The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-08
BATH II.
Now FIRST PUBLISHED

stNnu shall OOb RO luusA Ou AAASs aS'
leave me thus! Who are you that would
leave mes You are 1! You were myselfn
I cried in tones the agony Of which pierced
NV own ears, and made my heart and brain
ache
He vswned and stroked his head, and
Looked around him lazily. with a happy
smile, as though taking goodhumored leave
of a place where he had made pleasant
visit He did not notice me-did not seem
to see my suppliant hands stretched out to
him-did not seem to hear my words OF
frantic appeal.
HYou cannot be such monster as TO treat
me thus! Who AN l that you should scorn
met Am not youl Was 1 not you when
Won came in here seeking this unholy bath
There is no justice In your veins If you go
In silence, if you do not take me with you
me, who brought you here!"
He stretched out one hand to the door,
and with the other Strengthened his hat upon
his head in placid peace.
drew aside with horror to avoid bis
touch. There was something indescribably
loathsome in the thought Of coming in con-
tact with that hand.
He caught the knob of the door and
turned it.
Ipulled from my breast the leather case
containing the miniature Of my wife and
child, and holding it open before him, l
said:
''By the faces Of these dear ones con-
jure you-W
The door opened. He won't through it
into the long, low passage, and the door
closed behind him before l could end the
sentence bad begun. Yet l was standing
in the open doorway, and there was not room
for twol
(which is the phantoms" cried. (Which
is the ph .ntomG-G or your
Then heard the first sound which had
reached my ears since had trod the paths
Of that soul-blighting garden. It was the
sound of a human voice-low, dOlorous
voice of infinite WEAKNESS. IL uttered but
one word, a word that froze my soul with
horror.
A moment after l put that question.
(Which is the phantoml-I or yous" the
echo answered:
Your
staggered like man who has received
his death blow. | reeled into the middle of
the room. / would have fallen to the
ground but seizing the arm Of that
fatal chair l sank upon its luxurious cush-
ions.
For while reclned. gasping-dying.
hoped. Then my long march through the
LoIdon streets and the terrible excitement
of this morning Frustrated all my faculties
with fatigue, and sank into profound and
draamless sleep.
l Gwoke with start looked round me
in terror. rushed to the curtaiued door,
and traversed the tessella ed pavement Of
the veranda | came boldly back into
the room. and Intercepted it with fearless
eyes
No one in the garden; no one under the
veranda; no one in that room.
was alone! was myself againl / had
had waxing nightmare, an odious dream
There was no trace OF any one bue myself
in the place. The whole matter of the
figure had been a fgment of an over
wrought brain prediSposed by trouble 20
delusion.
was now fresh and vigorous, more fresh
and vigorous than had felt for weeks, ever
since my fortune disappeared. l was now
ut TO take my accustomed place in the
world A fragment of my fortune re-
manned to me- l could live on what was
left, and bring up my baby in modest com
fort. | could still afford all the necessaries
and rehnements of life. Who wanted the
luxuries when he had bread for the day. and
his Darling little Ethel to love all his life
One can never know how rich one hal
been until half his possessions are SWEEP
away.
81 will 60 home at once - thought 'sanc
take my child in my arms as did when th,
blessed tears were first vouchsafed to me.
will kiss her sweet young forehead, anC
from that moment try to Danish from M
heart my selfish grief, and live a life OF
my gracious child"
l had not noticed until now that Oh
door into the passage stood open. Th
attendant must have looked In while I wa
sleeping and forgotten 20 close the doc
when going away.
drew myself together and walked wit
frm tread out of the room, down the pas
sage, through the vestibule, into the street.
1t was o'clock. The sleep had refreshe
me wonderfully. l was now in nv 3Ot
year. had not felt so well for many
week. My step was free and elastic. M
interest in men and the world had reawak
ened. was no longer the listless and dc
spairing man of yesterday. I could an
would set my face resolutely' to the futu
for the good of my child. The bath room
with all its terrible experiences, had dor
me good. The efficacy of that place mu
have been in the air of the chamber, not
the enameled vessel under the taps.
saw it all plainly now. The instruction
on the bras, label under the taps were d,
signed merely TO insure reDose In the d
tient. Said the brass label OF the bat
Turn on the Hot tap and sit down in Il
armchair for ten minutes" All the re
had been dream until sailed forth fro
that room. / now remembered how graft
full had found the first moments of repos
Soon after sitting down, almost immed
ately, | must have fallen asleep; then ali u
til ! again found myself IN that tiled pa
sage must have been a dream. Turning
the tap liberated some subtle and pata
vapor, to which | had succumbed, and Il
curtaiaed door and the tes Sellated veranC
and the marvellous garden and the apps
ing human figure were all the mere phal
tom furniture of idle sleep lent by the fun
of some potens drug. The whole room W
the bath, not the enameled vessel: al
everything which occurred from my sittir
down to my leaving was the whole al
sole work of my disordered imagination.
Now ! felt myself new being; man II
of vigor and life, anxious to be In the wor
once again and eager to prove to myse
that / would no longer devote my days
unayailing grief, but think only of how be
to cherish and guard and lead up into gr
cious womanhood the lovely babe my lc
darling had left in my charge
For this blessed transformation thank
the bath. To all whom met should ext
its strange and precious virtues.
At that time my home was in Eltha
square, Belgravia.
Ii was now only few minutes past s, al
the child would not come down to {
hire 4xfaatsrcl0un IN UGnOdnu1ornfn