Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-02-09

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| his absence.
That night, try as i would, / could not
sleep l was always n nervous child, and
the past week had wrought upon my SEN
sitive organization disturbance that for
babe sleey 1t was not unusual for me at
such times to get out of bed, and slipping
past the sleeping maid who watched me,
go wandering over the house in my night
dress; my feet were bare, so | made no
noise.
Somebody else was abroad. Just as 1 en-
tered the long hall that passed Granther
Mayhew's chamber, door which led from
this hall to a terrace, from which you de-
bcended to the garden opened and Sadie
crept through it and down the hall toward
Gran ther Mayhew's room.
The moon shone down the passage but
dimly, so that could not see her face but
L knew it was Sadie, and in another mo-
ment she might have seen me, but another
form half thrust through the partially open
terrace door drove me back into shadow.
1t was Colin BalfOur, and after hesitating
briefly he came slowly down the hall Sadie
stood by Gran'ther Mayhew's door still;
she seemed to me TO be holding herself up
| by the doorpost. She turned swiftly as
Colin Balfour approached, and dropping
upon her knees extended her hands clasped
as If imploring
For answer he turned shortly on his heel
and moved nOiselessly toward the terrace
door.
Sadie dropped an instant and followed
him.
They stood in the full moonlight now,
and | could see Colin Balfour's scowling
brows and Sadie's uplifted glittering eyes.
She shook her head, and clasping her hands
across his shoulder laid her cheek upon
them. Colin Balfour put an arm around
her and bent his face a moment to hers;
then he led her down the hall again toward
Gran ther Mayhew's door, released her and
stood while she slowly advanced.
| can give no name to the sensations that
were mine while | watched these two. II
was something worse than terror, yet akin
to that-somethlnR that made me long to
put my arms around Sadie and hold her
fast-faster than any baby arms had
strength She opened the door Of Gran'ther
Mayhew's room and vanished within. Sud
denly, swift az thou. ht, ran back to my
own chamber, which opened upon piazza
which ran by Granther Mayhew's win
dows. My own windows were open Hers
might be.
Stepping out | ran quickly along; Gran
theirs windows were open, and as dropped
lightly over the ledge into the chamber
the old man lay peacefully sleeping, and
Sadie stood before his bed, small, dark
vial In one hand. the water goblet from
which gran'ther drank through the night
In the other. But she was shaking so that
she could not hold the goblet, and setting
1t down again, she stood quaking and aw-
fully white
Heaven knows what guided my child
ish steps to her side, Sr put simple and
most natural words in my mouth at such a
time.
Sister Sadie, said, throwing my arms
around her, what scares your"
She stared at me a moment, then caught
me TO her, and dropping upon the floor,
strained me in n frantic embrace:
"Oh, Gretal Gretai thank God you have
comei Oh, Greta, save mer'
Was she afraid of Colin BalfourY
fancied 50, and trembling at my own dar-
ing ran and turned the key in the door.
Then | went back to Sa lie and she opened
her arms eagerly, and / fell asleep so, and
walked up 50, just as morning was break
ing. Sadie seemed never to have closed her
eyes, and her face was still very white, but
IL was the old sweet, kind face again, sad
but something in IL that made me whisper
wonderfully:
Are you good again, Sadief"
"I'm not so bad as might have been but
for you, darling" she returned with a
strange look, and leading me out into the
hall, where was now no Colin Balfour, she
went with me TO my bed and lay down be
side me till the servants were stirring. ]
slept again and was awakened by hurrying
steps and alarmed exclamations
Gran'ther Mayhem was dead
A small vial of laudanum was found on
the carpet beside the bed, and IL was at first
supposed that he had died from an overdose
of laudanum. But n medical examination
showed that he had come to his sudden
death by perfectly natural causes An acute
disease which had long preyed upon him,
without the knowledge Of any save himself
and his physician, had suddenly set its
fangs In his heart while he slept.
That night when they had dressed Gran
ther Mayhem for his last rest, Sadie took
me in TO see him There with my hand In
one of hers, and the other laid upon her
dead husbands breast, she vowed vow
never more to look upon the face Of Colin
Balfour.
He tried 10 see her when all was over, but
1t was In vain. She sent him by my hand
the vial Of laudanum, and by my lips the
witness TO her vow Buffalo News