The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-09
CHAPTER Ii.
IN WHICH THE GOOD CAUSE GAINS 4
CONVERT.

CONN l..
Which one of you. my dears, faring across
the froitier OF the shadow land Of dreams
into the no less mysterious country of tn
real. cannot recall the struggle Of the wax
ing sersses to knot up the gossamer fila
ment Of the nights fantasies with tbs
coarser web of reality?
For a: time, longer or shorter as the dream
thread holds. the vagaries OF the night are
shuttled into the warp Of life. But pres
| entity comes the master weaver Reason to
| point opt this or that fantastic pattern; to
| bid thel ear listen to the measured clacking
Of the 1ay-loom, and the eye to mark that
the web of reality has grown never an inch
for all the shuttlings of the sleeping time
| Whereupon, full-blood consciousness re-
gains her sway, and you sigh, gladly or
sorrowfully. and say. Dear God. twas but
a dream 1 dreamedr'
Somey such awakening came to me on a
day whereof 1 knew not the name or its
number in the calendar.
| I wal lying in bed in my old room at
Appleby Hundred. The armored soldier was
| gloweriug down upon me from his frame
over the chimney piece; the great black
ened clothes press doomed darkly in it's cor
ner; tie show of curious china filled the
shelves where my boyhood books had rested:
and there was the same faint smell of law
ender n the bed linen that once-was it
yesterday or months ago?-had minded me
of my mother.
| When / sought to move me on the pillows
the dream seemed more than ever dream
sure. The pain of a sword wound was grind
ing at my shoulder, and I was bandaged
stiff as had been that other day.
| So said. as you have said in like awak-
enings.s Dear God, twas but dream!"
and saying it would turn my head to see If
Mistress Margery were sitting where last
remembered her.
She was there, In very deed and truth,
deep In the hollow of the great chair Of
Indian wickerwork: and as before. the soft
grayiny of the evening sky was mrrored in
her eyes.
| i sighed, and there was a catching of the
breath at the bottom of 1t. Truly, the wond-
rous dream had had its agonies, but there
were also beatitudes to tip the scale the
other way. For / had dreamed this sweet
faced watcher was my wife-in name. at
least
Twas while looked, mindlng not the eye
| ache the effort cost, that she rose and came
| softly to the bedside. She said no word, but,
| as once in the dream-time, she laid a cool
palm on my forehead. Weak L was-and
surely King David was not weaker when ne
wrote his bones were gone TO water-the
old love-madness of that other day came to
thrill me at her touch, and / made as If
would take her hand and press 1t to my
lips.
NAY. sir" she said with swift return
to sick-room discipline, you must not stir;
you have been sorely hurt"
aye" said /; II do remember; twas In
a duel with one Francis Falconnet He said
he would make you his"
Now the soft palm was laid on my lips,
and | kissed It till she snatehed 1t away:
Ma fol-" she cried; II think you are in a
hopeful way to recover now, Captain Ireton
] do protest 1 shall go and send old Anthony
to sit with YOU.
too, putting up the chain on the hall door. "
"Ah. mon Dieu" she said softly, as II to
herse The is n wandering yet At Which Which
you did see him putting on the chain"
did /? made sure dreamed 1t. But
tell me another thing; was it not yesterday
that met Sir Francis Falconnet under the
oaks in the wood field and got his pair OF
redhot pincers in my shoulder"
She turned away, and If 1 ever saw q
tear there was one trembling in her eye
Twas three full weeks ago." she said
"And 1t was not in the wood ield-'twas ir
the wine cellar. Never tell me you do moi
remember; IL could never-ah, mother OF
sorrov-sl that would be worse than ALL
Here was a curious coil, but could breal
| d IL,
81 remember well enough" l FASTENED t.
say. But being here, and seeing you Their,
in the great chair. carried me back to tina
other time making all the interval stan(
"You have been terribly near to death
Monsieur John; so near that DR.. Carew ha!
twice given you over"
NO" said /; there was no fear of that
am like that man in the old German foil
|. | tale who made a compact with the evil one
sellins thereby his chance to die. Deati
4 MOI lrn n off tcfr To-
|. | gerry; / have tried him too often"
"Hush!" she said; "'tis an i'll thing t,
jest about. Why should you want to die?"
, Rather ask why should choose to live
. But this is beside the mark. You Shout,
, have let me die. dear lady; but since yol
did not. we must cen make the best of IL.
. She faced me with smile that struggled
, with some deeper stirring of the heart;
! knew not what
,, "'Tis monstrous doleful alternative
n'est-ce pas? And must not let you talk o
dolef,l things; indeed 1 must not let yol
talk at all-'tis DR.. Carews order
So saving. she smoothed the counter
I pane and Strengthened my pillows; an,
, after giving me a great spoonful of som
, cordial that first set a pleasant GLOW
alight in me and af-erward made m
drOwty. she took post again in the hollow
of the big chair and was sitting when
fell asleep.
This days awakening was the first O
many so nearly of piece, that lost tn
less for the better part, stole away the hour
till the memory of that inch by-inch re
turn to health and strength is itself lik
the memory of the vaguest OF dreams.
, By times when l awoke IL was the blui
DIR. Carew bending over me to dress m
: wound at other times ii was Margery com
to tempt with bowl of broth or som
{; other kickshaw from the kitchen. Now an
again / awoke to find Scipo or old An
thony standing watch at my bedside. an
: once-but that was after / was up and i
my clothes and able to sit down and drows
: i'm the great chair-I opened my eyes to fin
: that my company was the master of tn
| house.
:. He was sitting had seen him sit one
: | before, behind a lighted candle at the littl
: table with a parchment spread out unde
!, his bony hands. He was mumbling over tn
, | written words of IL when / looked but at m
: stirring he gave over and sat back in hi
: ! chair to cross his thin legs and match hi
!. | long fingers by the ends, and wink an
: blink at me as though he had but now dis
: covered that he was not alone.
: 81 give We good even, Captain Ireton,' b
A | said finally rasping the greeting out at m
: as if IL had been curse. II hope we've sler
n | we'll.
= I said / had. and thanked him, once fc
: the wish and again for his coming To $.
;, | me- I know not how il was, but If there ha
been rancor in my former thoughts of hil
: twas something abated now.
a we've had nearhand escape this TIM
!; sir he said. after a longish pause.
:. Zone more or less of good many sine
!. we were last met together in this room, M
= Stair" would say
l. He muttered something to himself abot
}. the devil taking precious good care of h
! own; and laughed.
..-r,af ia In NAV he. hu nv ha;pC M,