Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-09-27

feed or fondle or convert. II may be
husband, 1t may be curate or . cat
or a cannibal. Now, Marion Norman
was one Of those women who long
vaguely for some one for whose sake
they shall have . right to sacrifice
themselves,
A fortnight had passed, and the OPP
GRAFTON was over For some days Lewis
Darlington had lain upon his sofa in
darkened room with q bandage across
his eyes and a terrible dread at his
heart. lie was waiting for the remov.
al OF the bandage to know whether he
was to see or be blind for the rest Of
his life. Marion had been with him
all the time, waiting upon him and
reading to him. She had not been 80
happy for years, for Lewis Darlington
depended entirely upon her Every
day she had been downstairs to answer
the inquiries Of fair-haircd girl 1t
was the girl whose photograph stood
upon the mantelpiece Every DAY she
had been able to tell her that Lewis
was going on we'll, and that there was
every hope that no would see as soon
as his eyes were strong enough to bear
the light.
The evening before the day on wh'ch
the question was to be decided Gar
rington was restless ana nervous ma
rion read aloud 70 MN 70 keep MS
thoughts from the morrow but sne
saw his fingers twitcn upon tne arm OF
MS cha'r ana knew OF wna1 ne was
thinking AT ~ O'CLOCK she insisted
on his going TO ped' but Tor more
than an hour Marion, VINO was listen-
ing by his half-open door, heard MN
tossing from side to side. She had de-
cided to give him soothng draught
when his breathing became more regu'
lar, and ut last settled down into the
Rhythmic respiration OF tho sleeper
So Marion lay down on the sofa In the
sitting room.
She had been asleep, Is IT seemed
but little while when something
awoke her and from where she Icy
she saw Darlington standing In the
doorway between the sitting room and
his bed room.
mr., Carringtonl What Is the mat
terP Can get anything for your she
said, starting up In alarm
lie did not reply, but walked slowly,
without turning his head, straight
across the room to the window, over
which heavy pair OF curtains hung
"Mr. Darlington" she said again
But he did not answer. And then
she understood that he was asleep
For the moment, in her halt-awak'
ened state, she could not thlnk OF tho
right thing to do She watched him
pull one OF the curtains aside Inc
light from a gas lamp IN tho street pe-
low fell full upon his race Ana ny
the light she saw that his hands were
pulling ana tugglhg ~ somethlhR up
on the back OF his head. lie was Try
ing to take on the panaage from MS
eyes. In another moment II ne sue
ceeded, the glare OF the gas lamp
would meet them and extinguish ior'
ever the feeble glimmer OF sight her
senses, hall dazed with iat'gue ana
sleep, Marion In that 'nstans OF
startled comprehension saw out one
thing, that Lewis harrington wouio u
blind, and being blind
her heart gave great leap OF e1ul'
tation. Motionless shc n.y. wascnine
him as he still fumbled with tne pand'
age.
The lover Is always seinsn' espe
cially lit DO q woman
The words broke In nash acros,
her mlnd-the iast sentence sne nae
taken down from Carringtons lips
In an instant she was ny ms sac
wide awake every nerve tingiinR VIII
shame.
Vome-come Win me- she WINS
, pered in his ear laying her mana upoi
bis arm ana gently drawing MIN away
from the window
With . Sigh no turned, ana suilere'
himself to DO leu BACK 70 MS room
For a minute or two Marion watche'
him as he settled again into q peaceii
sleep Then she bent down ana mast
NY touched MS iorehead win her Ups
and returned to her sofa but not u
sleep She was crying, nrst pecaus'
she was wicked enough TO DO tempted
and then because she was not wicke'
enough to yield TO temptation.
The next morning Lewis harrington
. knowing nothing OF his narrow escap'
. during the night was waiting Tor NJ
/ ayes to be uncovered Tho doctor ha'
z 9ust arrived when the servant opene'
a the door and whispered something Y
d Marion, Without saying anything