St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-31

wrong in what you say she told you.
'She looked at him half defiantly,
half pleadingly for an instant, then
she said.
Then you doubt my word?'
He lowered his eyes.
"You do she said; it will kill me,
my God J and she reeled and sank to
the floor. My hero could not formu-
late an idea. He sprang to her and
tried to lift her up, but he had no
strength. He knelt beside her. Her
eyes were tightly closed, her cheeks
slightly flushed and warm. While
he knelt there a picture flashed into
his mind of his boyhood when he had
seen his little sister swoon. He re-
membered her white face and partly
closed eyes. He tried to drive it
from him, but it came between him
and the pink face on the carpet. He
was not frightened, and he spoke to
her as-as if she were conscious"
"Oh P'-The old man seemed to
regret his involuntary exclamation
for he fumbled awkwardly with a
penwiper and with his eyes mutely,
invited the young man to continue.
Presently he lifted her up and put
her on lounge and stood by her.
1t did not occur to him to ring for
assistance. She opened her eyes
slowly and looked at him as if she
were waking from a dream.
where am ?" she asked.
He did not reply.
ooh, | know now" she said be-
ginning to cry. L felt sharp pain
at my heart, and-and l must have
tainted. Oh, why did you say what
you did When a woman loves a
man with her whole soul it is awful
to have him doubt her. Don't do it
again, could never bear it !"
He could not speak. He only sat
by her side and gazed into her face
his brain in tangle. There was
something lurking in her beautiful
eyes that chilled his every hope. She
read his mind and avoided his eyes
~ think | had better 60 to my
room, she said in strange, bafflec
tone. Tomorrow shall fell better
Good night
He staggered out into the quiet
street. He ordered his coachman tt
60 home without him, and he walk
ed for an hour through the deserted
streets. Toward morning he plung
ed into his club. He saw only ont
man he knew, a young doctor. Thi
friend looked at him a moment an(
said:
II must call a cab and take 20,
home you are ILL
I'm all right my hero replied
but his voice sounded like that of ;
consumptive on the verge of tn
; grave. He drew the doctor dow
on settee beside him and went OF
in an off-hand manner:
Doc, you know try to write fc
ton. am at work now on story
, and when | get plot into my hea'
: and do not know if l am stain,
, things just right from a scientifi
t point of view am uneasy, and ar
. like good many writers who can
: rest till story is finished; you ca
, give me some advice
We'll, what is the trouble?' aske
the doctor; I'm no encyclopedia
though.
"In my story" said the fellow,
have to describe the appearance G
somebody young lady when sh
swoons, you know, from some sud
den surprise, or blow, or disappoint
ment. Tell me how she would look
That's very simple said tn
physician. She would be as pale a
if she were dead-about the color o
a channels skin, and as cold and clam
my as oyster
But in-in my story-my charac
ter, when she taints, must not los
her natural color
"Bosh! Then the medical fratern
ity would boot at you, and every
body else who ever saw the counter
ance of a swooning woman
THANK you, my hero said, and
and her eyes would be tightly closed
and
mo; her eyes will have to be slight
ly open, enough to see the whites Q
them atleast.'
But
"Well.
Nothing, that is all wanted tt
know. Good night. l shall g
home now and sleep
"But he did not sleep that nigh
and but little afterward. The fellow
was completely undone.'
Leecraft was standing at the win
dow looking out at the crowded
street. The old man rose and wen
to him, his uuderlip twitching. HI
put his arm around his neck.
That is not the end of the story,
he said, huskily.
eyes, it is"
Tut, tut it's all right, so far, but
it must close more artistically-more
naturally. Your whole-souled hero
deserves better fate than to be left
in despair on account of one design