Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-09-25
Isdm Charles pale and haalGrd.

Jul " thttt hiSHt- vas olA&t
thing in the intense quiet and repose OF
the great house, after all the excitement
of the last few hours. that oppressed me.
Everything seemed, as | lay awake, so
unnaturally silent. There was not a
sound in the wide CRATE where the last
ashes Of the fire were silently giving up
the ghost; not a rumble of wind in the
old chimney which had had 70 much to
say the night before. l tossed and turn
ed, and vainly sought for sleep, now on
this side, now on that.
At last l gave up trying, half in the
hope that it might steal upon me una-
wares. / thought Of the play and TIL
ball, of poor Charles and his debts-of
anything and everything. but it was no
good. lii the midst of a tumble Of dis
connected ideas l suddenly found myself
listening again to tine silence-listening
as If it had been broken by a sound
which l had not heard. Ny watch
licked loud and louder on the dressing
table, and presently l gave quite a start
as the distant stable clock tolled out the
Observation-Disclosures. l had
gone to bed before B. Had / only been
awake an hour? 1t seemed incredible.
Getting up. on tip toe, vaguely afraid
myself of breaking the silence, l noise
lessly pushed aside the heavy curtains
and looked out.
The moon had set, but by the frosty
starlight the outline of the great
laden trees and the wide sweep of white
drive were still dimly visible. All was
silent without as within. Not a branch
moved or let fall its freight of snow.
There was not a breath of wind stirring.
was on the point of getting back into
bed when I thought in the distance l
heard a sound. L listened intently. No!
l must have been mistaken. All! again,
and nearer! l held my breath. could
distinctly hear a stealthy step coming
up the stairs. My OK was the nearest
to the staircase end Of the corridor. and
any enc coming up the stairs must pass
my door. With a presence Of mind
which l am glad to say rarely deserts
ME l blew out my candle, slipped to the
door and noiselessly opened it a chink.
Some one was coming down the CORR
Cor Win the Ilghtness of a cat, candle
in hand, as a faint light showed ms.
IlOllchb auo 1 saw lila loS, Gdki6
and haggard, still In evening dress, COM
ing toward me. He was without his
shoes. He passed my door and went
noiselessly into his own room, a little
further down the passage. There was
the faintest suspicion Of a sound, as of a
key being gently turned in the lock, and
then all was still again, stiller than ever.
What could Charles have been after, !
wondered. He could not have been re-
turning from seeing Denis, who was not
only much better, but was in the room
beyond his own. And why had he still
got on his evening clothes at 4 o'clock in
the morning? l determined to ask him
about 1t next day as 1 got back into bed
again, and then, while wondering about
it and trying to get warm, l fell fast
asleep. l was only reused, after being
twice called, to find that it was broad
daylight, and to hear the boxes being
carried down Of many of the guests who
were leaving by an early train.
/ was late, but not SO late as some
Breakfast was still going on. Evelyn
and Ralph had been up to see their
friends off, but Gen. and MIS-. Marston
and Carr, who were staying on, came in
after I did. Lady Mary and Aurelia
were having breakfast in their W
roonIs. 1 think nothing is more dreary
than a long breakfast table laid for
large numbers with half a dozen pick
nicking at it among the debris left by
earlier ravages. Evelyn, behind the
great silver urn, looked pale and pre-
occupied and had very little to say for
herself when l %journeyed up to her
end Of the table and sat down by her.
She asked me twice if / took sugar, and
was not bright and alert and ready III
conversation, as l think girls should be.
Carr, too, was eating his breakfast in 81
lence beside Mrs. Marston.
1t was not cheerful. And then Charles
came in, ~listless and tired, and without
an appetite. He sat down YEARLY on
the other side Of Evelyn and watched
her pour out his coffee without a word.
1.-THE Carews and Edmonts and Lady
Dclmour and her daughter have just
gone" said Evelyn, land Mr.. Denis"
Yes" replied Charles, seeming to pull
himself together; Denis came to my
room before he went. He looked a
wreck, poor fellow; but not worse than
some of us. These late hours, these
frskings with energetic young creatures
in the ~schoolroom, these midnight revels
are too much for me. feel a perfect
wreck this morning, too"
He certainly looked it.
"Haye you had bad letters" said
Evelyn, in Il low voice.
He laughed q little-a grim laugh
and shook his head. But I had yester-
day" he added. presently, in a low tone.
81 shall have to try change of air again
soon, ! am afraid"
I was just going to ask Charles what
he had been doing walking about in his
socks the night before, when the door
opened, and Ralph, whose absence l had
not noticed, came in. He looked much
perturbed. 1t seemed his father had been
taken suddenly and alarmingly i'll while
dressing.
In a moment all was confusion. Eve
Ign precipitately left the room to go to
him, while Charles rushed round to the
stables to send q groom on horseback for
the nearest doctor. Ralph followed him
and the remainder of the party gathered
in q little knot round the fire, Mrs. Mar.
ston expressing the sentiment of each OF
Us when she said that she thought visit
ors were very much In the way when
there was illness in the house, and that
she regretted that she and her husband
had arranged to stay over Sunday, today
being Friday.
$50 have l." said Carr; "but / an
sure I had better have refused. A stran'
ger In a sick house is positive nuisance
I think / shall go to town by an after
noon train if there IL ons."
upon my word / think we had better
do the same,' said Mrs Marston. ''What
do you say, Arthur And she turned
to her husband.
II must go to day, anyhow-on bust
ness said Gen. Marston.
81 hope no n is talking OF leaving,
said Charles, who had returned sudden
ly, rather out Of breath.
As he spoke his eyes were fixed OF
Carr.
fYes, that Is exactly what we wer,
datng.s sid Mrs. Marston. Nothing