Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-06-09
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CHAPTER xvI11.-(Continued.)
BY WILLIAM BLACK


she went to the fireplace, and placed
the bottle conspicuously ON the mantel-
shelf Then she went back to her moth
err 1T shall remain there, mother
as something you have no further need
of. That is done with now. 1t was
great temptation when you were living
in lodgings in a town, not in good air;
and you were very weak and i'll; but
soon you will be strong enough to get
over your fits Of faintEess or depression
without that" She put her hand on her
mothers shoulder. sit is for my sake
that you have put it away"
In answer she took her daughters hand
80 both hers, and covered it with kisses.
eyes, yes, yes! l have put it away,
Yolande, for your sake. l have put
st away forever now. But you have
little excuse for me? You do not think
so hardly of me as the others? l have
been near dying-and alone. [ did not
know | had such a beautiful daughter
coming to take care of me, too! And
don't want you to go away now-not for
q while at least. Stay with me for a
little unconditional l have got to he
just like every one else-and then L shall
have no fear of being alone-l shall neT-
er, never touch that!
She glanced at the battle on the man
telshelf with a sort of horror. She held
her daughters hand tight. And Yo-
Iande kept by her until not thinking it
was prudent to make too much OF this
little incident, she begged her mother to
come and get her things on for another
short stroll before tea.
Toward the evening, however, it was
clear that this poor woman was suffer
ing more and more, although she endeaV-
Ored to put a brave face on it, and only
desired that Yolande should be in the
room with her. At dinner, she took
next to nothing: and Yolande, on her own
responsibility, begged to be allowed to
send for some wine for her. But no; she
seemed to think that there was some
thing to be got through, and she would
go through with it. .yOmetimes she went
to the window and looked out-liStenlng
to the sound of the sea in the darkness
Then she would come back and sit down
by the fire. and ask Yolande to read to
her-this, that, or the other thing.
Yolande did not go quickly to sleep,
for she knew that her mother was suffer-
ing-the labored signs from time to time
told her as much. She lay and listened
10 the wash of the sea along the shlngle
and to the tramp of the last wayfarers
along the pavement. She heard the peO-
pie of the house go upstairs to bed. And
then, by-and-by, the stiffness of the room,
and the effects of the fresh air, and the
natural healthiness of youth combined to
make her drowsy, and, rather against
her inclination, her eyes slowly closed.
She was woke by a moan, as OF soul
in mortal agony. But even in her alarm
she did not start up, she took time to re-
cover her senses. And if the poor moth
er were really in such suffering, would it
not be better for her to lie as if she were
asleep? No appeal could be made to her
for any relaxation of the promise that
had been given her.
Then she became aware of stealthy
noise. and a strange terror took posses
sion of her She opened her eyes ever so
Notwithstanding through the lashes
only-and there she saw that her worst
fears were being realized. Her mother
had got out of bed and stolen across
the room TO the sidebOard in the parlor
returning with a glass. 1oande, all
trembling, lay and watched. She was
not going to interfere, it was not part of
contemplated this possibility before now.
And very soon it appeared why the poor
woman had taken the trouble to go for a
glass; it was to measure out the small
est quantity that she thought would al
leyiate her anguish. She poured a GER
tain quantity of the black-looking fluid
into the glass: then she regarded it as if
with hesitation; then she deliberately
poured back one drop, two drops, three
drops: and drank the rest at Il gulp.
Then. in the same stealthy fashion, she
took the glass to the parlor and left it
there: and crept silently back again and
into bed.
Yolande rose. Her face was pale; her
ips firm. She did not look at her moth
er; but, Just as if she were assuming
her to be asleep. she quietly went out of
the room and presently returned with a
glass in her hand. She went to the
chimney piece. Very we'll she knew that
her mothers eyes were fixed on her,
aud intently watching her; and. as she
poured some Of that dark fluid into the
glass. no doubt she guessed the poor
woman was imagining that this was an
experiment to see what had been taken
out of the bottle. But that was not
quite Yolande's purpose. When she had
poured out, as nearly as she could calcu-
late. the same quantity that her mother
had taken she turned her face to the
hight and deliberately drank the contents
of the glass. 1t was done in a second
there was n sweet, mawkiSh. pungent
taste in the mouth. and Il SILVER of dis
gust as she swallowed the thing; then
she calmly replaced the bottle on the
chimney piece.
But the mother had sprung from her
BED with wild shrek, and caught the
girl by both hands.
"Yolande, 1olande, what have you
done?"
What is right for you. mother, is
right for me-" she said, in clear and set
lied tones. 1T is how l mean to do