my - ia
! takes 0, ana hc~4l sit to an
artist. Tuannot toll why, FOR 90 mo no Is
always tho same, Elgar my Eigor!"
Aud shc pressed the pisiuro to her lips.
tho tc r. streaming down her checks as
! hc di g.
was lAfuitely amazed at her emotion,
which seemed TO me 50 ncodlca., and
was distressed ut having unwittingly
caused Il, especially as | had not the
faiptest idea Of how toproceed In order to
sootho her. Just then, to my infinite re.
lief, tho door opened and Dr. Somcrs en-.
tcrod. Taking the miniature from Mrs.
llamilton's hand, he said to her. gravcly;
my dear Dora, you are very foolish TO
let yourself become nervous and hystcr.
ical You viii b, unable TO sing to Edgar
tlis eyonug if you do not cease sobbing
and try to recover your voice.
1T was very foolish Of me, Mark" re.
piled hus, Hamilton. smiling up Ut him
through Aor tears, "and Mrs. Graves
la'f4 '.'t. ..a.l lsl' u fNiy hDohAh lNA oNll,
5at you know whenever think Of poor
Elrlr's precarious health | am apt 70
break down uttcrly, Arc you sure ho Is
De-, worse than usual this EVENING""
",'oi particic-rathcr better, In fact;
bGt YOU can como and SEQ for yourself,
presently, Mrs. Graves will excuse you
for a tow moments, am sure"
Just Mt that moment my carriage was
announced, AID l gladly Gvailed myself OF
that excuse FOR taking leave at once. TO
slsting all tho hospitable entreaties OF
Mrs Hamilton that ! would stay and
dine, II not remain all night; for could
not hut feel that was in the way, as in
decd any guest 1t seemed 10 mo, would
havo been under the roof that sheltered
SO beloved and al absorbing an invalid al
Mr. Hamilton evidently was.
called few days later TO return
thanks to my kind hostess for her hospi
table caro-, Gud also to restore TO hor The
numerous wraps and rugs in which sh,
had insisted on envoloping nc for my
h3nlward drive, | did not sec Mrs
Hamilton, however. DR.. Somers receive,
mo in her stead, and excused his sister OIL
the ground that she was then in attend
ance on her husband. And as | crossed
the hall | heard a voice of oSquisit,
sweetness, that l readily recognized u
that OF Mrs Hamiltoa, pouring forth III
,e6cato notes In scarcely known melody
by Gounod.
What u charming voicoW / remarked
1T Is pity that so fine talent shoul'
be entirely lost to tho world"
MY sister spends great deal Of tim
In singing 10 the invalid and also In read
ing 10 him." answered the doctor; "an,
she is happier in her self devotion thai
tho praise and applause of society coul'
mako hor."
After that day had occasional glimpse
Of Hrs. Hamilton as her carriage passe
mine during my daily drives She neve
foilel 20 lean forward and greet mo wit
II pretty, eager gesture, and ono of he
sweet, pathetic smiles; but that was al
that | ever saw of her. Her card wa
only left by her footman az the hotel 70
me, and greatly as | had been attracte
by her. shrank from again intruding o
the privacy of that jealously guGrde
homo.
There was evidently something myst,
rious about tho malady and the seclusio
r of Mr., Hamilton. Gossip Mt Nice ran rio
: on tho subject, andisuggested all sorts ,
, solutions for the riddle One was thu
tho invalid was not i'll. but was simply il
a sane; tho constant presence of DIR. Somel
: and the peculiar taclturnity and reticent
, of the servants In the face of question: