The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-26

night. and even TITLED soft and reproaeh-
ful serenade 10 remind hts mistress Of her
ineons.derateness 1t was midnight, yet
both gas jets were burning brightly, and
Hannah Jane sttl sa,. book upside down
In her lap. and an odd smile on her lips.
What an empty. bare room IL was. What
an empty. gray Overwhelmingly
no, no-yeass awaited her She dared not
60 TO sleep and wake up anew 10 the real
ization- Such dead. dead weight OF mo-
notonous oppression had settled upon her.
''Oh, Cherry. don't singf she moaned,
unohservant OF the book that fell TO the
| floor as she rose and moved to the cage.
How can We sing. We little birds,
| When I'm so wac and fu' o. care?'
| How did we use 10 get on--yoa and /
| birdie? We did very we'll" she said soft
! ly TITS dreadful TO be an old fool, be-
| cause they're the worst kind. birdie
| The canary, excited and daring. few
| straight through the open door To her neck
| and pecksd at Ii Grossly. She closed her
| hand on his little body and held him close.
| as she walked softly up and down the
| room.
| IT'S one O. the girls In those pretty low
| necked photographs" she murmured, and
| the next time she reached the bureau she
| stopped and resolutely scanned her bag
| gard face, the thin hair her restless hands
| had ruffled and her spare figure
| "Oh. OH" she moaned. meeting her pite-
| Gus eyes. The silky mite she was cling
! ing to In the agony of her humiliation
! writhed Indignantly. She clasped her
hands over her face and the canary whirre1
| back to his cage as to an ark OF safety.
| IF only knew how my soul looks" she
| sobbed softly, her thin shoulders con-
| vulsed, II might not feel so dreadful
| ashamedr'
| The following day was Wednesday. There
| was a card on Hannah James door which
| read Back Thursday"
| She heard Wyman's gay voice depioring
| to Mrs. Hogan the fact that he could not
/ bid his new friend good-by, and soon after
| ward saw letter stealing under her door.
The long step and the gay whistle had
| died away before she picked up the en-
| velope. Ii contained scrubbed word of
| farewell and 4 sum OF money.
Still she sat there. deaf to the noises IN
the street, deaf to the noises in the build
| ing. to all save the voices that spoke to her
| inner ear, until toward evening thirst drove
her from her room. She met Mrs. Hogan
In the hall The Irishwoman threw up her
hands. evidently in wild excitement.
An amt IL dreadful thing. and can't
| take care of him! / loike Misiher Wyman,
| but we know my rheumatic. and"
What has happened? Where is Mr.. Wy
man.?
Hannah Jane, weak with fasting. leaned
against the wall.
Sick In his room and the doctor LAWN
him. an I've just told him"
Here gray-haired man came toward the
stairway.
Are you the doctor?" cried Hannah
Jane, turning What has happened to Mr..
Wyman? live here. What can do?''
The doctor bent his shaggy eyebrows in
quick scrutiny.
Several things" he answered
sx.t- L. r. To,
threw open her door, and Mrs. Hogan
limped away murmuring.
THE evening papers are full of It..
Haven't you seen the head-lnes?" asked
the doctor.
Nothing"
THAT poor fellows bride dropped dead
| Just as she reached the altar. Forgive me.
| Take this chair. / didn't know you had a
personal interest. There now-rm afraid
I've untitled you to help me-
Mr.. wyman Is stunned by the shock!'
said Hannah Jane. family.
I'm not sure of his condition yet The
whole situation is strange. AS you may
know Miss Frost was the poor relation OF
rich people anxious to marry her of. and
| they han no interest in wyman, save as q
means TO an end. j know them we'll. The
! girl had heart trouble. The end came right
| there. No one seemed to know what be-
] came of Wyman after the catastrophe. He
was found in the street and brought here
and there was delay in getting me. He may
have had fall. At any rate. he is In a
stupor, and IL you would stay with him
until / can get nurse over here
Don't send any nurse, No one must
take care OF him but met cried Hannah
Jane.
The doctor gazed. surprised. at her pale
| little face.
Every well. then" he returned. after a
moments hesitation. by tomorrow, un-
! less he reacts well from his condition
| will try to get him into a hospital"
"Never, exclaimed the other
"Ah, You are a relative?
| The dressmaker became agitated NO
| not exactly. A-connection by-hy--"
| The doctor was too busy TO care why
! the eager. agitated woman was willing TO
| help him The fact was enough, and Han
| nah Jane accompanied him 20 the dis
| mantied room. where the strapped trunk
| OF the bridegroom stili stood while its
| owner. unconscious OF the subversion OF
! his world. lay In what proved to he the
| first stage OF an attack OF brain fever.
| But IL was not In this room that wymaa
| first came back from the realm OF his
! fantasies. He lay in place where the
| Funbeams stole through the shade and
| birds fitted about
| Still dreams, dreams" he thought.
! tBtH NnHtf1ttS tcaEnrg- IT was a woman.
/ whom he now first noticed She was Sit
| ting across the room, with a cap on her
! h.ad and an apron oves her dress With
/ pang never in after-years wholly for
/ gotten. Wyman realized that she was a
/ nurse. that he had been i'll and why he
] had been I'll. The nurses work worn
hands pressed convulslVely together for
/ all at once there came weak. iong-drawu
| sohs from the bed
Fer 4 while she let him weep, then she
drew near and bent over him in the
/ shadow. her own eyes raining
( The doctor will b. here soon. Try 10
! rest now. Mr.. Wvmau-''
''Torturers-torturers-S bring me back
| 70 hfe, .. Amy-and l might have been
! with YOU
Hannah Jane had grown familiar with
! the name ere this,
I is there anSbody-your own people
/ you'd like TO have sent fore We couldn't
| fnd any address"
Melody. ! have nobody. Neither had
/ she Rut we had each other"
! Poor boy" Hannah Jane took his
hand IN both of hers and they wep,