Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-08-03

her in German. which Andrew did not
understand Perdita felt as if her heart
would break, but she was quite calm,
and set herself to do what the doctor
told her.
After about an hour Mamie opened
her eyes with long soft sigh. She
was silent, and her eyes wandered from
one to another with a wondering,
scarcely conscious expression.
"Her strength is at it's lowest ebb, :"
whispered the doctor. ''You must try
to get it up by every means"
About half-past ten Lady Armine ar
rived, and offered to stay all night,
which they thankfully accepted. The
doctor desired that Summers should go
to bed, that there might be one quite
fresh in the morning. Andrew seemed
thoroughly stunned; he said nothing,
but sat holding Nannie's hand in his,
and looking at her without moving,
and they let him stay.
Every now and then the deadly faint
ness came back, terrifying the watch
ers. Perdita felt as if she should not
have known how to bear it without
Lady Arlnine's calm experience and
active help, who told her what to do,
and who was full of resource. When
morning dawned they trusted that the
worst was over, for Mamie slept.
Lady Armine and Perdita urged
Andrew to follow their example and
go to bed for a few hours, leaving Sum-
mers and the doctor both with the pa
tent; and he allowed himself to be per-
suaded.
Perdita did not wake till two o'clock,
and she found Lady Armine already
back in the Bellevue. Her ladyship
would not let her return until she had
eaten something, and made Mildred
see that she did SO,
Nannie's condition appeared to have
changed; there was pink flush on her
cheeks, and light in her blue eyes
and she seemed to be wandering. It
was piteous to see how Andrew seemed
in that one night to have become quite
an old man, looking helplessly from
Perdita to Lady Armine for comfort
and encouragement. The doctor said
that nothing more could be done but to
watch for every change. Her pulse
was fast and intermittant, and she was
not conscious.
They sat by her all the day, fore
stalling with strong restoratives the
tendency to fainting. In the evening
they were startled to hearing her say,
almost in her natural voice, ANDY, are
you there?'
eyes, wife, am holding your hand"
81 have asked mother, honey, and
she says we may walk together after
church, and take the children after
blackberries; there are SO many this
year by Goodman's stile. Daisy does
nothing but low all day, and 1 cannot
make her happy; she had better 60
back to the islands,"
''She is wandering," said Lady Ar
mine, softly.
''She is living again in the past, said
Andrew dreamily. Mamie, wife,
Daisy died long ago
II remember, i" she said, II was MAX
ing a cowslip ball, for the wine was
finished, and mother gave me the rest
of the flowers, remember Daisy would
not touch her food, and gave her the
cowslip ball, and she ate that, land she
laughed family.
''Those We're bright days, Nannie,"
murmured Andrew.
''It is very pretty, Andy" she went
on, her eyes wandering around. "And
it is like you to have filled that jug
with walltlowers. | shall get used to
town after a bit. Let me put out moth
cr's loaf, nothing SO pure as homemade
bread in London
you were happy, wife?'
''Oh yes, I'll be happy after a bit,
but it comes strange when you've been
used. to the country: and you'll put up
with me if | am dazed-liked at first?"
Il was not patient enough, Mamie"
"Never say that, honey. I am not
clever-I can't always understand what
you say, but you are rarely good to me,
and | would not have cried over a hasty
word if had not been so muddled to-
day. am silly and ignorant body
for you to love, Andy"
mo, dear, dear, wife"
Still her fancy went wandering on
sometimes she was walking in the lanes
with her clever young London lover,
sometimes fretting over the blacks that
would sully the white curtains she
priced. And so for three days it went
on, Andrew always sitting by her, and
answering as though he shared and
followed her thoughts in very strange
way. One day was very sad: she
thought she held her little child in her
arms, and rocked it, and spoke to it as
though it lived, and then held it dead
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might not take it away; but after that
it was always the same soft babbling
of green fields and rural games, and
work-she repeated simple village
hymns one after another.
And there was nothing to be done:
nature had broken down-there was
only the waiting till the feeble light
should flicker out.
Mildred came one morning to the
door of the chalet and knocked very
softly. Perdita came out, looking very
worn and pale.
Il have called to say that mamma is
coming, and she wishes you to come
out for little while with me, Dita. :"
she said, kissing her atfectionately.
Il will come; mother is very quiet
now, and Summers is with her. Thank
you, dear Milly, it will do me good"
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