Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-02-15
CHAPTER II.

|
Upon reaching the privacy of her
own room Angelics's first procedure
was to ring the bell for the maid.
| "PhBbe," she said to the girl, hold
ing up her handkerchief to hide the
rsyages of grief on her face, my tooth
aches dreadfully. Didn't the doctor
give you some stuff for your neuralgia
the other day?"
"Yes, Miss Rose" replied the sym
pathetic maid: sit was morphia, and
sent me to sleep Immediately. Would
you like me to lend you the bottle?"
81 wish you would, Phe "a" sail
Angelica, pressing her cheek suggest
lively. "My tooth is so bad that 1 shall
not be able to go down to dinner to-
night"
In q few minutes Phoebe, snail
phial in her hand, returned to Miss
| Roses room.
"Be very careful, miss" she said
| impressively. You mustn't take more
| than half teaspOonful"
Angelica smiled painfully; and eau
tioning Phoebe not to allow any one to
| disturb her for her dinner, saw the
maid depart down the corridor. Then
going to the wardrobe she hastily eI-
|
tea-gown.
II may as well look nice even if am
going to die" she sail, taking down
her wealth of golden hair snd care
fully arraying it in loose waves over
her shoulder. "Perhaps Aloysius may
come and look at my corpse whea he
hears how l could not live without
him.
She surveyed herself not without ad-
miration III the long mirror; then turn
ing away with little shudder, took
up the phial.
| ''Ughl" she said, wettinS her finger
with the yellow liquid and putting it
| to her moutl. How nasty it fastest"
deep sigh escaped her lips; she sat
down and began to thiuk pityiRgly of
! herseif-how young she was to die, and
| how she never dreamed 20 leave the
world as an old maid.
''But L cannot live to see Juliana
triumph over me, she said, Tesolutely
pouring out the liquid in a glass.
| Perhaps il Clifton had no. deserted
me, nasty cruel thing r'-beginniU to
! sniff a ltttle-"I shouldn't have been
| compelled to take this horrible stutf. q"
Carefully measuring out treble the
| quantity Phosbe hal mentioned as the
right dose, Angelica took up the lass
| prepared to draIu off the morpliu It
one gulp.
''If only had chocolate almond
to eat after 1t, she thought bitterly.
"But even that pleasure has been
wrested from me by cruel fate. Oh,
Clifton! why did 1 refuse the box of
chocolates you offered me the other
day?"
AT this remembrance she shook her
head sorrow,ully; then casting path
etio glance round the room she said
sadly: Goodbye, everybody. Good
bye, Clifton. Goo i-bye, beloved
Aloysius," and, with ons final grimace,
raised the glass to her lips. and drank
| off the nauseous contents.
| Had known how horrid morphia
WAS, even for Aloysius L could never
have taken it, she said, wiping her
lips again and again. But now 1 will lie
down. Alas! l shall never wake
againl"
While Angelica was thus sadly engaged
Julia ns in the meantime had success
! fully completed her toll tie and hal
| tripped jOyfully down stairs to the Ii
brary. In this sombrely furnished
room the Reverend Aloysius st. John
| Was NOul W sptuu
time In the perusal of ecclesia>t tical lit
| erature, and not for the first time was
it that Miss Dell had interrupted his
reading of the Fathers" in order to
| receive absolution for some pecca
diIlo committed during the day.
But this evening no severe co1nten-
! ance returned the gaze of the radiant
Juliana; the confessional chair was
drawn up to its usual place, the "Life
of st. Jerome" lay open on the table,
but the beloved priest was absent from
! the sanctuary.
With disappointed sigh JulIsns sat
| down by the open window and gazed
snxiously along the bslustraded ter
| race which ran along the front of the
! house. All her thoughts centered
! them elves on her coming happiness.
| To become the wife OF the sainted
Aloysius, to minister to bis wants, to
! devote her whole life to him-whst Joy |
/ what
"And so, Aloysius, you have finally
F, decided to take this great STEP" said
! Mrs. Seymour's voice, coming from
| the direction of the terrace steps.
| "Next week, aunt, L look forward to
be received into the arms of my
bride" replied an austere voice, whose
tones thrilled on Julins's heart.
Don't be preciritate, Aioysius, :"
| said Mrs. Seymour, pausing a moment
IN her walk. "Rememher, this step
will change your whole life"
"I have counted the cost, aunt, and
shall know no rest until 1 can en-
! brace"
But the last word was lost on Juli-
ana's ear. She had risen from her
chair and had fled from the room The
near prospect of her happiness almost
sutfocated her with Joy. Aloysius had
| openly stated his intention to be mar
| ried next week. How should she calm
her beating pulse and prepare to go
through the weary ordeal of the long
drawn out dinner?
81 believe my nephew wishes to see
you," said Mrs. Seymour, coming
across to Juliana when dinner was at
last over and all the ladies had ad
iourned to the drawing-room. "Hs
asked my permission to speak to Won
in the library as he would like to make
his communication tonight"
Juliana rose from her seat, her heart
humping SO violently against her side
as to render her almost speechless, For
q moment Mr. Seymour looked stesd-
lastly ct her - though about to deliver
one OF hsr CUSTOMARY admoniaona But