The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-02-01


the writing he jumped. then gasped:
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed, "Pol-
ly's taken to drink" And, indeed,
the handwriting was very shaky. He
opened the letter and read:
"Dear Charlie-Won't you come and
see me? Don't be afraid; I'm dying;
at least, the doctor says SO, and my
illness has made me hideous, and I
would hike to see you once again. I
shall be at home at four o'clock to-
morrow. At least, I am always at
home now, and could see you then"
She did see him then-that is, at
four o'clock the next day-and when
pretty color had gone from her
cheeks, great black patches lay
under her eyes, and strange lines
marked the lately beautiful face. The
eyes were bright, the lips still pink,
and the hair in picturesque disorder
had lost none of its beauty.
Charlie was allowed to stay only a
few minutes, and when he left the
room he stumbled into the arms of a
woman in white cap and apron, and
recognized Polly's old dresser. She
was very surly, and, when he pressed
her as to the condition of her mis-
tress, bluntly said that the nature Of
her illness was her affair and not his.
When he called the next day the
duke found Polly little better, and
there was quite flash of her old
self in her manner. So the duke spent
a pleasant quarter of an hour ere
Rollit, the ex-dresser, turned him out
in surly fashion, alleging that he
would fatigue her mistress.
AS he was passing through the
room the bell rang.
"The doctor!" exclaimed Rollit to
the young duke. "Come in!"
A minute later, an elderly man, with
a very grave, dignified manner, en-
tered. Rollit left the two men togeth-
err whilst she went into the sick room.
The young duke timidly said some
thing obviously truthful about the
weather-the other agreed-then
anxiously he asked, us she very i'll?
What is really the matter?"
II presume you are a friend of the
family?"
80, yes, certainly"
"She is very ill. We have had two
consultations, and" He merely
shrugged his shoulders again.
"But what is the illness?"
'Technically"-Charlie could not
catch the long Latin actually,
I suppose, the public would call it
broken heart Some young fellow, q
duke or someone of family--I know
little of such social matters-jilted
her. She made great effort to fight
against her feelings and so overtaxed
her strength; q heavy reaction set in.
Then, when she was in a most vul-
nerable state, of course, she caught
a chill, which attacked her lungs, and
now it is a mere question of days?"
Rollit appeared. please come at
once. doctor!"
Three days later, when Charles ar
rived, Rollit refused to let him see
Polly. "She's too bad, my lord, and
besides she's changed; she don't like
to be seen. And what do you want
to see her for? Go away. Let her
die in peace, and not think of you and
her SORROW"
The young man gasped. 81 don't
think you put it fairly" he said,
stammering.
81 am sure you did not act fairly"
she replied.
II would do anything on earth to
give her pleasure" said the duke.
The old woman laughed fiercely. "Of
course you would! You would do
anything on earth she does not want
Il know all that"
"What does she want?"
Nothing from you-merely to die
in peace, for die she will before the
next week is out; and that l should
know even if the doctor had not said
SO. Poor babel" A long pause.
81 suppose it would be no pleasure
to her now-that it would not make
her any the happier"
"What?"
eff 1 were to marry her."
"Too late; and yet-but here's the
doctor"
The duke of Westminster had a
short talk with the doctor, who
pledged his reputation as medical
man that Polly could not live more
than a few days, and then, despite
the shrugs of Rollit's elderly Shout
ders, Charlie went into Polly's room,
and was shocked by her appearance,
since, for the first time, her lips bed
lost their pretty pink and she looked
CHASTITY in the darkened room with
green-shaded lamp.
A few days later. with the author
ity of special license, Polly became
duchess of Westminster, the two wit
nesses to the marriage being Rollit
and the doctor.
When the ceremony was over the
young man impulsively bent down
and kissed the dull lips of his pallid
bride, although she made efforts to
turn away her head. A moment later
Rollit and the doctor were busy get
ting him out of the house, assuring
him that the excitement was too
much for the girl.
The young duke walked down the
road not half as happy as bride