Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-08

You will not deceive me, I know"
she said, raising her clear brown eyes
to his. is there any hope of my
husbands recovery"
Never had the doctor been SO
strongly tempted to hold out false
| hopes. He was silent for a moment,
looking at the poor little wife, so
young and helpless, so unable to bear
calamity. But those unfiinching eyes
would not allow him TO prevaricate.
1T is possible, madame" he said
with emphasis.
Her lips quivered. She saw plain
ly how very little hope he had.
How long?" she asked, in a
tremulous voice.
1T may be few days" he answer
ed, 'or it may possibly be weeks, or
even months. There have been cases
in which the patient has fingered on
in this way and ultimately recovered
but it is only fair to tell you, madame
they are very rare"
She asked few more questions,
keeping back her tears bravely; then
with few words of hearty sympathy
Mr.. Moore took leave, hurrying away
to catch the London train.
ga sad lookout for that poor young
thing" he said to Mr.. Maclaren, the
Rilchester doctor, who accompanied
him to the station. They have not
been married long, | hear"
mot two years." replied Mr.. Ma
claren.
tHumph! they say French women
can't speak the truth, but they COM
pei you to tell it, nevertheless. Fine
eyes she had, and uncommon-the
color of Smyrna raisine exactly"
Then the two doctors fell to talk
ing Of other matters, and in a few
minutes the celebrity upon whom
Dean Collinson's hopes had been CEN
tered was being whirled away to Lon
don by the express
For few minutes after his de-
parture Esperance allowed herself
to give way to her overwhelming
grief, then controlling herself once
more, she paced slowly up and down
the room, Ccspairingly, but with the
She pausel for a minute at the
window, but the November sunshine
was streaming full into the room and
she could not look out, her weary
sight was dazzled by the brightness;
as she lowered her eyes, however,
they rested for an instant on her
betrothal-ring. The sunlight was
illumining the raised letters! She
read them over and over, at first
dreamily. but afterward with a sud
den glad realization-"E sperez tou-
joursi"
She twisted the ring slowly from
side to side, letting the light play
brilliantly On each letter. What
memories those words brought to her!
She let her thoughts travel slowly
back Now she was in the little
salon at Paris, with her father and
Gaspar-d in their National Guard uni
form, and those words were ring
ing in her ears in her fathers own
voice; then again she was at crowd
ed London terminus, the door of the
carriage was shut and locked, and
Gaspard was whispering those words
of comfort to her; again-and her
tears fell fast at the remembrance
she was walking with Claude along
a straight, dusty road, bounded on
each side by vast plain, and she
had told him that this was her
motto, and he had remembered it,
and reminded her Of it as they stood,
later on still, by the crusaders tomb;
then on still further to the old
chateau, and the long hours of that
Chris tmas-eve when Claude had re-
peated the words, and they had soOth-
ed her like a sort of charm; later
still in that same day, and she was
lying peacefully with her little son
beside her, and Claude's bright face
was bent down to hers, to whisper,
" 'ESperez toujours!' But what is the
masculine for Esperance?" Those
two precious words! Were not they
indeed almost the last he had said to
her? No, not quite! At that last
terrible parting in the darkness, and
storm, and tumult, a broader, grander
word had risen to his lips; it was
hope, but yet something better than
hope.
Could she disobey his last charge
to her? Could she shrink trembling
from what must be best? For a few
minutes she knelt in silence, and
when she rose the despair and
anguish had died out of her FACET
was tear stained, but quiet and
serene.
Before long she went down to the
sitting-Toom, where she found her
uncle and Cornelia. The dean was
standing with his elbow on. the man
tle-piece; he looked up as she en-
tered, then hastily concealed his face
again. Cornelia made room for her
by the fire, and for few minutes no
one broke the silence She knew
that they waited for her to begin
and with an effort she turned to her
uncle.
Did Mr. Moore tell you anything,
uncle?"
The dean looked up, and she was
touched by the sight of his silent
grief
You saw him yourself, my dear,
did you not?"
Yes" said Esperance; and he
told me the truth"
He fears the worst, my poor child
- but here the deans voice sud
denly failed him. He turned away
and burying his face in his hands,
sobbed unrestrainedly.
Cornelia, afraid that this would