The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-02
CHAPTER wv.
jealousy.

For the first time In Sparkle Brooke's
life she felt the sting of jealousy. but
scarcely comprehended what It was. Be
fore this event she never realized how
truly she loved that man. even when
bending over him at the foot of the hill
in the moonlight, and looking at his up
turned face. she had not that strange,
foreboding feeling. mingled with grief,
suspicion hate and anguish, that she
had now. AS he had no sister. and his
mother was dead. there could be no ex-
PLANTATION of the letter except that it
was from a sweetheart. The penman-
ship on the envelope suggested a refine
ment and education that the girl of a
country village could not lay claim TO.
The perfume and the size of the envel-
ope precluded all business ideas, and his
embarrassment settled the rest; then to
remember the beautiful photograph of
the woman in Philadelphia, with
the same odor the letter carried,
perfect; each truth squared with the
other truth. He was not only wicked
but he was false She could have for
given him for all else but double deal
ingS to a woman, a JanuS-faced lover is
the greatest criminal.
Carl Brandon was distressed, even
more deeply, if that could possibly be,
than the wretched girl. He had begun
to look upon her as a strange kind of
female deity. She had brought him back
to physical life, and now she was strug
Cling to carry him up out of his moral
putrescence, and out of the dark night
of his vice, to a higher life, a purer
light. She was daily patiently waiting
on him as gentle as a mother would
care for a sick child at the same time
min let m mo FQl " a sod
nature, hoping, trusting. praying that
the worse disease might be cured by the
time his wounds were healed. Her
whole life and strength was flowing out
and sacrificing her daily and hourly
upon the altar he. love had erected
He had just been thinking how it was
telling upon her, and thinking Sparkle
could not long stand the burdens she
was bearing. If she should give way
at this time, what would become of him,
or worse, what would become of her?
He hoped for an opportunity to explain,
expecting at each interview the girl to
take the initiative, and she expecting
him to, so each interview ended with
giving the potions as the doctor had
directed and i'm feeding him the most
dainty, little dishes she could prepare,
or the handing of a cup of water. When
this was done, Sparkle did not linger at
his bedside to cheer him, but withdrew
Her absence was even more painful to
MIN imam ner presence. Days went on
in this way. the girl now having passed
from the province of a sweetheart to
that of a sister of charity, attending the
sick man as a pure Christian duty, real
izing that he could never be more to
her than a man whom she pitied. The
door of anticipation was forever closed
Between her and Carl Brandon a great
gulf had quickly interviewed, and in that
gulf was a woman. The meetings, and
these attentions she paid him, were re-
peated over and over while the wag-
ging tongues of the village gossipers
told village tales.
One day while Sparkle vas attending
her patient, as usual with that calm
kindness, bending over him with that
pale, sad face, no more lighted with
smiles, he as calmly thanking her for
each attention, and as she was about
to take her departure, he said:
Sparkle, would you please see il
there are any letters for me today? %
AS she was only too glad to be of
any service to him, she accepted with
that sad reserve. Certainly, Mr.. Bran
dom.
She had not said Carl since she
fetched him the perfumed letter Throw
ing light shawl over her shoulder, and
taking a sun-bonnet that she had worn
since her face became gale, that it
might be hid, she was off 20 the Office
! This time she received but one letter
for the sick man, and that was just
| like the one she had carried before,
written in the same hand, and perfumed
| with the same odor. If the bystanders,