Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-03-17

CHAPTER VIII.
A month after the first performance of
"Elvira Kendall returned to town on a
frosty December afternoon from the Sur
reg lodgings, on which he had now estab-
hshed g permanent hold. He mounted to
his roOR found his letters lying ready for
him. and on the top of them a telegram,
! which, rs his man servant informed him,
had arrived about an hour before He
took it up carelessly, opened it and bent
over ii with start of anxiety. 1t was
from his brothei-in-laW. "Marie is very
i'll. Doctors much alarmed. Can you
come toni ht?' He put it down in stupa-
faction. Marie ill., The doctors alarmed !
Good heavens! could he catch that evening
train? He looked at his watch, decided that
there was time, and plunged, with his serv-
ants help, into all the necessary prepare
tiOns. An hour and a half later he was
speeding along through the clear, cool
moonlight 10 Dover, realizing for the first
time, as he leaned back alone in his
compartment, the full meaning of the news
which had hurried him off. All his ten
der affection for his sister, and all his sti-
fling sense Of something unlucky and un-
toward in mis- own life, which had been so
strong in him during the past two months
combined to rouse in him the blacklist
fears, the most hopeless despondeucy.
Marie dead-What would the world hold
for him? Books, thought, ideas-were they
enough? Gould a man live by them if all
else we're gone? For the first time Kendal
felt doubt which seemed to shake his ma
ture to its depth.
During the journey his thoughts dwell.
in dull, sore way upon the past. Hesaw
Marie IN her childhood, in her youth, in
her rich maturity. He remembered her in
the school room, spending all her spare
time over Ccntrivances Of one kind or an
other for his amusement. He had a vision
of her going out with their mother on the
nj. bit Of her first ball aud plying him for
being left behind. He saw her tender face
bending over the deathbed of their father,
and through a hundred incidents and
memOries-all beautiful, sll intertwinsd
with that lovely self forgetfulness which
was characteristic of her, his mind travelled
down TO al evening scarcely a month be
fore when her affection had once Ire
stood frail, warm barrier between him
and the full bitterness of a great renun-
citation. Oh, Marie Mariel
1t was still dark when he resched Paris,
and the gray winter light was only just
daWning when he stopped at the door of
his brother-in-laW's house in one of the
new streets near the Champs Ulysses. NJ.
de Chateauvieux was standing on the
stairs, his smoothly shaver, clear cut face
drawn and haggard, and a stOop in his
broad shoulders which Kendall had never
noticed before. Kendall sprung up the
stairs and wrung his hands NJ de Chat
eauvicux shook his head almost with
grOan, in answer to his brother inquiry of
eyes and lips, and led the way upstairs
into the forsaken salon, which looked as
empty and comfOrtless es though its mis-
tress had been gone from it years instead
of days. Arrived there, the two men
standing opposite to each other in the
streak of dull light made by the hasty
withdrawal of curtain, Paul said, speak
ing in a whisper, with dry lips:
There is 10 hope-the pain is gone,
you would think she is better, but the doc
tors say she will just lie tn re as she is ~
lag now till-the end"
Kendall staggered over to a chair and
tried to realizs what he had heard, but 1t
was impossible, although his journey had
seemed to him one long preparation for the
worst
"What is it-how did it happen?" he
asked.
internal chill. She was only taken i'll
the day before yesterday, and the pain was
frightful till yesterday afternoon, then 1t !
subsidized and thought she was better-she
herself was so cheerful and so thankful for
the relief-but when the two doctors came
in again it was to tell me that the disap
pearance of the pain meant only the worst
meant that nothing more can be done
she may 90 at any moment"
There was silence. NJ. de Chateau
yieux walked up and down with the Disc
less step which even few hours of sick
ness develop in the watcher, till ne came
and stood before his brOther-in-law, saying !
in the same painful whisper, you must
have some food, then l will tell her you
are here"
''No. no; want no fOOd-any time will
do for that. Does she expect me?"
Eyes: you won't wall? Then come"
He led the way across little ante-room,
lifted 8 curtain and knocked. The nurse
came, there was little parley, and Paul
went in, while Eustace waited outside,
conscious of the most trivial things, of the
psssers by in the street, Of wrangle be-
tween two gamins on the pavement out
side of the displacement of certain vol
umes in the book case beside him, till the
door opened again and NJ. de ChateauYieux
drew him in.
He stepped over the threshold, his whole
being wrought up to he knew not what
solemn pageant OF death and parting, and
the reality within startled him. The room
was flooded with morning light, frosty
December sun was struggling through the
fog, the curtains had just been drawn
back, and the winty radiance rested Oh