Middletown transcript., 1907-05-04

posed walk, and said nothing,
and her momcntary resentment,
or what he had taken for such,
quickly passed from his remem-
brance.
In the third week Of his conva-
lescenceIthere came a letter from
Lyman s sister Jeanette, saying
she was coming to make him a
visit and to help out Laura, who
must be tired with nursing him.
Write and tell her not to come,
he said. It's all I can do to stand
Jeanette when I'm well.
1t is Too late; she has started.
She will be here to- morrow after
noon.
Laura had grown suddenly
pale when she read the letter,
and now she rose, and leaning
over her husband kissed him,
then left the room abruptly.
The next morning she was
more than usually gentle and
thoughtful. 1t seemed as if she
could not do enough for the in
valid. She brought up his
breakfast, which she had pre-
pared herself; she helped him
dress and supported him while
he tottered the few steps to his
chair; she arranged the pillows
at his head, his foot-stool, and
then read to him.
When he became tired she
helped him unto the lounge for
his forenoon nap. Then she left
him to return in a few moments
with her hat and cloak on, for
lately she had taken the time for
her walk while Lyman slept. In
her hand he noticed she had a
letter. She knelt beside him,
and putting her arm about his
neck looked into his eyes already
growing heavy. He saw that
she was struggling with some
emotion, but he was too sleepy to
ask what it was.
When he awoke, he saw by the
clock that he had been asleep
nearly two hours. He glanced
around the room for Laura.
Strange she had not come back!
But perhaps she had come, and
was downstairs. He wondered
if he could get to the table where
the little call-bell stood.
As he sat up something fell to
the floor, and looking down he
saw it was a letter. The thought
of that other letter of long ago,
sent a chill of premonition
through him, and his hand trem-
bled as he picked it up and
opened it.
| DEAR HUSBAND: Jeanette is coming,
and you do not need me any longer. 1t
breaks my heart to leave you again, but
see no other way. have grown to hate
quarreling; cannot assert myself contin-
ually-I simply cannot-and I can now
zee no good that could come from such q
course. The other alternative is to al
ways yield, and cannot think it would
be right for me to stay and be stumbling
block, to stand in the way of your spirit
ual development, to help make you more
and more selfish and domineeriDg. II
seems somehow as il it would be sort of
soul-murder. The other time I went be-
cause l loved myself; this time it is be.
| cause l love you. / have tried to tell you
how l feel about these things, but you
would not listen. If you should ever
come to see that a true marriage cannot
exist without unselfish, thoughtful love
on both sides, then you will write or come
to me. LAURA.
Lyman's sister arrived in the
afternoon. The two had never
got along well together. Their
friends had said it was because
they were so much alike. Ly-
man gave her the old excuse to
account for Laura's absence, and
was relieved when Jeanette ac-
cepted IL as genuine, and said
that it was what Laura should
have done, if her mother was ILL.,
Almost Immediately there was
friction between the brother and
sister. Jeanette drew down
the window shades, because the
light would hurt his eyes, though
he protested that it never had;
she changed the furniture about,
to his intense disgust; she talked
to him when he wished she
would keep silent; she scolded
him because he was so glum; she
wouldn't bring him what he
wanted for supper, and when he
went to bed she insisted on hay
ing the windows tightly closed,
though he told her that all
through his illness they had been
kept open a little way. Every.
thing she did irritated him, and
the prospect of her staying q
month was uncomfortable.
The first afternoon was a fair
sample Of the next few days, and
Lyman's S state of mind at times
bordered on frenzy. II was mad