The evening times., 1895-12-05
A Decree Of Silence.
(By AR. MI. Pnyne. /,

{3y Mr.. N. L. Payne,
1 When Alien Davis married Luella Clark
persons who were not consulted in the mat
| ter-as very few were-wopdered what he
| saw In that girl to iali in hsve With: not her
beauty. certainly. since she had none; nur
her Intellectual graces, which we're lew and
| far between; nor her amiabIe character, far
she had sharp tongue, and they lett the
| matter as one beyond their comprehension.
But if any OF them had asked Allan himself
ne could not have told them. 1t was enough
| Tor him that hve gOes where ii is sent, and
that he did love Lueiia with his whole true
heart, no one knew better than he.
so they were married, and wish cDuid
add the dear old stnry bo,k formula, Lived
happy forever AFTER" but as this 10 a true
story and MT O romance it must follow out
the beaten track OF real life. even u the
| bitter cod.
Allan knew when he married his wife that
l she had a complaining tongue. Hebad heard
her talk to her old father. and not even his
| great love for her could make her stinxing
words, spoken without any apology Of pas
| sion, seem other than discourteous and un-
filial. And when the meek old man bent his
| head to the word that was more cruel than
| blow he-Ailan-bianed him for submit
ting 80 tanleiy to q woman's tnyectfve,
promising 70 himself a different stats of
affairs when he should have the right to
object.
For abrtef time Allan wasas ha ppy us any
OF US are Permitted to be In this transitory
life. and Luella, pleased with her new estate.
and her handsome. loyal husband, was like
creature of different nature, and the old
father. having passed peacefully away, left
an interim of suspended hostility, In which
Allan established kingdom Of happiness,
which he imagined to be on a firm founda-
ton He was never more mistaken
For the ruler Of this kingdom was the
queen of discontent. Allan had never been
Dagged, but Luella was perpetuaIly nagging.
Having found the vulnerable point In bis
armor of peace, she thrust the tayelins
OF anger in. with the slightest pretext. and
smiled to see him vince. Ii gave evidence
OF her power. The old father had escaped;
but her husband was hers, he must stay and
hear.
know this Is not a pleasant story, and
readers need 60 no further unless they are
interested In . curious psychological fact.
! myself am a believer In heredity. ] am
sure that some there In the past this woman
had an ancestor with a sharp tongue, which
she had never tried to bride. II there is
sympathy for the man who inherits con-
summing thirst for drink. why not for the
woman whO has had beQueathed to her q bad
temper, which she took with her hair and
eyes?
Luella had everything to make her happy.
from the sta aGdpoint OF any reasona Bile being,
but she never ceased complaining and at
iast the good nature and fOrtitude of her
husband deserted ham, and he turned, not
rs the worm turns. but rather like a rag
ing lion. and Lueiia held ber peace in sheer
astonishment.
II wish you were dumb" he said, in a
voice OF concentrated wrath and scorn II
wish l might aeyer hear the sound of your
TOice again"
Like all evenly balanced natures, when
lie oyerstepped bou Ddaries, he went too far;
but there was this ia aextenuation. his words
came from the lips aud not from the heart
they sounded far worse than they inten-
uoued, and they recoiled on himself, even
oefore he had seized his hat to leave the
house. He turned to see their effect ON
Lueila. and found. to his horror, that she
had tainted.
Then he called himself a brute, sent for
friends and doctor. and hung over his
until she opened her eyes and recognized
him.
He begged her forgiveness, but to all his |
entreaties she only shook her head feebly,
until a t last. when he pleaded for one word, |
she made motion which Indicated wish |
TO write. and. with a horrible fear Ia king |
possession of him. he gave her paper and |
peucil and this is what she wrote:
You have your wish. You willnever hear |
my voice again am stricken dumb"
1t was uOised about the community, and |
people talked-old. people especially OF |
wnat they called "a visitation of God"
ThedoctOrs had mother name for it. They
called 1t acute paralysis. and said it was |
reflex and would pass off presently but |
they were wrong in their representations.
Luciia went about her work again. the light |
household duties which devolved upon her,
but no word came from her muie lips Al
IAN. who was beside himself with grief and
urged her to learn the
Iabial language indeed, offered to forego \
speech for her sake and learn the lessons
Df silence with her. but she wonid not |
listen to the suggestion. And then began |
the mart yrlcm of Allan Davis.
Luclia could hear perfectly, 81 that her |
husband and friends were not constrained in |
heir speech, but any word SHE had te say,
my messag gcor answer in their conversation 4
oming fn'n her, must be written. She was |
iwaysprovidet1 with the mcanse fcofnmuni-
alton. and writing tablets uf the daintiest
Ort were scattered arssund the huuse like |
ONE new bric-a-brac of speech.
The devotipn of Allan Davis tn his afflicted |
wife was something marvellous. He never
vearied OF hve-like attentions, and he |
ever demanded the slightest recognition of
bem- He spent every hour OF his existence |
ct employed in his business in derisng
leasures for Lueila, and on those unfortu. |
ate days when 4 dumb devil of i'll nature |
sserted itself he met her mute reproaches |
rith selr-abasement that was neither uu- I
manly nor servile, but Christ-like. His |
onny brewn locks turned gray, his laugh
1g, boyish face took onthe shadows OF early |
ge, hut his spirit remained serene and
atient, and the love he held in his heart for |
MS woman grew brighter and more fer |
ent toward the end And the end came |
efore the fire of youth had quite turned
, ashes-the end fur Allan Davis.
1t was simple case of Influenza at first,
rith no suggestions of danger. until one ! !
ay the doctor looked grave, and the nexthe |
aid to Luella: Your husband will dier'
He watched her sharply, but no quirer of |
n eyelid told him what he wanted to know. |
he wrote question on her tablet:
How soon?"'
AT any timc-tonight. perhaps, - answer.
i the doctor. and again he watched her
Did he surprise flash of joy in
er cold eyes, a strange tense dra wing OF the
nes around her severe mouth? It might |
ave BEEN his imag gin ation. but at any rate
p was glad for Allan Davis.
Tile end came at night. when LuelIa