Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18

my body. stood gazing vacantly before me.
II seemed scarcely credible to me now
ina mat SO strange thing could happen and
that my first vivid thought after a flash of
delight at the beauty of the ladys eyes
should be bitter rage at those dreadful
oandages of mine. All other considerations
Inc probable insanity of the patient; the
wonder as to what she had forced upon me,
We're, for the moment, absorbed in frivolous
regret that such eyes should have taken
their first look at me while silk handker
chief was knotted about my head and my
rlght eye glared upon her. swollen, iufiam-
ed. and inexpensive. My poor vanity,
Again ii bsnt benea h a heavy load to bear
and had no leisure in which to bind up its
WOUNDS. The situation growing fright
ful. Well?" asked Brown CURLY at my
elbow. and with start l drew back and
faced him rs there n table convenient"
| asked sharply, and then. as a sop to the
impaience which 1 saw racked him, / ex-
planned condescendinely. "as L must pre-
pare her a soothing draught. Her fever is
running pretty high"
With that | snatched up the medicine
case. which seemed to follow me about
without any intelligent effort on my part
and made over to the corner of the room TO
which s'ow-footed HCskins had ambled
with a second lamp.
Evidently boiling with irritation. Brown
flung himself into a chair beside the bed
so that, after Kidding myself of the woman
by sending her for glass of water ! was
able to swiftly and stealthily examine the
small object which I still held just as my
fingers had closed over it. That it was
piece of paper my sense of touch had al
ready told me: but that it was small.
torn sheet of note paper, covered with deli
cate writing done in pencil could not have
dreamed and yet such 1t was. Coverty l be-
gan to examine this writing, filled with
hlrliSh twirls and dashes as to present a
pretty but bewildering, outlook to a bust
ness eye in the meantime keeping my back
turned sQuarely upon Brown, who sat like
some huge watchful spider beside the dainty
white bed, and holding the paper where |
might, at a seconds notice. crush it inside
the medicine chest with which / was APP
parently fumbling. The letter began at
once without preamble: You doubtless
nave daughters of your own stopped
abruptly feeling distinctly annoyed; but re-
membering the writer could not possibly
nave seen me before commencing her letter
L continued my reading with growing eX-
cltement-"and will know how to feel for a
poor girl, utterly in the power of a horrid
mercenary man. l don't know what he has
told you about me, but | know it isn't true
There is not n single thing the matter with
me, but | took some stuff for colds | found
III a bottle to make something happen to
me, so that they could send for a doctor
Fer L know doctors have to be reSpecta BILE.
Ii gave me a kind of feverish look and
that's ALL Now please help me away from
this place tonight. this very night without
letting anybody know. for | can't stand it
any longer. I must stop now for Mrs
HoskinS is coming.
'P. S.-The dog is kept under my window,
and, oh, yes. [ can't trust Mrs. H"
'Distractedly."
But there the letter ended. No name was
given, though to sign one had evidently
been the intention of the writer. And with
barely enough sense left me to thrust the
paper out of sight, sat in helpless be-
wilderment until touched heavily on tn,
shoulder by Mrs Hoskins. bearing in her
hand the water 1 had sent for and a spoon
TO be continued)