Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-29
"Iias anything happcncdi

my manner. HAS anything happcnedi
Il Horace
Hes all right said, going on to.
wards her and putting my arms round
her and embracing her tcnderiy.
How was II had not seen this change
In her before? She had always been
pale, so did not set much store by her
present pallor; but what had brought
that look Of distress to her face-that
wild, anxious expression into her eyes,
that sadly pathetic droop about tho cor.
ners of her lipsa
All through breakfast timc I asked
myself these questions over and over
again, with ever increasing anger nc my
own past blindness in not having noticed
the change before. My mother and Jcm
saw it, too, ! knew, but they made no
remark on the alteration to Cynthia her
self; and wondered why they were
thus silent.
took Jem aside after breakfast and
spoke to her about II.
Haven't noticed the changel" she
cried, echoing my words ironically.
"Why, went back to the mother after I
had been TO wish Cynthia merry Christ.
mas in my night dress this morning, and
told her didn't know where your eyes
had been for the past three months not
to have seen Il coming on. Whatever
you do, don't say anything to her about
It'll Sho was quite distressed because I
told her she didn't look well, and she
forced such high spirits all the rest of tho
time was In tho room that could have
cried over her."
"Hcr unvarying cheerfulness before
meall this time must have been assumed,
Jem. You know I can't SEQ her until
after 4, because Of this confounded gov
erness business. She doesn't leave Mel.
ford's until half-past 8, except on Satur-
days; and sho asked mo to leave her that
afternoon for Horace, SO have not seen
her by daylight for months until this
morning. What's to be donc?"
Jem looked round cautiously before
she answered.
"Wo have arranged it beautifully.
Tho mother is going to have symptoms
Of sciatica tomorrow morning, and DR..
Jennings Is to BIO sent for TO apply the
battery. OF course, hearing Cynthia is
here, he will want to say How d'yo dor
and before he sees her I shall tell him
how anxious we are about her. He'll
manage to tako her measure pretty cor
rectly, without letting her into tho SO.
cret."
That was not very cheerful Christ
mas day for me. We had decided, on
account of Cynthia's mourning, to make
our party n strictly family affair; but,
even If tho great old house had been full
Of guests, should still have carried that
dead weight Of care in my heart-a
weight which increased with every glance
at Cynthia's face throughout the day.
After dinner, when Horace and / were
alone, l tried to sound him about his
sisters health; but he either would not
or could not give me any information.
Being conscious Of hostile bins In my
judgment of all Horace Defendants q say
ings and doings, was always trying to
counterbalance 1t by giving him the bcne.
fit of the doubt, when there was room for
doubt at all. So. when he told mo he
had not noticed any change In Cynthia,
that sho never complained, never seemed
Ill, and was always in good spirits. tried
hard to believe he spoke as he really
thought, and that in very truth no had
not noticed tho alteration that had &c
scared us all
HE is such disgustingly selfish young
beggar," l told myself--"as long as the
poor girls illness did not prevent her
from attending 10 his little wants he
would let her die before his eyes, and
never notice it,"
Tho next day, when Jennings came,
contrived to bo in the library with
Cynthia. As this was not TO DO an
acknowledged professional visit, felt
there could be no improperly in my
being present. Jennings and DIR. Deben-
ham had been old friends, so there was
considerable cordiality on both sides
when he and Cynthia met. I stepped
back few PAGES, watching and listening;
and through all the medical mans chat
tincss could see how keenly obscrvant
he was Of Cynthia's every movement.
"And how do you like the governess.
ing3" he asked presently. DO you find
1t congenial work, or is it rather against
tho grain-eh9 A little bit like going back
to the treadmill every morning, l ex-
pect."
Cynthia opened her eyes widely at this
view of her occupation.
"Oh, mol" sho cried. 81 quite enjoy
1t; would not be without my work for
the world. My pupils arc two of the
most delightful little women you could
meet anywhere, and believe we arc q
constant source Of pleasure to ono IN.
other Mrs. Melford wanted me to spend
Christman with them, but Of course"----
'Quite So" intcrposcd Jennings jocu.
larly-''here was metal more attractive
-eh, ,Quinton" He glanced at me swift
ly, and then turned his eyes again TO
Cynthia's face, saying abruptly: "Then
it certainly is not the teaching that
makes you SO terribly wakeful at night"
At these words deep flush suffused
her checks and forehead, and thero was
a sudden expression Of alarm in the
glance she gave Jennings. She at once
suppressed all signs of emotion, however,
and laughed rather nervously.
"Who told you I was wakefulY" she
asked, with playfully defiant air; and
then, without giving him time to answer
the question, she broke off into q whole
string OF inquiries concerning this, that,
ana the other person, and completely
blocked the subject Of her own health.
When Jennings went, / left the room
with him, meaning to ask his opinion in
the hall; but Cynthia followed us with
some forgotten question-remembere
believe, on the spur Of the moment, TO
prevent Jennings from saying anything
to me. She evidently did not suspect
the existence Of our plot, and wanted to
keep him from imparting his judgment
to any of us.
WAS too anxious to wait until my
next meeting with the doctor, so put