Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-06-11
CHAPTER Vu-Continusd-
TIE HAND or DEATH.

thought even il she would not say yes |
But Jack was determined now to have /
definite answer. Upon what he had |
called his cOwardice had followed an al |
most reckless pertinacity-
Poor Hattie was in a tr7ily pitiable
plight She felt that she was mourning
the just reprOach of eOquettzshness by
her behavior, yet nothing was further
from her heart than that contemplate
display Of egotism. She really liked
Jack very much-regarded HIM as one
OF her very best friends, but marrying
him was entirely out OF the question
But how could she tell him sO2 What
would she answer him II he asked
reason for her refusal? Could she tell
him that her heart belonged to another
man who was married and never had
thought Of her2
aPiease. dear Mr.. SpofIord. "'she said
ut last, do let US speak Of something
else! cannot say yes, but please do
not ask me any more questions
Jack had to desist- But he vowed in
wardiy that he would return TO the
attack and that he would yet win this
pretty little obstinate girl, cost whatever
II might
After having ragged for three hours,
during which Hattie and Jack had been
imprisoned in the grOttO, the rain finally
ceased and il became pOsSbl 70 venture
forth on their homeWard journey. The
clouds, which still covered the sky,
caused a premature darkness, although
the sun could not yet be below the hOrl-
ron. and before they had com pleted half
their journey il was night Hattie was
very anxious TO get home The company
OF Jack SpOfford could not now be but
embarrassing 10 her, and she fastened
onward as fast as she could Converse
ton Jagged still more than it had done
on the upward trip, but for different
II hrff hrfa noh
never unkindly answers to the young
mans remarks, and Jack himself was
too much yexed, too much vacillating
between hope and dependency, TO be q
very entertaining talker-
So they reached home Jack took
leave from her at the gate OF the War
bingham cottage, and she did not invite
him 70 have supper with them, as she
had always done before on similar Oc-
caslons. nor did she shake hands with
him.
When she entered the house she was
met in the hallway by Jeanette, the
French maid, who told her, with ter
rifed expression OF eountenance, that
madame was very ill
Hurriedly she entered Mrs Warning
hams bed-chamber. Her aunt was in
violent paroxysm Of feverl A physician
was present
Il hope it is nothing serious, Miss
Beckford," he said. ~But 1 cannot con-
ceal from you that il may be very bad
After the long atlment OF Mrs Warning
ham, It is doubtful whether her cOnst-
tuition is strong enough to resist such an
attack Yet there is no necessity for
despair as long as there IS life
Terrible words! Hattie knew that
they meant even more than they pre-
cisely stated
The words of the Doctor were spoken
in an undertOne, bnt even if he had
raised his voice to a higher key the
patient would not have comprehended
them.
Her mind was wandering in the mad
ness of feverish dreams.
Ever and anon she would utter the
name of her eldest son, sometimes with
low wall, sometimes reprOachable, then
again in a pleading voice, as If she asked
him to come back to her. Long SEN
fences she would mutter in a scarcely
audible voice, burt at intervals break
forth into loud and violent malediction
of her who had luTed him away from his
mother. At such moments she would
rise from her couch into a sitting pos
ture, look around with glazing eyes, but
apparently not seeing anything but the
wild fantasms of her Overheated brain,
and madly gesticulating, as she poured
forth the terrible excavations. The ply
stefan would calm her for few moments
head, but soon the vagaries of her mag
ination would be renewed.
1t was terrible spectacle for the
young girl
When the patient seemed little
ouieter the Doctor took his leave. Be
fore he went away he gave Hattie some
instructions in regard to the treatment
of her aunt and directed that he should
be sent for as soon as she should seem
TO grow worse
Hattie remained in the sick-room.
Jeanette covered on q chair in the re-
hottest corner Of the room. She was
completely overcome by terror and fear,
and Hattie soon saw that the servant
could be OF very little assistance to her
in the nursing OF her sick aunt
When the rainstorm had come up, so
Jeanette told her young mistress, Mrs.
Warringham had become nervous about
the safety Of the two promenaders- She
had repeatedly gone on the piazza to
look up the valley, whether she could
not see them come back. Thus she must
have caught an acute cold, Jeanette
thought for suddenly she had felt very
III and almost tainted. The footman
was at once dispatched for the Doctor,
but before the latter arrived Mrs. War
bingham was already in the condition in
which she was now.
Hattie told the maid TO go to bed, and
Jeanette Obeyed with never-seen alac-
rity.
The young girl remained alone by the
bedside of her sick aunt How slowly
the fingers crept forward on the dial OF
the clock that stood on the mantel shelf
Nothing was heard but the slow, meas
ured ticking OF that clock, and the ter
rifying rawlings of the patient. or, in heI
quieter moments, the ftful, labored
breathing of the latter.
Following the instructions of the Doc
tor, Hattie frequently renewed the ap-
plication OF cold, moist cloth on the
patients forehead. She also. from time
to time, with the Thermometer, observed
her temperature, for the Doctor had told
her that If the mercury reached a GER
tain spot he must be instantly sent for
as there was imminent danger Forum
ately this did not become necessary.
Slowly. slowly the hours wore on. AND
at last the morning dawned, finding
Hattie still at the sick-bed. What
night she had SPENT What tOrmentinG
thoughts had crowded upon the troubled
heart OF the young grill The absenc'
of Ralph, yesterdays conversation will
Jack Spofford, her aunt's sickness anC
possible death-here were sorrow
enough. indeed, to Overwhelm the hear
Of one so young.
Morning dawned, but the new da,
brought no change for the better in Mrs
Warringham's condition All that sur
rounded her did the utmost to save her
but all was IN vain. When night hal
come again, Hattie Beckford wept owe
the cold clay OF her who had taken
mothers place by her, when her owl
dear mothers death left the child o
scarcely i've summers unprotected an