Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-04-01
CHAPTER LV.
What Every Fool Knows.

scend. There was no light; the
maids, in the excitement and con
fusion, had forgotten their duties. No
lamp on the staircase, none in the
hall. Only in the latter the dull glim-
mer Of the horn lantern that irr&di-
ated but did not illumine the faces Of
two who were dead. The oak door at
the foot of the stairs was ajar, and a
feeble light from this lantern pene-
trated to the staircase. The window
admitted some greyness from the
overcast sky.
Tell me, Barbara he said, what is
the doctors report?'
Jasper' Then Barbara's strength
gave way, and she burst into food
of tears. He put his arm round her,
and she rested her head on his breast
and cried herself out. She needed
this relief. She had kept contro
over herself by the strength of her
will. There was no one in the house
to think Of her, to arrange anything;
she had the care Of everything on her,
beside her great sorrow for her father,
and fear for Eve. AS or the servant
girls, they were more trouble than
help. Men were in the kitchen;
that sufficed to turn their heads and
make them leave undone all they
ought to have done, and do just those
things they ought not to do. At this
moment, after the strain, the pres
ence of a sympathetic heart opened
the fountain of her tears and broke
&own her selfrestraint.
Jasper did not interrupt her, though
he was anxious to know the result OF
Mr.. Coyshe's examination. He waited
patiently, with the weeping girl in his
arms, till she looked up and said
Thank you, dear friend, for letting
me cry here; it has done me good
Now, Barbara, tel me all
Jasper, the doctor says that Eve
will live
Gods name be praised for that
But he says she will be nothing but
a poor cripple all her days
Then we must take care of her
Yes, Jasper, will devote my life
10 her
we will, Barbara.
She took his hand and pressed it
between both hers.
But said she hesitatingly, what
if Mr.. Coyshe-' She did not finish the
sentence
Wait till Mr.. COyshe claims her.
He is engaged to her, so of course
he will, the more readily now that
he is such a poor crushed worm
Jasper said nothing. He knew Mr.
Coyshe better than Barbara, perhaps
He had taken his measure when he
went with him over the farm after the
signing of the will.
This place is her by her fathers
will said Jasper; and, should the sur
geon draw back, she will need you
and me to look after her interests
Yes said aBrbara, she will need
us both
Then she withdrew her hands and
returned upstairs.
A few days later Mr.. Coyshe took
occasion to clear the ground. He ex-
planned to Barbara that his engage
ment must be considered at an end.
He was very sorry, but he must look
out for his own interests, as he had
neither parent alive to look out for
them for him. 1t would be quite i'm
possible for him to get on with a wife
who was a cripple.
You are premature, Mr. Coyshe,
said Miss Jordan stif1y. IF you had
waited till my sister were able to
speak and act, she would have, her
self released you
Exactly said the unabashed sur
geon; but I am so considerate of the
feelings of the lady, that I spare her
the trouble
And now let Us spread the golden
wings of fancy, and fly the scenes of
sorrow-but fly, not in space, but in
time; measure not miles, but months.
1t is autumn, far out into September
and Michaelmas has brought with it
the last days of summer. Not this the
autumn that we saw coming on, with
the turning dogwood and bird-cherry,
but another.
In the garden the colchicum has
raised its pale lilac bowers. The
Michaelmas daisy is surrounded by
the humming bird moth with trans
parent wings, but wings that vibrate
so fast that they can can only be seen
as a culver of light. The mountain ash
hung with clusters of clear crimson
berries, and the Tedbreasts and
fnches are about it, tearing improvi-
IDENTITY at the store, thoughtless Of
the coming winer, and strewing the
soil with wasted coral.
Eve is seated in the sun outside the
house, in the garden, and on her
knees is a baby-Barbara's child, and
yet Ewes also, for if Barbar gave it
life, Eve gave it a name. Before her
sister Barbara kneels, now just re-
stored from her confinement, a little
pale and large in eye, looking up at
her sister and then down at the child.
Jasper stands by contemplating the
pretty group.
Eve SAID Barbara in a low tremu-
lous voice, I have had for some
months on my heart a great fear lest,
when my little one came, I should love
it with all my heart, and rob you. |
had the same fear before married
Jasper, lest he should snatch some Of
my love away from the dear suffering
sister who needs all, But now l
have no such fear any more. for love.