The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-09-28
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ace IL she was not indulging her chllS-
ish petulance 20 q rude excess There
was no childish pctulaDce imprinte1
upon the small white face before him;
instead. hard passionless gravity
which puzzled and alarmed him lie
had heard Of these nervous complaints
di.ordering a woman's intellect Per
hans the climate did not agree with his
wife. II Chalmers, after examination,
said so, he would take her away. He
spoke ~ her soothingly:
Celeste was a wiser nurse than
took her for had no business coming
I'm here 70 talk to my little sick wife.
am going. Norrie, and ] shant come
back until you send for me, darling.
Only don't keep me away too long
miss you so, dear So do all the boys
] wish"
"stopl stop stop" It was a cry Of
pain
He did stop, and stood wonder
ingly silent while she went on impetu-
ously:
You are talking TO me as II were o
lunatic or a child. A child you know /
am not A lunatic possibly might be-
come, II falseness. deceit, cowardice,
duplicity In a man were all that WAS
necessary to make a lunatic of WON
an. When | said that ! hated you
meant it! When said that l wanted
| you never 10 touch me again / meant 1t!
| When recoiicd from your toach as
would from that of reptile, meant 1T
| You are a reptile, John Lorimer!"
| He blanched at her scathing denunci.
alton of him, and. turning his face from
! her, he stood with folded arms looking
down into the fire. 1t was on record in
the medical journals, he reminded him
self, that people frequently turned upon
! their very dearest friends when demen-
tia seized upon them. Chalmers must
be summoned at once. he would not
| add to her excitement By single word.
She stopped speaking. He could hear
the tumultuous breathing that lifted
the folds of her white wrapper In bill.
lows of passion After little while
her breath came more placidly.
SIS that all, Nora?" he turned and
asked her, quietly To soothe her ex-
cited nerves was his one object Just
! then.
| THAT Is all Is it not enough?"
'Quite enough In the way of con-
| demnation."
| He had turned towards the door.
"You are going?" she asked, drearily.
''Is not that what you want me to
dor"
Yes And you have not one word in
self -defense?"
Not one You know my theory
always has been that the very worst q
good woman can think of man falls
far short Of his deserving. hope you
will feel better tomorrow, Nora Try
to sleep now, dear"
He was gonel She looked stupidity at
the wooden panels of the door through
which he had disappeared.
mot one word in self-defense! He
could not look me in the face and defend
himself That much to his credit. And
now let me finish my work"
She resumed her writing. Her pen
fairly flew over the paper. Sheet after
sheet she filed, folded, envesGPed and
! directed, until four closed envelopes lay
before her, upon one only Of which she
put government stamp When Celeste
brought her luncheon to the door, she
found herself locked ont When she
knocked two or three hours later, and
Informed "madame" that she was there
with the dinner tray, she was still
locked out When she came again a,
lamp light, craving permission to put
the child to bed. the door was opened
sufficiently wide for Ninette to creep in
and through the cre-ics Celeste was In
formed that Mrs. Lorimer would attend
to the child herself that night. Sht