The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-05-22
CHAPTER NXXNI.

| Two minutes later, as Hester and Mrs.
Llewellyn stand whispering together al
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
as a broken lily. with her bonnet-the
widows bonnet, which Erie has snatched
off-tiung trailing over a chair, ana the
uncovered head. with its beautiful custer
! ing curls and its irory-whlte rouhueu
throat, fallen Imply across his arm.
"She has tainted, Eric, my dear! Lay
her fiat on her back" Mrs. Llewellyn
says, fussily, unfastening Muriels dress,
| and rcfraining with the prudery OF some
| elderly matrons, from unclaspinS the cor
/ set that imprisons the girls feebly beat
| ing heart.
| PAINTED? This isn't faint. Eric an
| swers, through his cloSeshut teeth. ohe
| is dying. Send for the doctor, Will you, al
once? This is no faint. Look at the cola
| sweat on her forehead-loOk at her, thin
| and wasted-look at her little hands WIZ
the bones showing! oh, Muriel, Murlel,
my poor little love! Oh, Muriel, my poor
little wife. Has she been like this be-
! fore?'' he asks his mother, hurrledly, as
| they try in vain to restore her TO con
| sciousness "She looks dreadfully Ill and
| fragile. And this awful Grape dress on
| her with these Grape bands! Full them
| off her, mother, it drives me mad to see
her, Pull this dress off. Tear it off in
pieces! Oh, my poor little Murlel, is TINS
| what l have brought you to? The bright
est and lovelest girl l ever saw, one little
year ago..
at is more than a year and quarter
since you were married, my dear, Mrs.
Llewellyn says primly, land she-she has
fretted very much after you-l think.
You think. mother? Don't you know,
then. whether she has been happy or mis-
erabIe:' he asks, gravely.
"Murie has never been confidential with
me- Erie the dowager says in com
planning tone "She never has been low
ing, or confidential with me, though l
have always tried to do my duty toward
her. and be most careful of her welfare
Il asked you to do so. mother he an
swers, more briefly. ''She is recovering
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
her stay here; this is a larger room, and
and more comfortable or, the spare
room"
No. l will take her to her own room,
she will like that best" he answers, with
a 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 insensible still, down on
he ,f hnr little
bed he sees why his mother objected to
his entering the room, and perceiving, as
he cannot fail to do. the glaring inferi
GRITTY of the dingy, faded, damp-stained
old room-perfectly clean and neat as il
is-to the elegant comfort of the bedrooms
On the first fioor-his mothers apartments,
and Hester's, of which he has caught
sight through the open door as he passed,
carrying his hapless girl-wife in his arms.
Past those warmly carpetcd and curtained
chambers giittering with freight, and
polished woods, and marble slabs, and
handsome china fittings. and dainty lace
and emhroideries, and all manner of small
| womanly luXuries-up the stairs to the
| cold, dreary room where Muriel has slept
| since Ter childhood the room which has
so far from sharing in the general adorn-
| ing and renoyating of the other parts of
! the house, been dcnuded of every scrap
| of ornament or luxury; partly demanded
| bv imperious Hesters whim, 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 tenderiy down, and puts
| tho one small hard pillow under the drOop-
| inr. helpless head and then he looks
around the room slowly, and at his moth
! er once more.
Mother. please send some one up 20
make a fire in this miserable room," he
saws. and Mrs Llewellyn winces at every
word-''it is as cold and comfortless a
London garrett. And will stay here with
her until the doctor comes he adds, de
] Cisively.