Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-05-02
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CHAPTER XIX.

1t was the night before the ono ap-
pointed for the bridal, and In the solitude
Of her chamber young girl wept in the
utter hopelcssness of despair. At the
inorrow's early dawn he would he there
to claim her MS his bride. and though he
was noble and good. there was in her
heart no answering chord Of love, and
she knew that without such love .hcir
union would be unholy. On the table at
her side lay her bridal dress. the gift of
Richard Delafcd. who, without a shad.
ow on his brow. or u wavcring In the
tones Of his voice. had asked her 10 ac-
ccpt Il rs a token of the esteem he should
ever feel for her. Alas! poor Rosa. as
your tears fell like rain upon the orange
wreath which seemed to mock your woe,
how little did you dream of the anguish
II cost the donor to say to you the words
he did, or that your sorrow was laught
compared to his.
Slowly the hours of night wore away.
aud as the moon rose higher and higher
In the heavens, her rays fell upon the
bowed form of Rosa, who. with cnsped
hands and bloodless checks. sat praying.
weeping. thinking, and praying again,
until Mt last there came over her 'rou-
blcd spirit calm which ere long rcsolv-
ed itself into u fixed determination.
"Shc would tell him all--how she loved
Richard Dcfiicld. and how. though that
love were hopeless she could not call an
other her husband" And he would re-
lease hcr--shc knew he would.
Ii was strange how calm this resou-
ton made her. Rising up. from the
crouching posture she had Assumed in
the first abandonment of her grief. she
walked to the open window, where she
stood gazing out upon the starry sky,
until at last. sick and faint with the
sweet perfume Of the night air, she turn
cd away. and shuddering, she knew not
why. sought her pillow. 1t was now
the first of June. and In that southern
cline the air was always hot. sultry and
laden with disease. For two weeks a
fearful epidemic. whose nature the Oldest
physicians did not understand. had been
raging In the towns adjoining, and many
who In the morning rose up full Of life
and vigor, were In the evening no long
er numbered among the living. 40 rapid
was the work Of death. In great alarm
the terrified inhabitants had fled from
place to place. but the destroyed was
on their track. and the 'brnin fever"
IN It was termed, claimed them for its
victims.
As yet there had been no cases In
Chester. but the people were In daily
dread Of Its arrival. Mrs. Lansing. ON
the contrary. though usually alarmed,
even ut the mention Of Il contagious dis
ease, expressed no fear, and went On
with the preparations for the party, un.
conscious Of the dark cloud lowering
near. but when on the morning succeed
ing the night Of which We have spolea:,
she heard. In passing Rosa's door, the
sound Of some one talking incohcrently.
while ut the same time u negro girl came
rushing out, cxclaiming: Young miss
has now got the brain fever. and gone
ravin' mad!' she fed In wild alarm to
the furthcst extremity Of the building,
ind gathering her frightened children to-
gcthcr, with Ada. around her, she called
TO the terrified servants from the win
dow. bidding them 20 for her brother
and tell him as he valued his life not
10 venture near the infected room, but
to hasten with nll speed to her. And
there. trembling. weeping. and wringing
her hands In fear. the selfish. cold heart
ed woman stayed. while. parched with
fever and thirst, the suffering girl lay
moaning In her pain: now asking for
water to cool her burning brain, and
ngain clasping her thin white hands con-
vulsively upon her brow, Us II to still Its
agOnized throbbings.
But one there was who did not forget.
In her excitement Mrs. Lansing failed to
notice the absence Of little Jessie. who
going fcarlessly to the bedside Of her
beloved teacher. gently bnthed the aching
head, and administered the cooling
draught. while with childish love she
kissed the ashcn lips, aud sm0othed back
the long trcsses which tloated over the
pillow. In the hall below there was
the sound of footsteps, and the bride
grOOm's voice was heard, asking for his
bride, but his cheek blanched to u mar
BILE whitcncs when told that she was dy-
Ing In the chamber above. In u moment
he had her In his arms--his precious
Observation-Disclosures believed, for he.
too. had heard of the strange disease, and
he thought there was no hope. With u
bitter cry he bent over the unconscious
girl. who knew him not, for the light of
reason was obscured and darkness was
upon her vision.
"Can nothing be done2 Is there no
helpY' he exclaimed wildly; and little
Jessie. awed by his grief, answered, as
she laid her soft, white hand Oh Rosa's
forehead, God can help her, and maybe
Uncle Dick can. mean to 70 for him."
and gliding noiselcssy from the room,
she was soon on her way to Magnolia
Grove. looking. with her golden curls
floating over her bare white shoulders,
as IL she were indeed an angel of mercy.
Alone In his library sat Richard Della
field, his arms resting upon the table.
and his face buried In his hands. All
the night long he had sat there thus. mus
ing sadly of the future when she would
be gone and he should be alone. Why
had she crossed his path--that little,
humble girl? and why had he been per-
mitted to love her 80 madly, or to dream
of u time when he could call her "his
own, his Rosa. his wife," Again and
again he repeated those words to himself,
and then US he thought whose she would
be- when another sun should have set,
lac groaned aloud, and in despairing tones
cried out, "IiOw can l give her up?'
The sun had risen, and, struggling
through the richly curtained window, fell
upon his bowed head; but he did not
need It. lie was sleeping at last, and In
his dreams another than DIR. Clayton
had claimed Rosa for his bride, even
Death, and without a tear he laid her in
her coffin, and buried her where the soft
signing cedar and the Whispering pine
would OvershadOw her grave. From that
dream he was reused by Jessie, who
shrieked In his ear, "Wake. Uncle Dick,
AMI .nn,a Niso I m 4, Ivin0 x,;tl, a.,