The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-03

sne mad not parted with her senses during
his absence.
That night, try as Twould, could not
steep. L was always nervous child, and
.nc past week had wrought upon my SEN
si,lVe organization disturbance that for
babe sleep 1t was not unusual for me at
such times to get out of bed, and, slipping
pasC thc sleeping maid who watched me,
go wandering over the house in my night
uress; my feet were bare, so | made no
loisc
Somebody else was abroad Just as en-
tcred the long hall that passed Gran'ther
Mayhcw's chamber, n door which led from
ihis hail to Il terrace, from which you de-
scenucd to the garden, opened and Sadie
crept through it and down the hall toward
Grant Their Mayhcw's room.
The moon shone down the Dnssnpo Inf
dimly, SO that could not see her face, but
knew it was Sadie, and i'll another mo-
ineht she might have seen me, but another
form half thrust through the partially open
terrace door drove me back into shadow.
twas 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 ms
Colin Balfour approached, and dropping,
upon her knees extended her hands claspcd
rs if implorng
For answer he turned shortly on his heel
and moved noisclcssly toward the terrace
door,
Sadie dropped an instant and followed
him.
They stood i'll tho full moonlight now,
and l could see Colin Balfour's scowlinr
brows and Sadic's upliftcd giittcrinp eyes
She shook her head, and clasping her hands
across his shoulder laid her check upon
,hcm. COIN Balfour put an arm around
her and bent his face Il moment to hers.
then he led her down the hall again toward
Gran ther Mayhcw's door, released her and
stood while she slowly advanced.
can give no name to the sensations that
were mine while | watched these two. It.
was something worse than terror, vet akin
10 thtt-Somcthing that made me LONG to
put my arms around Sadie and hold her
iast-fastcr than any baby arms had
strength. She opened the door of Gran'ther
Aayhew's room and vanished within. Sud
denly, swift as Thought, 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 he.
Stepping out ran quickly along; Gram
TIERS 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 i'll one hand the water goblet from
which gran'thcr drank through the night
IN the other But she was shaking so that
she could not bold the goblet, and settinr
1t down again, she stood quaking and aw-
fully white
Heaven knows what guided nv child
ish steps to her side, Sr put simple and
most natural words in my mouth mt sucb n
time
Sister Sadie" said throwing my arms
around her, what scarcs your,
one stared mt me moment, then caught
me to her, and dropping upon the floor,
strained Inc i'll II frantic embrace:
ON, Greta! Greta! thank God you have
come! OH Grcta, save mc!'
Was she afraid of Colin Balfour?
tancied so, and trembling ut my own OAR
ing ran and turned the key in the door.
Then went back to Sadie, and she opened
her arms eagerly, and foil asleep So and
walked up so, just as morning was break
ing. Sadie seemed never to have closed her
eyes, and her face was still very white, but
1t was the old sweet, kind face again. sad.
but something in it that made me whispcr
wonderfully:
Are you good again, Sadic?"
I'm not so bad as might have been but
for You, darling" she returned with n
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 hllrryinc
steps and alarmed cXclamations
Gran'ther Mayhem was dead!
y small vial of laudanum was found on
the carpet beside the bed, and it was at first
supposed that he had died from an overdose
OF iaudanum. But Il medical examination
showed that lie had come to his sudden
death by perfectly natural causes. Anacutc
disease which had long preyed upon him.
without the knowledge OF any save himself
and his physician, had suddenly set its
fangs i'll his heart while he slept.
That night when they had dressed Gram
Their 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 n vow
never more to look upon the face of Colin
Balfour
He tried to 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.-Buifalo News.