Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-06-28

she lay, pale and sweet after her briei
illness; here was her way of escape from
DIR. Sands.
eyes, indeed, I will. You shall not
leave me again, Toni"
So tho next morning early, like PAIR
Of eloping lovers, they were married IN
the nearest church and took the morning
train for the far West; on and On the
rushing wheels bore them; day after
day they endured the separation OF the
crowd, till at last they arrived at st.
George one winter night in January.
The snow was deep, but Tom must report
as soon as possible, and Viva would not
let him go alone.
sit is too cold, dearest" he said.
"Not with you, Tom"
Forty below zero, Vlval"
"If you can live in it can. Ipro-
mise, Tom"
lie could not refuse her after that
word with all its memories. Rolled in
furs, wells, scarfs, with hot bricks at her
feet, they set out on their twenty mile
journey. Warned not to speak, for the
air was not fit for delicate lungs to adj
nit in all its chill, silently they sped
along. The glittering fields of spark
ling snow, on which the moon made
long wake of glory, the black shadows,
the crealS of their swift runners, the
snorting of the horses, whose nostrils
were hung with icicles, all added
strange terror to the drive-a drive
that seemed endless; but at last it was
over.
"Come inl' said Tom, holding out
his arms as the driver drew up before
the officers quarters, where the light of
fire blazcd through the deep-frosted
windows; but Viva neither spoke nor
moved.
Mad with terror, Tom lifted her from
the sleigh and rushed into the door,
making his way by instinct to the fire.
unrobed her; kind hands laid her on tho
sofa Her face was set and white, her
lips parted, her eyes glazed. The post
surgeon hurried in; he lifte / one hand,
it fell back; he put finger on her pulse.
s'My God she is dead" he said, with
look of dread full pity.
Tom dropped beside her.
Was it year2 Was it life -time2
Was he in Heaven when he woke out of
that trance2
She was there, warm, sweet, rosy.
s'You made me promise, Tom, |
would not die"
Tom turned on his very face and wept
like very child; his heaven had come
on earth.
Post sur seons do not know every
thing any more than other mcn. The
fact was that Viva had developed in
the last two years tendency to cata-
lepsy-the result of an over-worn and
over excited nervous system; and when
DIR. Sands told her she must tell Tom
about it, she had just come out of Sc.
rious attack wherein she had ain for
hours as one deal; but she would not
tell him, having an idle fear that Tom
might cease to love her.
The long journey and the cold drive
had brought on a severe seizure, and she
certainly, in appearance, justified the
post-surgeon's opinion; but before
morning she had come back to herself,
and was heart broken to find Tom de-
lirious with grief and as unconscious of
her presence as she had been of his.
"Viva," he said, a few days aftot
they were fairly settled in the new life,
"my darlingl my wifel think what
might have happened if ] had never
known about this. Promise me, Viva,
hereafter to trust me. Tell me every
thingW
She locked up in his troubled, tender
face with divine smile, and softly said
over his talisman, ~ promise. '-NeaO
York Independent.