Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-19
to try to persuade Miriam to yield to her

both your mother and myself are only act
ing for YOUR good. And there are reasons
grave reasons as YOU know, why your mar
Tiage should not be deferred. Your mother
has ALREADY invited your sister and her hus-
band, and after the unfortunate event that
occurred there-
ssOhi do not speak of it! do not speak of
itp' cried Miriam excitedly, covering her
face with her hands. '1s it not enough
always to think of it, always to see it, with
out it being spoken of now?"
Colonel Clyde was both Enthusiastically
shocked and startled by his daughters
words. He thought, too, that he now under
stood the reason of Mariam's unwillingness
to marry at the time her mother had settled,
and he thought also it would be wise to
leave the poor girl alone.
'Well, do not excite yourself, or you will
be ILL.," he said; 81 will talk to your mother
about it again, and for the present we had
best saw nothing more;" and with these
words he left the room and went down.
stairs, and rejoined his wife with very
grave face.
Mrs Clyde looked eagerly at him as he
entered the library.
Have you seen her?" she asked.
Eyes and Miriam (Mrs Clyde was also
She was CRYING bitterly when 1 went into
her room, and gote1ceedingly excited when
I alluded to that unhappy affair about
Young Conrav. / am afraid she must have
been more attached to him than we sup
posed. for she said she was always thinking
of it."
"And vet she never spoke of it to me in
her life"
81 fear she has thought of it, though. 1
do not think should urge her any more
about an immediate marriage. think her
mind is over-wrought at present, and that
she ought to be kept quiet"
"It is annoying and disappointing.
''No doubt it is. Well, we can see how
she is in day or two, and then perhaps
she may be more reasonable"
Mrs. Clyde felt extremely annoyed and
disconnected. And yet more so at dinner
time when Miriam sent down message that
she had a headache, and could not appear.
Ford brought down the message, and added:
''Miss Miriam looks very i'll, ma'am, and
ask ed me Just to take her up cup of tea,
as she said she could not eat anything"
And Miriam felt really ill The strain
and anxiety of the last few days had been
too much for her, and though her mother
was too angry with her to go up to inquire
how she felt, yet when she did not appear
on the following morning at breakfast she
thought it her duty to do so, and was
shocked when she saw her daughters face.
1t was white and drawn, but on both
cheeks, especially on one was an omlnous
scarlet flush, and her eyes also were heavy
and blue-rimmed.
miriam. are you not well?" asked Mrs.
Clyde, anxiously.
isNo. mother" SAID Miriam, who was still
in bed. 81 have such headache; at least.
my head feels so heavy, and L feel SO
strange .r
Mrs. Clyde stretched out her cool white
hand and took Miriam's hot and burning one.
my dear, you are feverish, she said,
now laying her hand on Miriam's aching,
throbbing brow. "You must lie in bed, nd
will send for the DOCTOR
''It will pass of, daresay, mother; only
feel SO tired
'Tt is best to be on the safe side; I think
you have taken feverish cold.'
Eyes, mother"
81 will send Ford up with some tea, and
tell her to put your room straight. Now
let me shake your pillow for you. There,
is that better?''
"Yes, thank you, mother"
Upon this Mrs. Clyde went downstairs
and told her husband she was afraid Miriam
was really i'll
'She looks feverish, and we must have a
doctor at once. What pity DR.. Wells is
away on leave, as there is only DR.. Reed,
and l scarcely like having an unmarried
man Tor girl, but it cannot be helped"
Reeds very nice fellow, and clever
fellow too; I'll send Banks for him at once;
l feel rather uneasy about Miriam" an
swered Colonel Clyde, rising from the
breakfast table and ringing the bell
Thus DR.. Reed was sent for, and arrived
in about a quarter of an hour at the Com
mandant's house. Mrs Clyde received him |
in her usual gracious fashion.
Pardon us for sending for YOU at such |
an early hour, and in such haste, " she said, |
''but 1 am sorry to say my daughter is ill; 1 |
think she has got feverish cold"
81 am very sorry to hear that, but hope |
it will be nothing serious" replied Dr..
Reed.
So Mrs Clyde took him upstairs to
Miriam's room, and as he entered it Ford's |
quick blue eyes perceived that the invalid's
face flushed painfully and her hands
trembled, and therefore Ford concluded
that her former suspicious were correct,
and that Miriam had a secret fancy for DR..
Reed.
And the doctor himself regarded Miriam
curiously as well as medically. 1t was not
a cold, he said, but she was feverish, and he
made as light Of the attack as possible |
while he was in Miriam's room, but after
he went downstairs again with Mrs. Clyde |
he spoke of it more seriously.
''1t is nervous fever, or something like |
il, " he said. Has Miss Clyde had anything
to agitate her lately?"
Colonel CLYDE looked at his wife anxious |
" as the doctor said this, but Mrs. Clyde
answered glibly enough:
''Oh, no; she has never been quite well |
though, think, since that affair on the
sands when the soldier was shot. The |
strain on her nerves was too great, I sup
pose. By the by, how is that poor mani"
''Going on very well, )" answered the doe
tor quietly, thinking all the time that he
quite understood the reason for Miss
Clyde's nervous breakdown. He, however,
OF course, gave no hint of this, but ordered
that she was to be kept perfectly quiet, and
said he would see her again in the evening.
THERE'S no danger, 1 hope?" asked
Colonel Clyde, nervously pulling at his
gray mustache.
"Oh, no; but these things sometimes
run on, and therefore nothing must
be said before Miss Clyde to agitate her in |
any way."
Mrs. CLYDE at this moment in spite of her |
ordinary calmness felt decidedly uncom-
Portable, and Colonel Clyde decidedly un-
easy. But neither parent spoke, and even |
after the doctor was gone very little was
said.
''You had best write TO Joan, and tell her |
Miriam is ill, think" said the Colonel at |
length
'iYes, L think that will be best" replied
Mrs Clyde; and in the meantime Dr. Reed |
was meditatively vending his way to the |
hospital, and presently was standing by the |
bedside of the wounded soldier Dare.
Dare had improved rapidly, but was still |
weak, and the doctor after making his |
usual medical inquiries, said with affected |