Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-04-30
CHAPTER xxx.

| Inc great NIL mat lay between inc
wide woodlands and SOuthwood
looked brown and arid The tide was
nigh, and the huge waves doomed at
the foot Of the rocks. 1t was chill,
uncomfortable evening, with a cold
wind blowing, the clouds falling
lower and lower and threatening
rain, n mist spreading from sea to
land, cllnging to the trees and hedges,
and lying like soft clouds on the
grass. There was no sound of a
BIRDS song, no glimpse Of flower.
Even the pretty little town Of South
wood looked dull and gloomy All
around 1t was still and silent except
for tho sullcn roar of the waves and
sweet summer sounds and scents
were dead; autumn rcigned supreme,
Inside Martin Rays cottage the
scene was even more dreary than
without. There Is no room 50 sad as
that in which man has lain day
after day, week after week, dying,
When there is any hope in the
nursing, 1t Is not SO dreary. There
IL tho prospect OF pleasant ter
mination; there is the looking for
ward to time when all the para
phernalia Of medicine will be done
away with. But in this case there
was not such hope. The long Illness
must end IN death, and death was
long in coming. 1t seemed Mt times
as though nothing but the iierCeness
of hate kept life in Martin Ray; all
that he had disliked, scorned, de-
nounced in his youth and his
strength was more odious than ever
to him now More than once his
doctor, looking at the stern, yindc-
tive face, said to himself
1T is strong feeling that keeps him
alive"
That Hottie was model nurse. as
she had always been model daugh-
ter surprised no one. She never
seemed to think Of herself; she
scarcely slept or rested, for the
dying man was afraid to bc lett
alone
"You must mover leave me, llottc,"
he said to her one day. "Whilo you
AFRO IN thN room some of my Old
thoughts of the angels come TO mo;
the moment you 60 | have u horrible
| fancy"
what Is iL?" she asked, touching
the gray hair with her white dngcrs.
"Whcn you leave the room, II fills
with hugo black dogs, their flaming
eyes all fixed on me. | know It il
fancy, because they only bark They
never touch mo"
She could only bend over him in
loving pity, and murmur sweet
words of comfort,
1t was terrible death.bod to
Hottic. 1t would have been terrible
to any girl Int 1t was more SO to
her, for she was SO sensitive, SO
spiritual. and the man dying there so
sadly the reverse She never forgot
those long night-watchc 1t was
horrible To turn from the lines OF
light that lay upon the sea to the
gray head tossing and turning on the
Ipillow, to tho palnd lips whose utter
Iances were at times SO terrible,
One night Martin called her to
him,
send for Leah" he said; 81
cursed her, and | cannot die"
He know nothing of the beauty of
patience. of the value of suffering;
ian that he know was that his timo
was como, and yet he could not die.
Tho doctor had wondered at his
prolonged life; and once-ah! would
IHottio ever forget that terrible day
tho kind-heartcd rector of South.
wood had made his way to the sick
mans room lIottic never knew all
THAT passed. but when he was leav.
ling the house. the good clergyman
with i shocked. Mortified expression
ON his face, said,-
"pray for your father, He wants
all the mercy Heaven can give him
It is nothing but hatred that keeps
him alive"
1t was Il lonely and terrible task
nursing that stern, cynical man
Hettic grew palcr and thinner every
day, pccp in her heart lay the secre
of her lost love. She had put 1t on
lof sight; there would I've time enough
WHOM her father was gone, Her mint
to think Of It, and mourn over II
land thoughts were SO much on
crossed with him that she did no
dwell. as she would otherwise hav'
done, on the fact that Leah woul'
lsoon be with hcr--Loah, whom sh'
had seen last in all the splcndor .
her maguihcence
The bleak November evening wor
on, the gray head and the white fac
turned restlessly 10 and fro,
Hectic, is she como yet" was III
hoarse cry from Martins lips, You
sister deserted me. and ! cursed he,
| aud want to take the curse ava
from her"
, Tho devoted daughter who had bee
50 true and faithful to him, who ha
refused rank and wealth. and ha
{ clnng to him her he had nothin
, to say Ito did not thank her e