The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-09-14
4 The IRISH STANDARD: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER III
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certain valley. III I
Dazed and heart sick I go upstairs to my
room. / must remove my travelling cos
tune, battle and dress before I 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 a 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. And as sip
my tea she tells me that Miriam sstook
with pain in her head and that the doc
tor said ''the illness was brought on by I'M
due emotional exercise of the brain.n
Whether Maggie heard Alright or not, ]
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 I am obliged to wait half
lour before can talk with him myself con-
,erning Miriam. He is such voluble old
man that I conclude to go down-sta to
meet him, as he will perhaps give me a
noisy greeting, and it might disturb her
1 :
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: ''It's too bad to find Mrs. Fairfax
sodreadfully i'll, isn't it?'' She doesn't ex-
pect me to reply, and keeps on in a staccato
whisper: 'sWould I come in and see her!
She wouldn't know me, of course not, but
then maybe I 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 l remembered so we'll. 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 frills
Her breath comes ftfully, and hectic
flush on either cheek tells the tale.
I go close to the couch, and, bending over
her, whisper her name. She starts, looks
up at me for moment, while the fevered
lips part in smile as she murmurs: AHYes,
yes, vest" 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 and the autumn wind is tear
ing across the lot beyond the forsaken gar
den like a 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
coming, and then Igo downstairs after once
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
lam's favor or ebb with the tide of time, and
shs will pass over.'' l recall her words of a
year ago: ''If only could pass over and be
at rest'' Somehow the very memory chills
my hearts blood Will her prayer be an
swered? If she only could live to read the
message of souls unshine 1 have brought
her she might not want to be sat rest" now.
Perhaps if she lives there will be I'M
folded a bright, glorious chapter in the
gloomy history of this child of bitterness
Perhaps where the thorns are now the roses
will bloom, for Glove can never forget his
own,'' 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 pate :
the fever has burned itself out and she re-:
mains. The physician says: ''She will
wake after little, sane, conscious OF every.
thing, but very weak" I do not doubt him
in the least. She lies motionless and color
less as the dead, and believe hi:a.
Last night ! watched with her alone. Mrs.
Courtney, being nearly exhausted, went to
lie down and take her much-needcd 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: ooh! is it you?'' with such
glad light coming into her dull eyes that
for the moment forgot she was i'll, and
said, bending down and kissing her: eyes,
it is me-" Then she said, slowly: ut has
been so long since have seen you, AllanW
was bending over her still, but when she
said ''Allan" l started up with an indie
scrlbable feeling of happiness and an I'M
certain hope; that, / candidly believe, was
the sweetest sentence had heard for years,
and it seemed so much like whatI had hoped
would be, although it was foreign enough to
the real Miriam as had known her.
$50 long, Allan; SO long," she murmured
over and over afterward a half-dozen times,
and am certain she loves him little, at
least. remember that in delirium quite
often the secret of ones soul escapes it's
safeguard, and this comforts. me. Oh!
Miriam, white and unconscious on your
pillow, you have revealed to me secret
which, doubtless, in your sane moments I
might never have been able to guess at, you
would have shielded and hidden it so
sacredly! Il
The thought of Allan Percival's love being
returned is. still in my mind when Mrs.
Courtney comes into the room, and /, catch
ing at an idea, followed it up. with all the
alertness of a Pinkerton detective have
been but little else than a detective ever
since my wary feet touched the threshold
of Heatherleigh Hall some weeks ago, so
'sput out my feelers' for a little enlighten-
ment, if possible, and / say with seeming
unconcern: 81 suppose Miriam has been
very restless ever since her Illness" and
the answer comes: ooh! yes; you can't
imagine!''
':Talking a great deal, too, suppose;
asking for me often, dare says"saI want
to know if any one else ever heard her say
'sAllan,' but do not ask directly, for the
reason that desire to keep her and his
secret aoeH; keep it as my own.
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