The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-22

attack of bronchitis and lett him more
! spiritless and haggard-looking than ever.
So the autumn dragged on.
AT last-one dreadful day when even
Marjory broke down and when Jim looked
so weak and III as he set of on his weary
and fruitless quest for work that it almost
broke his wife's heart TO see him-at last,
privately, and with many pangs of hum
bled pride, Mrs Carol wrote TO her uncle.
She did not tell her husband, for she knew
that if she did nothing would induce him
TO let the letter go. The answer came
soon enough, and it so CHANGED that Car
rol met the postman at the door and took
the letter from him. He gave it to his
wife and waited while she read it; then,
seeing her face blanch, took it from her
trembling hands and with compressed lips
glanced at the few words it contained. 1t
was short and to the point
DEAR MARJoRY-If you like to leave your
husband | will take you back to your old home.
On no other terms and in no other way will
help you. You took your own way, and now
you may take the consequences.
JOSEPH LINTON.
1t said much for Jim's utter heart-sick-
ness that he did not even show any dis
pleasure at Mariory's having written. He
only said, gently:
"You should not have asked him, dear"
But passionate little Marjory tore up the
letter and threw it into the fireplace.
1t haunted Jim, though. If it were not
for him, he thought, wretchedly, his Mar
iory would be cared for again as she ought
TO be. He knew her too well to think she
would leave him. No word had come of
his drawing; he had almost given up
hope; deadly, horrible depression
seemed to take taken possession of him.
Every way seemed closed TO him-save
one.
Dear" he said one night with an effort
they had been sitting silent for long
time in the dismantled little sitting-room
would you not like-to 90 back-to
Manchester
what, without you, Jim?' she cried,
with incredulous amazement in her tired
little voice.
YES very steadily.
"Ah, JIM" in tones of keen reproach,
''do you want me to go?"
"My darling, you need not ask me that"
and Jim's voice shook slightly. BUTT
would be better-for you"
"Ah, my dear" she said with an attempt
at her old sauciness. "you need not hint;
you can't get rid OF me. Don't think of it.
Then she suddenly laid her curly head
on his knee and beg n to cry.
"Oh, jim" she d, don't send me
away! How can u speak so? You
break my heart! All, darling, you could
not do without me, could YOU ?"
God forgive me, no." he answered
hoarsely. "You are all l have" As he
spoke he drew her into his arms and held
her against his breast. She chung to him,
sobbing passionately, for a long time.
"Alarjory," he said suddenly, ''haye you
had anything to eat to-day? For you ate
nothing this morning"
eyes, dear. of course l have" she an
| swered, sitting up and drying her tears.
what had you ?"-noting with pang
how wan and weak she looked, and what
heavy shadows lay under her sweet brown
eyes
"Oh, all wanted"
'T know what that means" he said, in
low, agitated tones. "Child, you are starry
ing yourself to death! l am killing you
you, my little Marjory, who are dearer to
me than my own soul! You are dying
before my eyes-as our babe died-and
can do nothing-nothing. Oh. my God
this is torture" And laying his head
down on his arms on the table he, too,
I sobbed-a mans heavy, heart-rending
sobs, fearless and bitter.
In an instant Marjory's arms were
dark, bent head.
FLUSH, dear boy, hush, she said, in her
quaint little motherly way "You are
talking nonsense, dear. | haven't the
slightest thought of dying, you foolish
Jim. Don't my dear, don't!" she went on
imploringlv. But Carols self-control
seemed to have deserted him utterly, and
for a time his agitation was terrible.
Then there was long silence. broken at
last by Marjory's voice, in anxious tones:
you have eaten nothing to-day, jim, /
am quite sure and you are quite faint and
worn out"
my darling. 1 could not eat he an
swered YEARLY, raising his head and lean
ing back in his chair. There were only
two chairs In the room now, and very lit
tie else
Mariory's soft brown eyes filed again
with tears. but she resolutely winked
them away, and said, trying to smile:
eve will make up for lost time and have
some supper. Then things will look
brighter. l have an idea, do you know,
that our luck is going to take a turn"
Jim smiled family; his ideas pointed in
a Numerically opposite direction.
"And, therefore" Marjory went on.
with gayety the more touching to Jim
because he knew it was assumed for his
sake, I'VE will go out and buy something
for supper, my dear Jim. A great fellow
like you cannot possibly live on bread and
tea-and not much of that-as you have
been doing. Now 1 wonder" looking
round the room meditatively, eff there is
nothing more we can put away?" They
always called it putting away.")
Carol did not speak. He could not,
just then. Mariory stole softly upstairs to
her bedroom, and slowly opened small
box which stood there. 1t contained moth
ing of much value, seemingly. Only a
few baby clothes and a furnished silver
rattle, of which latter the tiny bells
tinkled merrily as Marjory lifted it. Her
tears fell thick and fast as she rubbed the
pretty toy with an old glove until it shone
quite brightly in the dim candlelight.
Then she went downstairs. Jim was still
sitting where she had left him, but he
turned as she came in and shivered
slightly, for the night was chilly and fire
was a luxury not to be thought of. She
held the rattle out to him silently.
ooh, Mariory, not that can't" he
said hoarsely, hiding his face in his hands.
Eyes. dear" said the sweet, unsteady,
little voice. ''We-we-" She stopped
uncertainty, and, to her husbands terror
and dismay, tainted suddenly and quietly
away in his arms.
The next day Carol himself wrote to
old Joseph Linton. His letter was re-
turned unopened.
49, I.kko,.- 49,