The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-22

UUSks
Trim seems to be moving with such swift
strides. After "a while he hears voice close
to him him. spcaking IN a slow. fnonotonous
tones-a voice curiously familiar to hin.
though he cannot tell to whom IL belongs.
He does not turn his head. but sits listen
ing to It drowslly. 1t Is talking about tai
low-194 casks of tallow, and they must all
stand one inside the other 1t cannot be
done. the voice complains patneticaily.
They will not go inside each other. 1t Is
no good pushing them. See. They only
roll out again.
The voice grows YEARLY fretful. oh,
why do they persist when they see it is i'm
possible! What fools they all are.
Suddenly he recollects the voice and
starts up and stares wildly ab0nt him. try
ing TO remember where he is. With q fierce
strainIng of his Will be grips the brain that
is slipping away from him and holds IL. As
soon as hes feels sure of himself he steals out
of the room and down the etalrs.
In the hall be stands. listening; the house
is very silent. He goes to the head OF the
stairs leading to the kitchen and calls
softly to the old housekeeper. and she
comes up to him, painting and granting as
she climbs each step. Keeping some dis
tsDoe from her he asks in whisper where
Anne us. The woman answers that she Is
IN the hospital.
Tell her 1 have been called away sud
denly on business" he says. speaking IN
quick, low tones; II shall be away for some
home immediately. They can do without
her here now. Tell her to 60 back home at
once. will join her there
lie moves towards the door. but stops
and faces round again.
Tell her beg aud entreat her not to
stop in this place an hour longer. There Is
nothing to keep her now. 1t is oil over;
there is nothing that cannot be done by
any one. Tell her she must go home-this
very night. Tell her if she loves me to
laava this nj n af OnpaO
The woman, a little hewildered by his
vehemence, promises, and disappears down
the stairs. He takes his hat and cloak from
the chair oil which he had thrown them.
and turns once more to cross the hall. AS
he does so. the door opens and Anne enters
He darts back into the shadow, squeezing
himself against the wall. Anne calls TO
him, laughingly. then, as he does not
answer. with frightened accent:
John, John, dear. Was not that you?
Are not you thereV
He holds his breath. and crouches still
closer into the dark corner, and anne,
thinking she must have been mistaken in
the dim light. passes him and goes up-
ct airs.
Then he creeps stealthily TO the door.
let's himself out and closes it softly behind
him.
After the lapse of few minutes the old
housekeeper plods upstairs and delivers
Johns message. Anne. finding Ii alto gether
euUJcCsS buo poOE Odiuc
to severe examination. but fails to elliott
any thing fnr ther. What is the meaning of it'll
What business can have compelled John,
who for ten weeks has never let the word
escape his lips. to leave her like this--wlth-
out q word! without q kiss!" Then sudden
ly she remembers the incident sof few
moments ago, when she had called 10 him,
thinking she saw him, and he did. not an
swer. and the whole truth strikes her full
In the heart.
81 .xr;r he
been slowly untying. and goes down and
out into the wet street.
She makes her way rapidly to the house
of the only doctor resident in the neighbour
hood-a big, brusque hammered man, w hO.
throughout these terrible two months has
been their chief stay and help. He meets
her on her entrance with an embarrassed
air that tells its own tale, and at once
renders futile bis clumsy attempts at act
ing
Who told her that John had the fever-a
great strong. hulkinG fellow like that She
has been working too hard, and has got
fever on the brain. She must 20 straight
back home or she Will be having it herself.
She s much more likely to take it than
John.
Anne, waiting till he has finished jerking
ont sentences, While stamping up and down
the room; says gently. taking no notice OF
his denials:
"If you will not tell me l must find out
from some one else, that is all" Then, her
Qniclx eyes noting his momentarv hesita-
ton, she lays her little hand on his rough
paw, and, with the shameessnesS of q
woman who loves deeply. wheedles every
thing out of him that he has promised to
keep secret.
He stops her, however. as she is leaving
the room. Don't go in TO him now" he
says. he Will worry about you. Wait till
Sowhile John lies counting endless caeks
of tallow Anne sits by bis side. tending her
last cease"
Often in his delrlum he calls her name,
and she takes his thin hand In hers and
holds IL. and he falls asleep.
Each morning the doctor comes and looks
at him, asks few questions. gives few
commonplace directions. but makes no
comment. 1t would be idle his artem y in q
TO deceive her.
The days move slowly through the dark.
ened room. Anne watches his thin hands
grow thinner, his sunken eyes grow bigger;
yet remains strangely calm, almost con-
tented.
Very near the end there comes an hour
when John wakes from a dream and re-
members all things clearly.
he looks ut her half gratefully. half
reproachfully. Anne. why arc you heref''
he asks in q low, labored voice. did they
not give you my messageW
For answer she turns her deep eyes upon
him. Would you have gone away and
left me here TO dieT she questions him,
with faint smile
She bends her head down nearer to him
so that her soft hair falls about his face.
"Our lives were one. dear" she whispers to
him. IL could not have lived without y on;
God knew that. We shall be together. oil
ways"
She kisses him. and laying his head upon
her breast. softly strokes it as she might q
child's: and he puts bis weak arms around
her.
Later on she feels them growing cold
about her. and lays him gently back u pom
the bed. looks for the last time INTO his
eyes, then draws the lids down over them.
His people ask that they may bury him
in the chnrchyard hard by, 80 that he may
always be among them; and. Anne consent
ing. they do all things necessary with their
own hands. wlshfnl thatno unloviDg labor
may be mingled with their work. They
lay him close to the porch. where gong
In and ont the church, their feet viii! pass
near to him; and ono among them who IS
canning with tho graver's chlsel shapes
the stone.
At the head he carves in bas-relief the
figure of the good Samaritan tending the
brother. fallen by the way, and underneath
The letters: "In remembrance of John In
gertield." He thinks TO put verse of
Scripture immediately after. but the gruff
doctor says: Better leave a space In case
you want to add another NAME" SO the
stone remains a little while unfinished, till
tho same hand caryes thereon. a few weeks
later. And OF Anne, his wife,"
OUT OF THE ORDINARY.