The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-08-13

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OF the last few hours, that oppressed ln".
| Everything seemed, as | lay awake, -
unnaturally silent. There was not Il
! sound in the wido CRATE where th" last
ashes Of the fire were silently giving up
| tho ghost; not rumble Of wind in the
old chimney which had had SO much 10
| say the night before. I tossed and Turn
ed, and vainiy sought for sleep, now on
this side, now on that.
At last | gave mp trying, half in tho
hope that it might steal upon me ur,
wares. thought Of the play and the
| ball, OF poor Charles Hnd his dcbtS--of
anything and everything but it was no
! good. In the midst Of II tumble of dis
! connected ideas I suddenly found myself
! listening again to tho silcnco-listcnns
as if it had been broken by u sound
| which | had not heard. My watch
| tickcd loud and louder Oh the dressing
| table, .Nd presently | gave quite II start
| Us the distant stable clock t0llcd out tho
| hour--Olc three four. | had
| gOno to bed before 8. Had | only bcrn
| awake IN hour? 1t seemed incredible.
& tting up on tip I %, vaguely afraid
myself of breaking tho silence, L noise
lcssly pushed aside tho heavy curtains
and looked out.
The moon had set, but by tho frosty
starlight the outline of tho great snow
laden trees and tho wide sweep of white
drive were still dimiy visible. All WAS
| silent without rs within. Not branch
| moved or let fail its freight OF snow.
There was not u breath Of wind stirring
l was Oh the point of getting back into
bed when | thought in the distance |
heard sound. l listened intcntly. No.
| must have been mistaken. All! again,
and nearer. ! held my breath. | could
| distinctly hcat Il stcalthy step coming
up the stairs. My room was tho nearest
to the staircase end Of tho corridor, and
amy ono coming mp the stairs must pass
lay door. With Il presence of mind
which | am glad TO say rarely deserts
nc blew out my candle, slipped to tho
| door and noiaclcssly opened it chinll.
Some one was coming down the corri-
dor with tho li@htncss of II cat, candle
in hand, as a FAINT light showed me.
Another moment and saw Charles, Dalo
| and ha%gard, still in evening dress, com
ing toward me. He was without his
shoes. He passed my door and went
N0iSclcSsly into his owa room, II little
IIll lilti 'lcNi lic l)JSHis,t. / nero NtS
the faintrSt suspicion of Il sound, as OF u
key being gently turned in tho lock, and
then all WAS still again, stiller than ever.
What could Charles have been after, l
wondered He could not have been re-
turning from seeing Denis, who was not
only much better, but was in tho room
beyond his own. And why had he still
got on his evening clothes at 4 o'clock in
the morning? l determined to ask him
about it next day as | got back into bed
again, and then, while wondering about
it and trying to get warm, l fell fast
asleep. | was only reused, after being
twice called, to find that it WAS broad
daylight, and to hear the boxes being
carried down of many Of the guests VIII,
were leaving by an carly train.
was late, but not SO late as some
Breakfast was still going on. Evelyn
and Ralph had been up to see their
friends off, but Gen. and Mrs. Marston
and Carr, who were staying On, calno in
after did. Lady Mary and Aurclia
were having breakfast in their own
| rooms | think nothing is moro dreary
than Il long breakfast table laid for
large numbers with half u dozen pick
nickinS at it among the debris left by
earlier ravaHrS. Evelyn, behind tho
great silver urn, looked pale and pre-
occupied and had very littlo to say for
holscN whom l jo,uneyed up to hoy
end OF the Table and sat down by her.
She asked me twice if took sugar, and
| WAS not bright and alert and ready in
conversation, az think girls should be-
Carr, too, was eating his breakfast in 81
lcnco beside Mrs. MarstOn.
1t WAS not cheerful. And then Charles
camo in, listlcss and tired, and without
an appetite. IIo sat down wearily on
tho other side of Evelyn and watched
her pour ont his coffee without word.
"Tho Carews and Edmonts and Lady
Delm and her daughter havo Just
gone" said Evelyn, "nnd Mr.. Denis"
eyes" replied Charles, seeming to pull
himself together; Denis camo to my
room before ho went uo looked u
wreck, poor fellow; but not worse than
somo Of us. These lato hours, these
iriskings with energetic young creatures
Ill the schoolroom, these midnight rcvels
nro too much for me. feel perfect
wreck this morning, too"
He certainly looked it.
"lIavc you had bad lcttcrs?' said
Evelyn, in u low voice.
lie laughed ~ littlc--a grim laugh
ana shook his head. "But had ycstcr-
day" ho added, presently, in low tone.
81 shall have TO try change Of air again
soon, [ am afraid"
was just going to ask Charles what
he had been doing walking about in his
socks the night before, when tho door
opened, and Ralph, whose absence had
not noticed, cano in. He looked much
pcrturbcd. 1t seemed his father had been
taken suddenly and alarmingly i'll whilc
dressing.
In Il moment all was confusion. Eve
lyn prccipitatcly left tho room to go to
him, while Charles rushed round to tho
stables to send IL groom on horseback for
the nearest doctor. Ralph followed him,
and tho remainder Of the party gathered
ina little knot round tho fire, Mrs. Mar
ston expressing tho sentiment Of each Of
us when sho said that sho thought visit
ors were very much in tho way when
thcro was illness in tho house, and that
sho regretted that sho and hnr husband