Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-07-08
CHAPTER XXXvI.


Two minutes later, as Hester and Mrs.
Llewellyn stand whispering together at
the head of the staircase, Eric suddenly
appears and calls to them.
Mother! Hettie! Come here"
They find him on his knees beside Mu-
riel, lying white. and silent. and helpless
O. broken lily. with her bonnet--the
widows bonnet, which Eric has snatched
off flung trailing over chair, and the
uncovered head. with it's beautiful cluster
ing curls and its ivory-white rounded
throat, fallen Imply across his arm.
''She has tainted, Eric, my dear! Lay
her fiat on her back" Mrs. Llewellyn
says. fussily, unfastening Muriel's dress.
and refraining, with the prudery of some
elderly matrons, from 1nclasping the cor
set that imprisons the girls feebly beat
ing heart.
''Fainted? This isn't faint" Eric an
swers, through his close-shut teeth. "She
Is dying! Send for the doctor. will you. at
once? This is no faint. Look at the cold
sweat on her forehead--look at her, thin
and wasted-look at her little hands with
the bones showing! Oh, Muriel, Muriel,
my poor little love! Oh, Muriel, my poor
little wife! Has she been like this be-
fore!'' he asks his mother, hurriedly, as
they try in vain to restore her to con-
seriousness "She looks dreadfully i'll and
fragile! And this awful Grape dress on
her with these Grape bands! Pull them
OF her, mother, it drives me mad to see
her! Pull this dress off! Tear it off in
pieces! Oh, my poor little Muriel, is this
what have brought you to? The bright
est and loveliest girl ever saw, one little
year ago.
{, ut Is more than a year and quarter
since you were married. my dear" Mrs.
Iiewellyn says primly. land she--she has
6retted very much after you'll think"
"You think mother? Don't you know,
then, whether she has been happy or mis-
efable?" he asks, gravely.
. "Muriel has never been confidential with
me, Eric" the dowager says in COM
planning tone. "She never has been low
ing, or confidential with me, though 1
have always tried to do my duty toward
her. and be most careful of her welfare"
II asked you to do so, mother" he an
swers, more briefly. 'Shc is recovering u
little now. Where is her room? / will
carry her to it."
"She-she always has had the same
Room, she always preferred it" Mrs. Lew
ellyn says, coughing, and rather stun
bling over her words; "Eric, my dear, let
her stay here; this is larger room. and
and more comfortable, or, the spare
ROOM"
Il mo, / win take her to her own room,
bhe will like that BEST" he answers, with
q passing curiosity as to why his mother
objects to his doing so.
As soon as he enters it, and lays his poor
young wife, half insensble still, down on
the mattress of her poor, narrow little
bed, he sees why his mother objected to
his entering the room, and perceiving, as
he cannot fail to do, the glaring inferi-
ority Of the dingy, faded, damp-stained
old roOm-perfectly clean and neat as it
ls-to the elegant comfort of the bedrooms
bn the first fioor-his mothers apartments,
and Hester's, of which he has caught
night through the open door as he passed,
CARRYING his hapless girl-wife in his arms.
Past those warmly carpeted and curtained
chambers-glittering with freight, and
polished woods, and marble slabs, and
handsome china fittings. and dainty lace
and embroideries, and all manner of small
wOmanly luxuries--up the stairs to the
cold. dreary room where Muriel has slept
since her childhood, the room which has
70 far from sharing in the general adorn-
Ing and renovating of the other parts OF
the house, been denuded of every scrap
Of ornament or luxury; partly demanded
BY imperious Hester's within, partly yield
ed by Muriel in utter disregard of herself
In utter heart-sickness of her life and
everything connected with it.
He lays her tenderly down, and puts
the one small hard pillow under the droop
ing, helpless head. and then he looks
around the room slowly, and at his moth
or once more.
Mother please send some one up &c
make fire in this miserable room," he
says, and Mrs. Lewellyn winces at every
word-'.it is Us cold and comfortless as /:
london garnet. And will stay here will
her until the doctor comes" he adds, de
cisively.