Year: 1879

"Tell me what troubles you, uear halph'
1 said. "Let me help you bear it."


He laughed-a mocking, unnatural laugh
that seemed to turn my blood icy cold in my
veins. "Tell her ! tell the poor, innocent
confding girl that she is betrayed-ruined-
that I am the cause-that my hand" lie
stopped suddenly. "Water, water, for Gods
sake, quick. 1 am parched, tormented with
thirst! The demons of hell have got posses
sion of mel"


Trembling in every limb, fastened to
give him water After that he seemed little
quieter but in about an hour he began to
rave frightfully, and said many strange in
comprehensive things, the result, suppose
merely of his disordered fancy, but yet which
seemed in some way to be linked oy a Gu
rious thread of reason together. 1 cannot
now recall all these wild words, nor would
if could they affected me too painfully at
the time. By morning his reason returned
but knew then that he was dying.


Lucy" he said family, as | hung over
him, II want to claim one promise from you
while have strength"


asked him what the promise was. CT
seems to me strange, on looking back, that
I was able to speak and act as quietly
and collectedly as did. I suppose my
feelings, at the time, were numb. l know
felt dazed, and as if I we're moving in hide
Gus dream.)


81, is this" he replied. eff at any time
the knowledge comes to you of any fault
however grievous I may, unknown
to you, have committed-even Of any wrong
may have done you-don't reproach me in
memory too harshly. Forgive me, and be-
lieve still, that I loved you always with
love passing words"


think these were the exact phrases he
used. They were impressed strongly upon me-
because, in his weak condition, he spoke
very slowly, pausing often, and because my
nerves were wrought to an unusual tension
which seemed to enable me to take in every
word that he uttered with peculiar clearness
of comprehension.


"You have never done me any wrong,
Ralph-my dear, dear Ralph" | said.
knew he must be laboring under some uneasy
delusion, some fancied selfreproach, and it
distressed me inexpressibly to have his suffer
ings increased at such time, by mere te'
verish idea that could have no foundation.


"Promise me-promise me" he urged: To
soothe him, gave the required promise. as
suring him that 1 could never, never, from
any cause, doubt his love for me or his desire
to make me happy.


81 have loved you'll do love you-God
only knows how fervently," he said.


Those were his last words; the last, at
least, which he spoke with any degree OF
clearness He seemed to lapse, into kind OF
doze, or stupor, soon after, from which he new
er actually reused up again. sat by him
while the heavy hours crept along, feeling
that all of light, and hope, and happiness
that the world contained for me, was slowly,
fatally slipping away from me forever, as the
sands of life dropped through.


And then-I cannot write the rest. l think
it was about noon when l knew that, at last,
nv desolation had come. Afterwards, Tina
found me, having laid the baby down asleep,
and came to see if wanted her for any
thing. I was lying by him, with my arm
over his neck. She thought, at first, that |
was dead, too.


wished at first that it had really been So
Why should we two, who had been all in all
to one another in life, be separated by the
darkness of the grave? Why could we not
have entered hand, in hand, into a new life
which, as it seemed to me, must be incomplete
to either one of us alone? My heart cried
out drearily-What had the world for it now


And then an answer came in my baby's
cry. As Tina brought the little creature and
laid him in my arms, dim sense of consola,
ton touched me, and knew that was not
all alone.





After the remains of him who was dearer
to me than my life were laid in the earth,
and the first stupor of my bereavement was
somewhat lightened, forced myself to the
duty of looking through what papers and
other effects I could find, chiefly in Ralph's
desk. His possessions were so simple, so few,
the task was not long one. There was a
letter addressed to me, telling me what money
was left in a certain bank, and how was to
draw it when needed mere business details,
that have scarcely tried thus far to compre-
hend. But the letter closed with this remark
able request, which l shall transcribe in his
own words:


81 solemnly entreat you, my beloved wife,
not to return to America to live. Continue
to make your home, for the present, in the
spot where I have left you, or some other
equally remote. When our son Gf he lives
shall be old enough to receive his education
it is my wish that he shall not be sent to
school, but receive instructions at home, from
the hands of private tutor Keep him as
far as possible removed from contact with
other boys and let what associates he has be
either German or English. Impress upon
him. as he grows older, the desirability of his
continuing to live in Europe. Remember
this is matter of vital importance to his aOegart
and yours. My wish, I know, will be sacred
in your estimation. If this request seems q
strange one, do not bewilder yourself with an
attempt to find and explanation for it. Be-
lieve me, when assure you that it is wholly
for your own good and that of our child, that