Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-08-29


side of her bed, she could not keep
from bursting into tears. a sore pain
seemed to lie heavy on Ter heart, a
dim foreboding of evil Swallowed her
round: and under its sinister influence
the girl shivered and jnoaned as
though rent by bodily suffering. And
through it all there rose those now
ihalf-forgotten words:
Il will live to curse You yet! l will
live TO curse you.''
And then, in the room, by her side,
above her, all round her. the air
seemed to thrill with that gasping
cry, as Lefty had heard it in the lane,
till the poor girl left as if she were
struggling in some terrible dream, OF
else losing her reason altogether.
Whether that cry was a reality or Il
delusion remained a mystery; but
and that rapidly, and the doctor re-
Numbering it would be high tide that
night went round by the village to
his home.
turned round to look at the angry sea
Far out-as far as the eye could
pierce through the thick darkness
the waste of water spread, heaving
and falling like a living thing-a ter
riblc sight-while over all played the
sickly glare of the lightning.
Dr. Lennard turned hastily from Il
and, turning, stumbled over some
thing in the path. STOPPING, he saw
that it was woman lying prone on
closely to her, her long hair trailing
over the ground. He pushed the door
open, and lifting Ter IN his arms
carried her into the lighted hall, think.
ing with pity that it was some poor
night wanderer who had lost her way
and perhaps fallen from exhaustion.
AS the light fell fully on the figure
the doctor staggered under his burden
and a deadly chill stole over him. He
recognized the pale silk dress, the
flossy golden hair. No need to raise
the still white face to know that il
WIS his Wire.
The barging-to of the hall door, ana
the flicker of the lamp as the rough
wind rushed in, reused him, and lie
carried her UP to her own room, and
laying her on the bed, rang fol-
judith. The old woman came. and
her fresh face blanched sudda emily at
the sight that met her eyes.
Mrs. Lennard lay on the bed. he1
hands tightly clinched, her face rigid
with her wet hair falling in furnished
masses round it. Her pale silk dress
was stained with sand and water
and Of her shoes one was missing nj.
together, while the other had plainly
been up past the ankle IN a sand pud-
die; aid standing by the bedside
more worn and haggard than the old
woman had ever seen him, even in
these last years, was DR.. Lennard:
looking quietly but sternly down on
the strange figure of his wife.
But he did not stand long thus. No
stranger could have gone about re-
storing consciousness more promptly
and coolly; and when, after a weary
time. life came back to the still face,
and the small hands trembled and un-
closed, like a stranger he left the
room. and sent the boy for DR.. Green.
Mrs. Leonard opened her eyes on
Judith's rugged face as it was bent
from a troubled dream, she raised her
head to look round on the familiar OBJ
jects, AS though to convince herself of
the reality CT the present. But even
that eXertion was too much; and, as
her head touched the pillow again, she
gave low. sharp cry, and with the
cry came a rush of blood, staining her
parched lips. and making her white
face appear still more CHASTITY; and
Judith, startled into pity, went hastily
out, and called the doctor. When he
came his own face was as white and
set as the dying face before him, for
he saw that she was dying.
When the blood had ceased to we'll
out. and Pauline was as we'll as she
might ever be. the doctor was stealing
from the room to see if his messen-
ger had returned, but she put out her
hand and stayed him.
Don't 60" she whispa ed; Il am
dying-dOn'tH'
The few broken words made the
ominous red tide rise again, and DR..
Lennard, bending over her, and meet
ing the terrified, beseeching eyes of
this woman he had loved SO passion
ately. felt his own scorch with an
agony too deep for tears.
Hour after hour he stayed by her,
exerting all his skill, but in vain, to
stay the ebbing life; and when skill
failed, soothing he: with kind words,
and tender touches, eloquent of love,
echoes Of the glad music of past days,
of forgiveness, too, to poor, dying
Pauline
Dr. Green cacle, but he could do
nothing: she was past all earthly All,
and in the ghostly gray twilight Of
the early morning she died.
With the last np-fashing Of her life
Pauline had forced strength to tell her
husband she knew she had wronged
him always-this last time most Of all
and to beg of him to forgive her.
y racking vision of what this fair
woman might have been to him rose
up as he bent over her dying bed,
for the justice and the love that had
come, though too late; and so he
kissed her and held her closer in his
arms, and with his forgiveness and
n n in,