Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-05-25

overspread it, as he half staggered
back.
"Merciful heaven" he exclaimed.
"Has the dead come to life? In Gods
name. Mrs. Dalrymple, speak to me!'
! And falling on chair, he wiped the
; cold beads Of perspiration from his
! brow.
Il am not Mrs. Dalrymple," she an
swered, quietly, after a moments
pause. Odd not Mr.. Corbett tell you
that it is Of her I wished to hear?''
Pardon me-" he said; "but when l
, entered this room, I thought Mrs.
Dalrymple herself was before me.
Never have l seen so marvellous 4
likeness. 1t seemed, indeed her liv-
i ing self"
You know Mrs. Dalrymple, then:
You can direct me to herr" she said.
II knew her, madame, yes. I
thought her the most beautiful wo-
man l had ever beheld in my life:
vet. l see now that you are even
more so. She and Captain Darrymple
came here Immediately on arriving in
New Orlenas. I don't know why. but
tie captain seemed to like me. and l
We'll. l never met Il man I more thor
oughly admired. EARLY in June, q
party left New Orleans for the far
West to prospect some new mines
which were said to be Of great value.
The captains interest became very
intense regarding them, until he deter.
| mined to put his own capital in them
\ company was formed, a conditional
deed of the mines given. if they full
filled. on inspection, the promise made
for them. Having so much at stake,
he went out with the rest"
"And his wife-she Went With him?'
interrupted Florence.
NO, poor lady. better had she done
so. 1t was too hard Il journey for
her to undertake the captain said,
and too. good Il chance. he seemed to
think for him to lose. He begged her
to be brave. and not make his duty
more difficult.
" L want to prove to them ut home
Dorothy. l heard him say to her,
once. that I was right when l de-
clared that 1 could make enough for
| us two in this great. glorious country.
without their pitiful help. l will only
be away four months. dear, and then
! Will either return to you, or you shall
come to me-
Before he left he asked me to find
4 home for his wife somewhere, that
she might, if possible. have near her
Il woman friend. She was far too
beautiful to be left alone and unpro-
tecteu in a hotel.
II was able to secure for him just
what he wished l knew widow-;l
lady who had a charming little cot
tage away from the din and hustle of
tie city. She had never taken board
ers. but when l explained to her what
l wished. she opened both her heart
and home''
THANK Cod" interrupted Florence.
again. needless of the strange illusions
he had made in his story to something
sad and terrible yet to be disclosed.
She is there safe and WELL then, and
you can take me to her at once"
Her listener gravely shook his head.
Would to heaven that l might he
said. MADAME, the lady who well
coined the poor young wife so cordial
ly. is dead. She fell one Of the first
victims to the fever
when I heard that Madame Fayal
was stricken with the fever, l went at
once to the house." he continued, as if
still DESTROYS of postponing telling Of
the evil tidings.
81 found the two women alone to-
gcther. The servants all had fled. |
told Mrs. Dalrymple that, strictly
Quarantined as we We're. l could find
some means to enable her to leave the
city and rejoin her husband, or. at
least await his return in some place
not infected by the pestilence. But
she. who. heretofore. had seemed a
very child, had suddenly developed
into woman, whose brave courage
put my own weaker manhood to
shame.
Il cannot desert my FRIEND" she
said. Nor could / carry to others the
germ of the frightful disease. DO you
know that if / left this house this poor
woman might perish Of thirst, or die
of munger. without one to hold to her
lips a drop of water or give her the
medicine and nourishment which may
yet save her life|
81 looked at her as one looks at a
martyr about whose head is the gold
en- glory of a saint Then l glanced to-
ward the bed. 1 had seen too many
fever patients not to know that here
death had set it's seal.
cit is useless l said Madame
Fayal cannot live forty-eight hours.
You must think of yourself and of
your husband
Bertie.' she exclaimed. while the
loveliest smile | had ever seen played
about her lips-'Bertie! You think lie
would tell me to desert a friend? All!
YOU do not know my husband. Be
sides. l am in Gods hands. He will
guard me from evil for my darlings
sake
"She. too trusted in Cod" interrupt
ed Florence. but speaking her thoughts
only to herself. regardless and forget
full of her listener. 'She. too. trusted
in God! And God proved her trust:
Go on, 90 on!'
Madame has set me a hard, hard
task. AS she would stay, I stayed
with her. ] could not leave these two
Gasolate Monochrome dying and one
almost Il child in years-alone togeth-
III. so l stayed to give what help l
could. 1t was little. for. on the very
next day l, too, was stricken with the
fever.
81 had sense enough to drag myself
away from the house. and not make of
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