Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17

| superbly for a few lines, but then the singer 8
voice suddenly trembled and died away. Theo-
dora had risen. and walking to the mantel
| stood there with her head bowed and her face
covered with her hands. Writ laid his guitar
down, and, stepping up behind her, reached
over her shoulder and drew one Of her hands
gently away from her face.
''TheOn' he tried to whisper, but it was more
like gasp. ''Thaer ~
She turned around and raised her ewes to his
| he was almost startled. 1t was not the face of
the sweet maiden he had been won't to look
upon as a sister. She was TRANSPORTED! There
| was piteous look of yearning. of interrogation
| In her wlde-opaned eyes which he had never
| seen there. Could it be she loved him? He
had often in his day dreams pictured Theodore
as his wife and conjured up blissful scenes of
contentment that would be sure to gladden. his
journey through life. if blessed with the pres
ence and devotion of such a sweet and lovable
woman. But he never could bring himself to
think that she had any other than sisterly af-
lection for him. and particularly in the last
year had she seemed cold and distant
But that look now fixed upon him! What
else could it mean save love-deep, ardent, soul
full loyeI
With courage that astonished Writ himself.
he threw his arms around Theodore and drew
her upOn his breast.
'Theo, Theo. my darling" he whispered as
ne set his lips upon hers, you're dearer to me
''Oh. I'm wicked woman. Writ have COM
passion on me-" murmured Theodore. Il
should not have listened to you; my life be-
| longs to another
| At that instant the lovers were interrupted
by the noise of some falling object in the adj
joining room. l heard it, too, and stepped out
| into the hall. 1t was only dimly lighted but
was quite positive that l caught glimpses Of a
| mans figure in the doorway. Could Yokel
have been playing the eavesdropper? The idea
seemed .prePosterous to me. At any rate was
so overjoyed the next day to learn from Cousin
| Myra of Wirt's declaration of love that such a
possibility never occurred to me again. Yokel
! seemed more devoted to my interests than ever
! and more serene in manner and amiable in be-
| havior.
! 1 now. to the great delight of Theodore,
! abandoned my design of sending Writ to Eu-
| rope and directed him to return to college. /
| had gained my point and was quite satisfied to
| let Writ push his suit with Theodore, which
was very confident he would at once proceed
to do and with such ardor, too, that the dear
| girl would end by tossing her scruples to the
wind-the proper place for such dust OF logic
as was binding her.
| Although years have passed since terrible
| mischance in a single instant struck JOY and
| hope out of my existence and wrapped in it
| the cerement of woe. vet my hand trembles as
| / make ready to tell of it.
| 1t seemed to me that Writ had scarcely been
| gone more than few hours before they brought
| him back to me with q vacant stare on his face
and dull. PARKWAY look IN his eyes. He had
! been injured in football scriHmage. The
accounts were conflicting. Some of the play
ers maintained that he had gone to the ground
and that foot had been planted upon his
spine. while others insisted that he had been
kicked in the neck just below The larynx.
| There was in fact over the upper rings of the
| trachea an abrasion OF the skin, accompanied
| by slight extravasation of blood. which
| shortly disappeared. Wherever the poor boy
had been struck and whatever had been the
nature of mis- injury the shock or reflex action
of the inward lesion OccasiOned cerebral dis
| turbance. Subacute mania of form of pro-
| nounced melancholia, accompanied by loss
| of the power of continuity of thought. set in.
| Although had him Immediately removed to
| New York and placed under the care Of the
most celebrated alienists. he continued to grow
worse, and whenever visited him he begged
| SO piteously to be allowed to return home with
me that hadn't the heart to hold out very
long against his wishes.
But, although his reason seemed irrevocably
lost, it was only too plain to be seen that his
dreadfully sad face ightened up somewhat
| when he found himself once more under the
same roof with Theodore and me. Never have
! l found described on the page Of any book
| made by uninspired hands SO tender and NOV
| ing spectacle as TheOdora's attempt to call
| her lovers reason back again. But all in vai'
| Listless and silent, with an indescribably sad
and weary expression upon his face, our dear
! Writ wandered about the old house. Conscious
that their sympathy could sound but hollow
| and meaningless our friends gradually ceased
| 10 inquire ABOUT uiul UT menllOU Ills name. lie
was as if dead and yet permitted to wear the
guise of the living. Our once bright and happy
| home became month by month more and more
like tomb tenanted by the quick in company
\ with the dead.
Even my own health, till then exceptionally
rugged, began to show signs Of this terrible
| drag upon it, and seeing in this natures warn
| ing finger / bethought myself at once of max
ing all possible earthly provision for the future
care and comfort OF my loved ones. particu-
i larl u.nf,, h<x- ~
it became necessary for me to have new will
| drawn and gave many hours Of reflection to
| this most important subject.
| Bramwell Iokel had served me 80 faithfully
and had such implicit confidence in the man
| that proceeded to name him the guardian
and trustee Of the person and property Of nv
son and my sole executor. To my beloved
| Theodore, whom 1 wished to have stand by
herself. independent of the world in every re-
spect. gave nv mill property. to her and to
her heirs and assigns forever. To Yokel
| willed not only good share of nv estate abso-
lutely, but also named him as one of nv re-
| siduary legatees and devisees. All the rest and
residue of my property gave and devised to
| 1okel in trust for my Writ. said trust to
| cease and determine Immediately III case he
should recover his reason. and in the event of
his departing this life and leaving no issue his
share was 70 fall into and form part Of my re-
| siduary estate.
| Yokel was extremely grateful to me when 1
made known to him the provisions of my will
| and promised in a solemn manner to regard
| the trust as the most sacred duty of his life.
Instead Of lifting little. as at one time it
| had seemed they might the clouds of sorrow
now settled down more thickly than ever upon
| our ill-starred freside. Writ grew worse. and
| his mania took on a more dangerous character
| He required constant watching. for he ap-
peared to take delight in tearing into shreds
the hangings and draperies of the house. and
SO irresistible was this strange tendency to de-
| stroy that it led him upon several occasions to
| set fire to the out buildings This exacerba-
| ton OF his symptoms laid leaden hand on
Theodora's heart. She went about the house
| like some poor. pallid creature escaped from a
fever ward and wandering aimlessly hther and
| thither in the continuing stupor of narcotic
me to turn our whole attention to her in order
| to save her life. / finally succeeded in in
| spring her with hope which found no place
in my own heart, and at the same time i'm
pressed upon her the necessity of bearing ND
| bravelv against this terrible misfortune in
order that our poor Writ might be sure of
| having a kind and loving hand ever ready to
minister unto his wants.
| II was nv ustom to take nv after dinner Gun
| of coffee III my laboratory. where never failed
| to bring my brain To the molecular quietude so
| favorable to thought But on this particular
| afternoon nv pipe tasted bad to me and the
| effect upon my nervous system-first stimulat-
! ing, then depressing and finally narcotizing it,
feel into a deep but unnatural sleep and sat