Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-03-02
CHAPTER XIII.
ATONE MBNT.

CHAPTER XIII.
AroNEMBNr.
Kathleen's mission was accomplished.
There was no more for her to do. She went
back to the Rue Git lie Cpur, broken in
spirit and in body. She lay on her bed, and
It seemed to her that her life now was one
long Sunday, time of apathy and dumb,
dull rest-joyless, hopeless. There was
nothing more for her to do in this life. She
had given the victim over 10 his execu-
TONERS. She was told that the end was GER
cain. There could be no pardon, no COM
mutation of the laws last penalty for such
. wretch as Serizier. France would rise up
with one loud cry of vengeance were there
any pulling for mercy here.
The slow days wore on-dull gray days;
storms of wind, driving showers, anon the
fogs OF November floating up from the
neighboring river-and still Kathleen lay on
the bed or the sofa, helpless, PROSTATE, az
some pale flower that has been torn from
its stem and flung aside to wither. Rose
had brought doctor to see her; but he did
not even profess the ability to cure.
"There is nothing organically wrong" he
said. "Your sister must have had a very
fine constitution to survive what she ha1
gone through. 1t is a case Of extreme weak
ness, loss of appetite, sleep! essness-thing
that tell without actual disease. II you
could get her away into the country, fresh
air and change of scene might do something
but she is too weak TO be moved"
1--WE will take her away directly she is
strong enough to CO." said Rose.
The doctor thought that time would never
come; but he held his peace, took his fee,
and departed.
Rose and Philip watched the fading life
in that quiet room on the upper story as de-
votedly as If the thread of their own lives
had been intertwined with it. But their
tenderness, their little plots and expedients,
were all useless. They could not lure Kath-
leen from her solitude, or beguile her Into
fOrgetfulness of her grief.
"While was watching for that man I
forgot everything, except the task in hand"
she said; Il lived and breathed only for
that. Ny brain was burnt up with one
fiery thought; aud n those days l hardly
grieved for Gaston-I hardly knew how
much had lost; but now / think of him,
and brood upon him all day long"
But ii this goes on you will go mad OF
die" said Philip, standing beside her sofa,
looking Down at her with honest earnest
eyes, full of affection; land that will break
Roses heart. Remember how she haas rear
oil you and cared for you'll To her you are
more than eommon sister. She has been
to you as mother; and you owe her flial
dutv.
Let her ask me anything, except 10 live"
answered Kathleen. Il cdnnot live with
!ut him. D, she must let me go-in charity
she viii let me go-where shall be at rest
for ever, rs he is. She hes you and the lit
tie one. She can spare this broken life"
But she cannot spare you-nor |, nor the
little one; and it is your duty to live for our
sakes. Your natural grief we would respect,
Kathleen; but this inordinate grief, this OBJ
innate despair"
Had he died natural death, / would
mourn for him as other widows mourn for
their husbands; would bow to the will of
G I'd. But he was murdered"
And you have brought his murderer to
Justice. Is not that enorgh, Kathleen%
Il wonder whether l shall live to hear his
sentence, TO know that he has suffered a
murderer's doom?' she murmured; and
hen she turned her face 10 the wall, and
would talk 10 more that day.
Rose and her husband began TO despair.
It seemed TO them that Kathleen's vital
power was ebbing day by day, gradually,
imperceptbly. The loss of strength was
only indicated by the facts of her daily
life. Last week she had risen early every
morning, and had swept and busted her
rooms, with only little help from Rose,
who was ever on the watch 10 aid and COM
| fort her. This week she could only crawl
about little, busting Gaston's books with
lremulous hands, aTranging and rearrang-
ng his desk or his bookshelves, with aut-
tered nervous air. A little while arc she
had lain on her bed or her sofa all day, as II
n mere purposeless apathy. Now the time
had come when she lay there from sheer
weakness, broken down, fading before their
| very eyes.
They had gradually schooled themselves
TO bow to the rod. They began TO talk to
each other about her as Of one foredOomed,
unspeakably precious, inasmuch as she was
10 be with them but few weeks-perchance
but few days. They talked sorrowfully,
yet with resignation, OF future in which
she was to have no part, save as q sweet
sad memory.
"How fond she would have been OF you,
my angel" said Rose, prattling mothers
tender prattle 10 the baby on her knees, "if
she could but have lived to see you grow
upp'
One day, when the invalid upstairs had
sunk so low that 1t seemed as If she could
hardly last TO the end of the week, Philip
Durand came past the little crcmerie, which
had once been Suzon MichelPs, on his way
home. II WA, between four and FIVE, and
already duslt, and he was startled 10 see the
dqor of the shop open and light within.