Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-14

ne Went away then, ana Mary sat
GOWN again IN the Dig CHAIR. Inc COOK
was pusy WIN tne oannef' ana NOUN
cey' atter clearing mp some imaginary
inter- disappeared with the Tray prom
,nng 10 come nack IN rev minutes
30 sne was iett alone with ner dying
hnosnel ana tne knowledge OF nef own
wAoowhooo' iett alone 70 race tne iact
=. .nas sne was pfactlcaliy nee tnat al
.ne horror ana wretcnedness wnicn mad
out a rev hours oefore lam directly
facing her had suddenly been removed.
The tears gushed out from her sad eyes
as she realized how this had come
about; but, although she wept, the
sense Of relief was there, involuntary.
yet very. very strong.
It was wretched night which fol-
lowed. Mary honestly tried to eat the
dainty little dinner which Foster served
to her, while Mouncey mounted guard
in the sick chamber. But all the time
the sound of rushing waters was In her
ears and the vision of drowned faces
before her eyes, and che turned loath-
ingly from the lonely meal, which would
have been thoroughly enjoyed by the
poor soul up stairs fast drifting into
eternity.
The pretense of dinner over, she crept
back again to the sickroom, sending
the two maids down to supper and stay
ing alone to keep the watch by the dy-
ing beloved for whom che had worked
so hard and suffered so much, TO watch
the outward passage Of that frail and
feeble little bark which would leave
her tossing to and fro upon the ocean
Of life with none to counsel or guide.
It was terrible night, and it was
followed by still more terrible day.
Mary received from the owners Of the
great ship full confirmation OF the news
which the newspaper had taken to
them in the first instance
There was not the smallest doubt
that the large vessel was gone, that she
was many fathoms under water. There
was little or no doubt that Captain
Conway had gone down with her, and,
60 far as was known, only five persons
Of all her goodly company had lived to
tell the tale of her disastrous end. Two
Of these were passengers, two were or
binary sailors. the fifth was the ships
purser; all the rest of the 800 souls
who had sailed aboard Of her had found
q watery grave and would be seen no
more.
All through the long hours Of watch
ing and suspense did Mary Conway try
to battle down the overwhelming sense
OF relief which had taken possession OF
her. She cared not. did not feel the
very smallest grief for the husband who
had forgotten his manhood and her
womanhood alike, but she hated herself
for not feeling it. Her heart was torn
in twain. One half was singing a pecan
Of thankfulness for deliverancei the
other was bursting with sense Of her
own impotence and helplessness to avert
the sword then hanging above the head
Of her sick mother as the sword Of
Damocles hung suspended by single
hair.
She was glad in her heart that her
care and anxiety for her mother would
naturally account for the absence Of
any. exhibition Of great or noisy grief
for her husband. The doctor spoke Of
the loss of the Arikhama once or twice,
and Mouncey brought her the latest de-
tails that were published in the papers,
but Mrs Hamilton was during those
first few days the object Of paramount
interest Captain Conway was gone
All the love or loathing In the world
could not affect him any more. For hin
all was over; he had already passed
among the things that have been anc
shall be no more. But Mrs. Hamilton
was still alive and still needed the mos
minute care and the closest attention
She was, in spite of that terrible tragedy
Of the sea. the most important person
Of that small household.
In health she did not improve. A
times faint flashes Of understanding
came back, but they were only feebl,
and Pickering efforts of the cloudet
brain to re-establish its mastery Of wha
was going on around her. II she knew
any one definitely, it was Mary, but o
that, even, they were none Of them yer.
certain. The nurse who was in charg
said positively that Mrs Hamilton
knew no one Mouncey, on the othe
hand. insisted that she had seen the poo
lady's eyes follow the mistress as sh
moved away from the bed. This. how