The Newtown bee., 1896-08-07

her in her watching. The foundations
 seemed to be giving way under her, soul
 and body, at the thought of the long
 hours before her.
 The patient stirred uneasiiy upon his
 pillows. He was large, strong, hand
 some man, with heavily nodded features,
 whose norid coloring was frightened by
 fever. Herbert Waters was counted a
 flne-looking fellow, but his sister-iL,law
 had no pleasant associations with his
 flushed face. as she sat there and looked at it. It only brought back to her the
 long succession of trouble, neglect, sor- did quarrel and brutal self-tndulgence that had followed steadily since his mar riage to Helen, D years ago. Now, Hell en was a weH-nigh helpless invalid, off al a rest sure when this illness struck her husband down, and too weak and frail to be allowed Do come back, or even be told fully of his condition. The tears came up into the sisters eyes as she thought of
 Helen and the two little ones. Helen, so brave, so sweet, so forgivinR, so infinite ly patient, yet worn-out, wearied, pushed
 past patience and forbearapce, at last. into an exhausted acceptance of acknowl' edged defeat. And the children-frail, tender little creatures, needing many things which their fathers selfi.hness made impossible in the family life. "He does not even care for the children :" had been their mothers saddest cry, when she had broken down in the struggle, The two women were old-fashioned ID their
 bringiug-up, trained in bygone tenets of strict, unquestloniDg righteousness; il had never come within the view of their minds that divorce could be right. Tue wife had never mentioned such a posei- bility; the sister had never suggested it. Yet now, another possibility, wider, deeper in separation than any earthly one, had come and do what she might, Mary could not banish the thought of what infinite relief might be in it's event Would he die? nay, the rear was not there; but rather-would he live?
 The sick man stlrEed uneasily; his nurse glanced at her watch. Ten min utes yet before the medicine should be given. Every minute seemed to lag and hang upon her like a weight; and the night was just begun. When the drug measured and given, the patient mur- mured fretfally. He did not recognize her; but he rebelled against control, as he always had and always would, she thought, sadly. How his reckless con- tempt of guidance had dissipated his for tune and theirs, only thesegpatient wom- en knew. Even now they were straiten- ed. It had taken much of her own small income to send her sister away; he had been contemptuous of the idea of cure. Helen was always complaining, he said let her stay at home with the children and keep quiet, and she was as well of there as anywhere. It was a hard thing l for a man to be burdened with a sickIy, l helpless wife; only healthy women 1 should marry--as if Helen had not been l a blooming, sparkling girl 15 years ago, | when she gave herself and her little all | into his careless keeping. Of his own no one knew how much was eft; it was doubtful if he himself did. and drink were melting it away quickly and surely. If he lived. few more years would see them ruined, ex- yept for the small property which Mary | leld in her own right, and for whose control her brother-in.law was already and quarreling.
 If he lived -The mockery of it all! Here she was, straining every nerve, seeping vigil night and day, aching with aague, weak from loss of sleep, fight ng Death hour after hour for life not ,nly worthless, but hurtful. Better. ar better for him to be dead than alive Setter for Helen to be free from such lateful peryersion Of the marriage bond Setter for the children to remember heiF father as q vague childish memory, \