The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-15

But tell me. doctor: Do you believe
that some sharp and unforeseen joy could
help to bring about such a change, or,
indeed, might be the sole cause of engen-
dering it?'
His nearer smiled.
i have no such belief Still we've al
learned that there are some very mystic
relations between mind and body and
that so far guess-work has done vastly
more than science in dealing with them"
OI1Ver Thurston was now the soul of
Kindness and devotion toward Grace. Of
ten, when they came from their work in
the library, just before luncheon time,
Stafford and Isabel would find that he had
driven over to share that meal with all
three of them, and that he was either
seated by Grace on the piazza or indoors
according as weather permitted. Some
times they found him reading aloud to her.
lie read with much awkwardness, the
force of good intention quite eclipsing that
of good accomplishment. But Grace APP
peared to enjoy his rather laundering at
temptS. 1t occurred to her father, in one
OF his agonized moods, that she would
have enjoyed them if they had slaughtered
elocution to the most savage degree.
''She adores the fellow" he thought,
land he's sweet and kind to her, as his
complaisant nature makes him sweet and
kind to everybody. And all the while he's
in love with Isabel, who clearly under
stands that this is true, and who is Sc
cretly torn with dismay and regret at the
turn affairs have taken, yet who some
how will not open her lips to me on the
whole distressing subject! Well, we'll,
must open my lips to him before long.
feel 1t coming. My poor darling Grace is
doomed, and l must speak. I mustH
| September that year. was perfect with
| lavish sunshine and with breeZes just fresh
and stimulant enough not to be too keenly
autumnal. Stafford kept delaying his in
tended interview with Oliver, hoping
| against hope as he watched his daughter
grow feebler and more spiritless. And at
last, one day, when Grace had not risen
for hours, and while Isabel stayed at her
side with a watchful persistence that not
every real sister would have shown in
such sisterly earnest Stafford met oliver
just after he had flung the reins to his
groom and alighted from as modish a dog
cart as one is apt to meet of a fine day
anywhere between Washington square
and the Park.
They were in the library together, quite
soon after this, and Stafford, nerving him
self with a momentous effort, had made
| his plunge 1t seemed to him an age be-
fore he had got himself sufficiently CO.
herent to either expect an answer or feel
that in any sense he deserved one.
But at length oliver spoke with a sort
Of embarrassed frankness. You're en-
tirely right, Mr. Stafford. II am awfully
fond of Isabel. She-she awes me a good
| deal at times, she's so tremendously cleY-
er, $3.50 far-and-away the mental supe-
riOr of a commonplace fellow like myself,
but I certainly shall soon asked her to
marry me-" Here Oliver, with a f1uttered
little tug at his small yellow mustache,
smiled in way that seemed to his own
acute consciousness of the situation for
lornly vacuous THAT is" he added, in
stumbling semi-tone, i've thought IL
might get poor, kind-hearted Miss Grace
to-as it We're sir-to intercede for me-"
'Oh, in heavens name don't dream Of
doing thatr' shot from Stafford And
then he spoke for a good while with a
vehemence that sent reactive tingles
through his own strained nerves. with
Oliver the effect of his appeal, his en-
treaty, was even more marked.
"Mr. Stafford he at last murmured
IL needn't tell you that the least fancy
Of anything like this hasn't before en-
tered my head.
oh dear boy,' swept along the fathers
current of passionate persuasion. of
course, it hasn't-Tm but too well aware
of that! And yet if you engaged vour-
self to Grace-if you should really be
merciful hypocrite enough to tell her that
you loved her-the dear girls last hours
would be frightened with an unnameabla
joy!"
Her last hours?" faltered Oliver. Then
you really think"
on, | think the worst-how can I helm
thinking it when two celebrated special
lists, whose candor sprang from nv own
request, have assured me of the truth
And that truth is-she's going preciseI,
as her mother went, and no power on
earth can save her!
II ever kind-heartedness dominated in a
human temperament it did so in that NOR
TAI blending Of traits and qualities deiin-
aDle under the name of Oliver Thurston
Not that hatred of deceit did NOT canse
him to waver and demur. Not that he fail-
ed TO recoll from the chances of chilling
lasbel into severe future disfavor And
yet the eloquence of Grace's father con-
quered; and in a few more days he had
met her. during what seemed a fckering
and temporary revival of her strength. and
had become her accepted sutton and sweet
heart.
Grace's joy was child-like, and so was
her unconsealed surprise II could hardly
credit him." she told both Isabel and her
father, with equal ebullition of franknesg.
when he asked me to become his wife. L
l always had supposed he was in love
elsewherer'
And once she said, looking with a wistfuI
eagerness at her sister-like friend. while
they were alone together: "Oh, Belle. do
wonder If you ever really cared for hin1i If
you did. If you do tell mer' And she cast
both frail arms about her listeners neck
I'D give him up! Yes. DEAR ] would ia
tell him he was fatally wrong in choosing
me! I'd make 1t plain to him"
THAT you were a fanciful little goose"
finished Isabel, stroking her hair fondly.
and then touching her lips to its fexuous
and silken folds
Meanwhile. to Stafford, Isabel had be-
come like the most tantallsing species OF
household sphinx. Does she suspect me?"
he thought. And, OH If she does, why will
she not give me CLEAN Of announcement
to unbosom myself?-to ask her pardon for
the suffering l must have brought upon
her?-to let her know that / acted merely
from the depths Of my own parental pity
and with certainty that her term Of trial
would be brief, however poignant?'
But Isabel remained reticence itself, and
placid good humor as we'll When latter
autumn came Grace was no better, our
stll no worse. A journey TO the south
had been talked Of, but one day she firm
ly refused to take it.. She had never
seemed to realize her dangerous condition
any more than her dead mother had dore
years ago. But now, with the gayest or
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