Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-08-11

circumstances OF our honeymoon. l have
kept my promise, and your place in his
will is quite safe"
what rubbish are you talking? The
doctors will is nothing to me: he's got
his own wife and daughter to provide for.
and I'm cutie independent of him or any
body. / only don't want to hurt the old
man by letting him know We have made
u failure of it,"
II think the fault must lie in your own
conscience and not in my eyes, Ned. For
if You would look ut them, you would see
as IN Ich sorrow for you AS for myself.
You are not happy. For weeks past you
have looked harassed and worried. II
is only my eyes you avoid, but Uncle
Hugh's, Dr. Peele's, every bodys. But
We can't 90 ON like this: think my very
presence sxasperated you now. Let me
20 uway-for my health: since ! have
grown so nervous and depressed it will be
easy to say that When you want me, not
us IL shadow to haunt the house, but as
rvoman to comfort or nurse you. II not ns
wife to love you, ! will come back-in-
st;tntly. But cannot bear the strain of
this life any longer. / must sA"
40. no. you shall not. you must not
These words came so rapidly that Arma-
thwaite could scarcely distinguish them
"Wait, wait u little while, and it will all
come right. l will be kinder to you, you
shall see DIR. Peele. You shall do any
thing You like: but you must not, shall
not go away"
There was n pause. Then came the
answer to this outburst in u very weak
voice.
Ned! Ned! What do you mean? You
don't care for me-yOu almost hate me.
Why do you want me TO stayF
"Why do you want to make a scandal!
For you know it would be scandal,
whatever reason we might give. What
would people-what would Lord kildonan
sayT'
"Oh, Ned! For heavens sake don't let
me think you only want to keep me here
for-that!
Don't make a scene, for goodness sake,
and ill the house with walls and grouns
in the middle of the night! l only want
to keep you here because it's right and
proper and better for a wife to remain in
the same house with her husband. what
ever their mutual relations may be. ]
| want you to stay here; 1t is because ! am
harassed and overworked and driven. and
If am left TO myself here, l do not know
what will become of me. For mercy 3
sake, Alma, stay till the spring, and l
will be a better husband to you. l swear
it. Promise. Alma. promise"
There was a long pause, and another
of those quivering sighs which had first
reused Armathwaite from his sleep. Then
q sound like a faint, heart-broken laugh
| came to the young doctors ears.
"If stay till the spring l shall get my
change for nothing. Ned. I-promise."
There's a good girl. Now know you
must be dying to get to bed. You look
awfully tired. Good night"
Good night"
/ There was the sound of a brief, per-
functory kiss, and in a few minutes q
mana steps came stealthjly- along the
corridor past ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Again
the young doctor hesEsy The loub fpRo
sishs of the l6ne,y III "a. HIT he IA
sisess = ~. s..ss5. .ls. & y standins s. this
[ S.fae that q communication had been es-
tAb,ished between the two rooms to en-
| able the late proprietor Of the house to
| keep constant unseen watch over any one
of his patients whose case rendered such
! a pracaution desirable, he cut the com
munication off by transferring the pillows
| to the. foot of the bed. where he passed
the remainder of the night without fur
ther disturbance. But he had little more
| rest. The astonishing nature of the reve-
| lations he had just heard. as well as Of
| the accident by which they had reached
him: the emotions reused in him by the
pitiful story, and the startling problems TO
which ii gave rise. kept him wakeful un-
til long after the late-rising sun of win
ter morning had filled his room with dim
and murky light.