Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-01-21
CHAPTER XVII.
The Wages of Sin is Death"

never Uu6 SlCdi1 III 11eolAG Aie]A ONAAAS
during the course of them to Sybil
Ayrtoa. 1t was the same sac story
all over again-the same drinking, the
weary hours of patient waiting, the
ha 4. ..-t.., poor fare, unkind words,
and d. yati0ns OF all kinds.
She had bravely steeled her heart
no T.. eel: she had girded herself
round with invisible strength. She
never allowed herself to think of home,
to remember Sir Rupert, and what was
to have been. Had she done so, she
must have died under the shock.
Two years of hard, stern discipline,
and she came out of them magnificent
Iy. They perfected her character;
they were full of adversely, of which
she made noble use; but the end was
drawing near.
Lyster Ayrton had of late taken to
immoderate drinking. He drowned
all remembrance of what he once was,
of his hopes, disappointments, and ev-
erything else. Sybil tried to remon-
strate with him, to cure him by gen
tie patience, by good advice, by care
and caution, but every effort was
thrown away.
He had had many narrow escapes OF
his life, and whenever he was away
from home his wife dreaded some aW-
full accident.
One evening-he had been drinking
without intermission night and day for
the past week, and Sybil lived in a
state of fear and trembling this
evening she sat alone in the little
room to which their narrow means
had reduced them, busily engaged in
finishing some fancy work for the
shops-for she was obliged to support
herself now; how Lyster lived she did
not know. The light of the lamp fall
ing upon her showed a face that no
one could pass unnoticed; the light,
girlish beauty had passed away, but
there wer power and strength in the
delicate features patience that was al
most sublime-the look of one who
does not belong altogether to this
world.
She was sewing busily when a shad
ow fell between her and the light.
Hastily raising her head, she saw the
mistress of the house looking fxedly
at her.
"What is it?" asked Sybil, gently,
wondering at the womans strange
stare.
"You are wanted, Mrs. Ayrton," was
the quick reply. '"There is cab wait
ing for you at the door-you are
wanted at Guys Hospital"
She rose quickly; her face could
grow no paler, but a sharp shudder
seized her.
''Tell me at once what it isl she
said, in tone of command
''YOur husband has met with an &C
acident," was the reply, 'and has sent
for you"
She will never forget the hurried
drive through the long streets, the
awful dread, the dull wonder. the list
aess apathy, sharpened at times into
pain She saw the gloomy walls of
Guys rising before her, and as she
went in at the gates wonder came
to her as to how much more she would
have to suffer.
I The only thing she remembers
clearly is the face of kindly doctor,
who met her at the entrance of the
long ward and asked gravely if she
were Mrs. Ayrton.
'-'Your husband is very ill., he said
gently HE has met with a terrible
accident. You must summon all your
courage, for we fear the worst
. He led her down the long ward to-
The side Of bed standing in a recess,
and there, with an awful gray pallor
on his face, with crimson bandages
wtognd rDund his head, with white,
dry lips and closed eyes, lay he whom
the world had once called Handsome
Captain Ayrton."
She bent over him. In that moment
all his faults, all his crimes, the long
years of neglect and cruelty died away
from her; she remembered only the
fair-haired soldier who had wooed her
under the trees at Glynn.
"'Will he never recover" she asked,
an hushed voice, of the doctor.
Gle will not see the sun rise" he re-
piled gravely.
Then she kreIt down by his side.
The closed eyes did not open, the white
lips did not move.
<'Wil he never know me again?" she
asked
eyes, he will recover consciousness
just before DEATH was the reply.
And she knelt by his side to wait.
Every moment of that long, dull watch
is burned in upon her brain. Ten,
eleven, twelve struck, and there came
ITO change. One, and two-and the
head moved restlessly on the crimson
stained pillow, the eyes opened, and
she heard her name called as no hui