Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-08-10
LADY MAJENDIE
CHAPTER XXVI.

GSlO WV VOCtVO9I
CHAPTER XXVT.
They were dreary, miserable days
that followed. Lady Armine was very
anxious to get back to England, for her
husband kept writing to press for her
return, and Mary's term of eighteen
baths was accomplished; but she would
not leave Perdita till all the arrange
ments were over, and news had come
that the sad unattended funeral had
taken place at Stafford.
Mr.. Lowell was in no condition to
travel quickly, and DR.. Schafhaus
strongly urged that he should not be
disturbed in any way until he had
somewhat recovered from the stupOr
into which de seemed to have sunk.
1t was Jack who made every arrange
ment-to whom Perdita appealed for
help as she would have done to a
brother.
Jacques was travelling in Spain, and
it seemed probable that the letters
were following him from place to
place.
Lady Armine was consoled in leav-
inn Perdita by her assurance that he
would come to Redfield the very mo-
ment he heard of what had happened.
Dita drove down to the station to see
them off, and on the way she could
hardly suppress her tears. They had
nearly half an hour to wait in the new,
highly-varnished sale d'attente, and
she felt as if every moment were a re-
prieve. Lady Armine made her prom
ise to write often, and to let them know
her plans, and how poor Andrew went
on; and the three girls kissed and en-
braced each other warmly.
The little tinkling bell began at last,
and the large German train rolled into
the station.
'I have never thanked you. | have
not known how to thank YOU said
Perdita, as Lady Armine pressed her
in her arms.
"God bless you, my dear child.
Good-by."
They were hurried off to take their
places, and she could no longer see
Jack waving his hat out of the window.
Then she went sadly back tothe chalet.
Andrew was always sitting in the
veranda among the oleanders. Per-
dita used to light his little carved pipe
and give it to him. but it always went
out and he laid it down. She was
frightened at his apathy. and longed
eagerly for ,JaQues to come.
Then about the end of August the
weather changed. One night Perdita
was awakened by the roar of the wind
which came rushing through the val
lev. it was so wild and loud that she
rose ND and stole in Andrews room to
see if he also was awake. No, he was
sleeping heavily without movement:
and she went back to her room and
with some difficulty succeeded En clos
ing the shutters firmly.
The next morning the valley was full
of clouds which lay in white solid
masses along the sides of the hills, and
the trees were bending almost double
in the storm. All the gayly-dressed
people disappeared from garden and
balconies, the band sounded family
from within the Kurhaus, and the
shattered flowers of the oleanders
strewed the walks.
Andrew was driven indoors, and sat
bonding over his desk, vainly trying
to write letters.
For two days the wind Blew and the
valley was thick with clouds. then it
went down suddenly and thick pelt-
ing rain began to fall necessarily. They
were chilled with the damp: and Bad
field was so completely a summer place,
=
the rooms.
AT last Andrew, to D6ta's great de-
light, said that he wished to go home
The very fact of his expressing wish
was something gained. Jaques had not
been heard of, but Ditto knew that he
often travelled without leaving his adj
dress, and though distressed she was
not surprised. She made every ar
rangement; and on one day, stall more
wet and dreary than usual, they babe
adieu to Badfeld. and started OH their
long journey to Bale.
Dita felt her spirits rise as they
emerged from the valley into the open
country, gradually, as they left the
mountains behind them, getting into
| finer weather. They did not reach
Bale till night. and Andrew was so tired
and worn out that Dita was afraid to
push on their journey as she had in
tended, and devised with the courier a
rout by which they would best shorten
the travelling for each day. The first
day to Troyes, the second to Sens, the
third to Paris.
They reached Troyes late on Satur~
day night, and Andrew went at once
to bed Dita hoped that by resting
there on Sunday he would be able to
! go on MONDAY. OUT she was disappointed.
| The next morning he was unable to
rise front his bed, and suffered from
violent pains in the head and limbs.
The hotel was but an old-fashioned
inn, the upstairs rooms opening into
an open-air gallery on wooden pillars
which ran all round the little square
courtyard. The rooms were quiet
and clean, but very few travellers seemed
to pass through Troyes; and Dita felt il
would be terribly lonely if Andrews
indisposition increased to a severe
illness.
She sent for the doctor, who had
nothing to recommend but soothing
ptisane and patience. And she could
only sit by Andrew, bathing his brow
and soothing him, and feeling yer,
helnless and disconsolate.