Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-10-03

roll of distant wheels. They were real
flowers, and they fringed the margin of
a bright river that glided by to the
cadence of its own soft singing. And
along its banks walked Dolly, and
Jack was with her; but how sadly
altered; he moved silently at her side.
There was no caressiug touch, no
look of love in his eyes, no
tone of tenderness in his voice;
and at every step he seemed
Then the aspect of the river itself
changed, and its ripples seemed to ut
ter sounds of warning and woe. The
lights that had fecked its shadows dis
appeared, and the flowers that had
edged its margin dropped and faded.
The stream once glittering in its own
brightness, and borrowing further
beauty from the earth and sky, grew
murky and Opaque. Strange shapeless
monsters seemed to writhe and wallow
beneath its surface; and still Jack
pressed closer to her side, till the
narrow pathway crumbled under her
feet. and she fell headlong into the
depths of the rushing torrent. Then
succeeded an Unreasonable period of
rapid transit through seething waters,
and afterward of silence, of darkness,
of insensibility, of humiliation.
|
When Dolly returned to conscious
ness, and found herself in her own bed
| she at first imagined herself to be wax
ing, after an ordinary nights rest. She
was however, soon convinced by a
sense of prostration and indetinable
fear that something unusual had Oc-
Cured. This conclusion, moreover,
was confirmed by the presence of two
strangers, who presented the appear
ance of nurse and doctor in attend
ance on her. Before, however, she
truth of her impressions she relapsed
into insensibility. On reopening her
eyes after an interval she observed no
change in the character of her sur
roundings. The doctor. indeed, was
not visible; but from a conversation
which she overheard she had little
doubt that it was he who was describ-
ing to some interested inquirer in the
adjoining room the nature of her own
malady. The voices of the speakers
were low, the door between the bed
room and dressing room was nearly
closed. and yet with morbid acute
ness of hearing Dolly caught distinctly
the meaning Of every whispered word,
and recognized the questiOner's voice
to be her husbands.
"And you forbid me to see her even
for moment?"
Most positively. Through the
whole of the delirium this extraordi-
nary dread of you has been her one
dominant idea. II she caught sight of
you now, could not answer for the
consequences.
But thought you said the crisis
was past, and that she would probably
wake again in perfectly rational con-
dition."
''Quite so; and in ordinary circum-
stances you would naturally be the
first person she would be allowed to
see; but must tell you honestly that
these are not ordinary circumstances. :"
What do you mean?"
Il mean this. Rightly or wrongly,
your wife has the gravest suspicious
about you. She believes you to be en-
gagged in some conspiracy against her
life"
'But surely you attach no Importance
to what people say in their delirium?"
mot generally, but this is peculiar
case. There has been a logical CO.
herence in her rawlings throughout her
illness. which convinces me that her
distrust of you was the cause, and not
the consequence, of her attack of brain
| fever Till am satisfied that her ap-
prehensions are removed, it would be
madness to let her see you. As it is,
if she happens to overhear your voice,
the result might be very serious. You
must be contented, for the present, to
leave her with me-"
but you'll find out the meaning Of
it all, and give me the earliest possible
news?"
"Of course l will"
''And talk to her at once?"
mo, not tonight. She is still in a
state of great prostration. Tomorrow,
when she has had some natural sleep
and taken some nourishment, it may
be different"
The doctor was justified in his fear
of the effect on his patient of the sound
of her husbands voice, as was proved
by the condition in which he dis
covered her on re-entering the sick
room. He was mistaken, however, in
his belief that the explanation of her
agitation would necessarily be deferred.
As soon as he had taken his place
at the invalid's bedside, she introduced
the topic herself.
Even during the short period which
had preceded Dolly's relapse into I'M
consciousness, the appearance of her
medical attendant had attracted her
favorable attention. Beyond the ex-
preston of kindness which suggested
ready sympathy. she. had noticed a
look of power and determination which
promised assistance as well as pity:I
The conversation which she had over
heard confirmed her original impress
sion. and while reminding her of the
actual nature of her awful secret,
rnnirntad n1,t q smith HE ranncitnrr, for II