Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-10-14

IL need hardly De added that n amy
the mulattress, had followed her maste
| to his new home, where shewas des
tined to become, what she had bee
everywhere and at all times, to wit,
creature upon whose devotion he coul
depend in the most absolute sense o
the word. Little Waits nurse had bee
discharged although she had offered =
devote herself to the care of Mrs. Al
laire. The other servant was provis
ionally retained at the cottage, for Nan
ny would have found it quite out of tn
question to do all the work of the house
hold.
Lew Barker no doubt had in mind tn,
fact that all those who were interested
In Mrs Allaire's condition would con
slider it most fortunate thing that sh,
should be in her cousins care Mr.. An
drew Hollister himself was forced Il
acknowledge that she could not be il
better hands. Whenever he called he wa.
careful to note whether there was any
tendency to improvement, for he still
indulged the hope that he might not bt
called upon to announce to Capt. Johr
by cable to Singapore or to Calcutta the
double misfortune-the death of his
child and of-for was she not dead, too
And yet five weeks had now gone by
and there had not flashed single glim
mer of intelligence through that men.
tai gloom. In the presence of this calm
mild, Indifferent condition, UNMARRIED by
any physiological disturbance, the ply.
sicians seemed to lose all hope, and il
was not long before they discontinued
their visits.
Whenever Lew Barker for some rea-
son or other was obliged TO he absent
for day, the mulattress had orders to
keep close watch upon Mrs. Allaire.
Without appearing In any way to inter
fere with Kate, she took good care to
leave her rarely or never alone with
Molly, and to report faithfully to her
master whatever she had observed in
Molly's condition She showed great
ingenuity in getting rid of people who
came to inquire about the captains
wife. Shs assured them that the doc
tors had ordered that no callers should
be admitted, that absolute quiet was
necessary, that the sound of strange
voice might bring on a fit of violence.
And Mrs. Barker herself was inclined to
side with Nanny when the latter thus
got rid of callers whom possibly nothing
but idle curiosity brought to Prospect
cottage. In this way the captains wife
gradually became isolated from the
world
Poor Molly" thought Kate. 'uf her
condition grows worse, II her lunacy
loses its mild character and she becomes
subject to outhursts, they will take her
away from me, they will shut her up in
an asylum and she will be lost to mel
Oh, no. God grant that this may not
happen. Who could possibly care for
her with the same degotion rs I2e
During the third week of May Kate
proposed that they should try an ec-
casional walk in the neighberhood, hop
ing that her cousin would gain some
benefit from them. Lew Barker made
no objection, merely directing that
Nanny should go along with them.
Mrs Allaire therefore left the cottage
one day, Rates arm being affectionately
entwined in hers. She permitted her
self to be led forth like a person without
wish or will, going whittier she was
conducted without taking any interest
in anything.
At the outset thesa walks had no ap-
preciable effect upon the patient. How
ever, the mulattress soon began TO OBJ
serve that Molly's emotion gave eyi-
dent signs OF Modification. Her habit
ual composure was interrupted by
symptoms of mental excitation, which
might be productive Of harmful results.
On several occasions the sight Of little
children whom she met in the street
threw her into state of violent nerv-
GUS excitement. Did they not awaken
in her a recollection of the one she had
lost? Did not thought of little Walt
flash across her mind? However this
may be and admitting that 1t was
natural to regard this change as fav-
orable one, yet the fact is that 1t pre-
cipitated cerebral disturbance calcu-
lated to aggravate the maiady.
In one of these walks Mira. Barker
and Nanny had conducted Molly to the
summit of Knob hill She had taken q
seat with her face turned seaward, but
It seemed as II her mind was as empty
Of thought as her eyes were full of va
cancy.
Suddenly her face frightened, a tremor
shot through her form, her eyes lighted
up with strange glow, and, raising
her trembling hand, she pointed at a
white spot away out 10 sea-
"Lookl Loolxl'' she cried.
1t was a sail standing out sharp and
clear against the sky, as the SUMS rays
clothed II with dazzling whiteness.
"Look! Look" repeated Molly In
tones SO strange as to seem scarcely to
have fallen from human lips.
Kate's eyes followed her cousins
movements with startled look in them
and the mulattress with censuring
shake of the head reached quickly out
and laid hold of Molly's arm.
"Come, comet" she cried.
But the words didn't seem to reach
Molly's ears.
"Come, dear Molly, comet" pleaded
Kate. And with these words she tried
to lead her away, to turn her gaze
away from that sail, hung like glisten-
ing white curtain on the far western
sky. Molly resisted.
''No, nor she cried, pushing Nanny
aside with startling vigor.
But this mental e1citation ended sud-
denly. The sun passed under a cloud
and the white and glistening vision
faded into nothingness. Once more
Molly's arms dropped listlessly by her
side, the vacant stare came back to her
eyes and all consciousness of the situa-
ton ceased Then Kate took her by
the hand and she allowed herself to be
led quietly back to Prospect cottage.
From now on, by Lew Barker's direc-
tions, Molly was not to be taken for a
walk outside of the villa grounds.
1t was at this juncture that Andrew
Hollister decided to inform Capt. John
of everything that had happened, the
mental alteration of Mrs. Allaire hav-
ing now taken on all the symptoms of a
chronic disorder. 1t was not to Singapore
whence the Dreadnaught must already
have sailed, after putting in there as
had been contemplated; 1t was to Cal
cutta that he cabled long message
which John would find upon reaching
that port in the Indies. But, although
Mr.. Hollister had given up all hope
with regard to Molly, still, in the opin-
ion of the physicians, 1t was possi-
BILE that her mental condition might
undergo some change in the event
Of her experiencing some violent shock
-as for example, the return of her hus-
band and her coming suddenly face to
face with him. This chance, 1t is true,
,,as ba oplv ono onl oI-