The Irish standard., 1889-06-29


since he had been sick.
About midnight she noticed that he
breathed more naturally, and, going close
to him, she noticed With q heart throbbing
with delight that there was a faint sparkle
of moisture on his hitherto parched and
strained forehead; she took her haudker.
chief and gently wiped it off, fearing she
might be mistaken, but no, it was true, and
in a few moments it reappearcd and she
knew he was better. ''Oh, God, l thank
Thee,'' she cried, as she sank upon her
knees in mute thanksgiving.
Perhaps the great emotion of her heart
awol1e sympathetic chord in his, for in a
few moments he opened his eyes, and, look
ing at her with glad recognition, whispered,
feebly: Isabel"
'sMy love! my darling!' she whispered
softly in his ear.
He seemed to struggle with memory.
'sYou do love me, then" he whispered,
family.
ssBetter than my life, dearest love-" she
said, gently pressing her lips to his.
He smiled wearily, like a tired child, and
with a look Of inefable content dropped of
to sleep again, while she sat by his side in a
tumult of JOY.
elbow is l1es" said Mrs. Montford, who
came in TO relieve her watch.
ssHe is BETTER" she whispered. "He knows
me and spoke to me''
tsThank the Lord for His mercies!'' said
the good woman, fervently, and, taking Is
abel in her arms as if she had been her own
child, ssnow go to bed, dearie, and sleep
like top until morning."
The sun was high when the overtaxed
wife awoke from her long and drearnless
slumber; the slumber Of sweet relief after
long days and nights of WEAKNESS and ag-
onizing suspense, and she hurriedly dressed
herself and went into the sick-room.
Lillian was there, and her husband was
awake. He greeted her with smile, in
fantle in it's weakness. yet full of love and
trust, as she bent over him and whispered
glad words of love and thankfulness into
his ear.
"Have I, then, been so very sick?" he
asked, feebly, as her tears OF joy fell upon
his face.
81 think, Uncle Harvey, you Deserve
good scoldin g for giving us such scare"
Lillian answered for her. IF it hadn' i been
for my excellent nursing there's no know
ing what would have happened to you.
Aunt Isabel aad that big-eyed doctor were
glowering over you like couple of lunatics
when came to the rescue"
He was too weak TO reply to her lively
sallies, but he pressed his wife's hand with
feeble energy.
1t seemed as If she could not be demon
strative enough after the long period of
cold indecision through which she had
passed. she knew now that she had loved
him for months when she had ina ined
herself grateful only, and she sighed as
she thought how his kind and noble heart
must have been wounded by her GOODNESS,
and she strove to make amends by showing
him every phase Of tenderness her full
heart could devise.
81 think must go home how,'' said Lii
lian, playfully, the next day. II have res
cued one forlorn man from a premature
fate, and I shall have another TO drag from
the brink Of despair # do not get back to
Ralph. Mamma says he Wanders to and
fro like the disconsolate ghost Of Melau-
choly.'
81 little thought that your long talked-ot
visit was to be such doleful affair as this"
said Isabel. ssRut, indeed, Lillian, yo11 do
not know how much you have helped me-"
81 assure you take full credit to myself
for all have DONE" she answered ,willfully.
siI do believe Uncle Harvey got up this lit
tie diversion just for the purpose of testing
the affection Of his friends"
"Then I deserved to be disappointed,
didn't I?n he said, weakly. He enjoyed her
bright raillery, as 1t showed him that he
was once more among flesh and blood PEG.
Pile instead of the dim and ghostly forEls
among which he had moved during the
weeks when his diseased fancy had distorG
ed every thing about him into unreal shapes.
Isabel was not disappointed in Lillian;
the bright, sweet girl was just the gener.
Gus, whole-souled little woman she had ire.
agined her to be, and warm affection had
sprung up between them.
"You have forgiven me, then, for marry.
ing your uncle?" Isabel said, mischievously,
as they were waiting in the drawing-room
for the carriage which was to take Lillian
away.
eyes, she replied, prom pity, "and have
given you my blessing, iguratively speak
ing" Then more thoughtfully: "Your case
is only another demonstration Of the fact
which mamma and have argued over ever
since I went in pinafores, that a PERSONS
position in life does not necessarily deter
mine all his qualities of head and heart"
sWell, whatdo you think Of her?" said
Mrs, Stanford, after Lillian's return, and
when other inquiries had been answered.
II think Uncle Harvey might have hunt
ed the city over without finding any one SO
perfectly suited to him as Aunt Isabel" re-
piled Lillian, warmly.
"Even if she was a plebeian shop-girl, -
said Mr. Stanford. with smile.
"I'm afraid the blue blood Of the Caring
tons would boil if they should hear you
speak of their kinswoman under that title"
and Lillian laughed. tsAunt Isabel told me
that Major Caring ton was terribly shocked
when she told him how she had been forced
TO earn a living"
Harvey Falconer's return to health was as
rapid as could be expected, considering his
extreme weakness, and he was as yet but
the pallid ghost Of himself as he sat up in
his easy chair, or laid upon the puffy cush-
toned lounge in the home room.
It was now long past Christmas and they
had received an urgent invitation from
| Major Darlington to spend the remainder
of the winter at Elm Park, and had decid-
ed to go as soon as the invalid was strong