Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-10-31

had not taken that trip with Gladys,
and if had come home on Queen Bess,
which sailed the very day we bought tickets
at the Paddington station for Taplow, why,
/ should have been In time to have--not
| ayerted her illnessl Hardly, but l might
have alleviated the sorrowful burden which,
was sure, had borne her down into the UNI
certain valley.
Dazed and heart-sick go upstairs to my
room. / must remove my travelling cos
tune, battle and dress before can go into
the darkened room across the hall.
Maggie finds time TO bring me up cup of
tea, and sits down on the edge of the bed
for little gossip IN unIertone. Dear child,
she is overjoyed to see me and to get rid
of the responsibility of the house. Under
the circumstances / don't blame her. She
looks worried and thin. Aud as l sip
my tea she tells me that Miriam stock
with a pain in her head and that the doc
tor said ''the illness was brought on by I'M
due emotional exercise of the brain"
Whether Maggie heard Alright or not, l
am convinced that my suspicious are cor
rect in the main. The physician is TO call
at three o'clock it is now thirty minutes
past two, so ! am obliged to wait half
hour before can talk with him myself con-
corning Miriam. He Is such a voluble old
man that | conclude to go down stairs to
meet him, as he will perhaps give me a
noisy greeting and 1t might disturb her
all the one have to care for in particular
meet Mrs. Courtney on the landing, COM
ing up with ice-water for the sick-room.
Maggie has told her of my return, and she
clasps my hand warmly and says in a
whisper: ats too bad to find Mrs. Fairfax
sodreadfully i'll, isn't itln She doesn't ex-
pect me to reply, and keeps on in a staccato
whisper: "Would | come in and see here
She wouldn't know me, of course not, but
then maybe l would like to see her, any
how"
follow the nurse into the sick-room with
an affirmative nod. There ON the pillows
in the semi-twilight of the room, lies the
fair, proud face remembered so well. The
dark, haunting eyes are wide open now,
with dull, listless expression in them,
and the taper fingers stray over the pill
lows and clutch aimlessly at the lace frils
Her breath comes ftfully, and hectic
flush on either cheek tells the tale.
80 close to the couch, and, bending over
her. whisper her name. She starts, looks
up at me for momegt, while the fevered
lips part in a smile as she murmurs: "Yes,
yes, yes ~ but she doesn't know me.
grow sick and faint and turn away with
the hot tears ON my face. | go to the win
dow and look out. The beautiful day is
clouding over aud the autumn wind is tear
ing across the lot beyond the forsaken gar
den like thing of spite, the dead leaves
flying on before. The garden, too, is desc
late; the lilies are dead; every thing which
seemed full of joyous welcome at first
now has faded out into sable folds. gaze
down the road and see the DOCTORS carriage
a S,s,. e.
more turning TO the bed and brushing back
the brown tresses from the hot brow of one
who knows me not at this my sad home
coming.
The physician says that "within the next
| twenty four hours the tide will turn in Mir
iam's favor or ebb with the tide Of time and
she will pass over" / recall her words Of
year ago: IF only could pass over and be
at restr' Somehow the very memory chills
my hearts blood. Will her prayer be an
sweredl II she only could 1--we to read the
message of souls unshine l have brought
her she might not want to be lat rest now.
Perhaps If she lives there will be I'M
| folded bright, glorious chapter in the
| gloomy history of this child of bitterness.
| Perhaps where the thorns are nowthe roses
| will bloom, for "Love can never forget his
own,u repeat; but am only thinking OF
Allan Percival in this connection, and do
not consider that Miriam might repeat it
| with the outlines of two graves rising to
the beck of memory, to the utter exclusion
| of all late gifts of affection
The twenty four hours are about ended.
| Miriam is sleeping now, tranquil and pale;
| the fever has burned itself out and she re-
| mains. The physician says ''She will
| wake after a little, sane, conscious Of every
thing, but very weak" do not doibt him
/ in the least She lies motionlcss and color
| less as the dead, and believe him.
Last night watched with her alone. Mrs.
/ Courtney. being nearly exhausted, went TO
| lie down and take her much-needed rest,
| leaving me, as desired, alone with Miriam.
| believe she loves Allan Percival. Once
/ in the night she tossed up her thin hands
and murmured: ''Ohl is 1t your with such
a glad light coming into her dull eyes that
/ for the moment forgot she was III, and
| said, bending down and kissing her: Eyes,
/ it is me.n Then she said. slowly: ut has
been so long since have seen you, AllanP
| was bending over her still, but when she
said ALLAN started IN with an indie
scrlbablc Ic..isig ~ happiness and an I'M
certain hope; a =, l candidiy believe, was
| the sweetest sentence had heard for years,
and ii seemed 50 much like whatI had hoped
would be, although il was foreign enough 70
| the real Miriam as l had known her.
$50 long, Allan; 30 long" she murmnred
| over and over afterward q halfdozen times,
and am certain she loves him little, al
Ieass. ] remember that 10 delrium quite
| often the secret Of ones soul escapes its
safeguard, and this comforts me. Oil
| Miriam, white and UNCONSCIOUS on your
| pillow, you have revealed TO me secret
| which, doubtless, in your sane r1omenis
might never have been able 10 guess at, you
| would have shielded aud hidden il so
sacrediyl