CHAPTER XLI.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 251, 31 March 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER XLI.

\ si:\EKV>Ct. Tiik chill still hngeied on in that condition of impawn c languor; but Sabina maintained her defiant attitude : she would t alk ot nothing but the xouug «}«vng day-, and the w aim wind.- and pimuon-b in the woods, and the welemie big oo.it he.nV with its Canadian tin-. Only her lip* grew thinnei and paloi ; ami hei e>e- weie at time.- haggaid, a-* it w uh much midnight thinking. Once .-he In eke dow n. Lmd-ay had been up to London, and had hi ought back with him a Uttle to>, which he olleied to her hombly. It « a? a light little thing, that ran ori w heel*. „ , "It is not -o heavy as th<- tram-car. lie said. " Perhap-. mm, if jou would tie a bit of string to th it, he would pull it acio^ theiloor. She looke lac the toy, in silence: thoie w aa shirht i]ir.\ 1 1 m<r ot her lip? " Y<s. p i hap- pei hip*, ' -he said, in a low \ou.v, " bat the thin wee aim? ate not. \evy Mioii' r . She .-uddenh looked up. in a «Hu. frightened \\a\ . :> Mi Linden. m\ bo\ is nor corner to die. is hc v Thes aie no' uomg to take m\ little boy awa\ Horn me It was a cm ot angm-h lather than ot appeal ; her n<M\e- weie all imbuing -.and the ne\t moment -he had b-u-t into a nantie fit of woepiuir. The cm tun.- 101 l Mom her hand* ; -lv «a- mw-ihio U him: he could only hear hoi -ob?. And tVn thote Mas the sound ot a doo: opening and -hut tine:; had u r oue awa\. to lit i uncva-iug vied, w ith it? aw tul and <;iow ing loai _ He sent for .lame, who came down foith vith. and he went to meU her at the sta'ion. When she got out oi the M'lwaycirmce, she <_ r a c him her hand in silence : shew a? tiemblmg like a leaf; she could not utter a woid. "I base trot a loom foi \ou at the Checkers "he .-aid. "It i- the be-r the) have. Of emir-e \on wmt let hei know you are heie; it would o:il\ m vddeti lie: withw it h "A- \oe. think be-t, \w- ail -he *aiu But a* the\ weie on their was to the village, ?h'"> ?aid to hru — "It amthinir happen- *o the hoy then it * all over u ith babie He wu- ,v-» "the woi Id to her Ifhei?tiken ana}, then -he will give in -ie « ill ki!l h^i "Dontsiy that.' he an-weied <jta\ 1\ " Trouble come? to e\ei\onc ; it ha- to be borne." • But who ha- had -ueh tumble a- -he has had and who ha--o httl^de-cntd it she said : and -he was \e>\ much t\ciied m her distie«c. "I r t\ it i> not it 1- not ju-ttce \e-, plenU or people lia^ett .able — but tlies aie not like featn, . hhe ha« ju-t Used foi other- And now the little bu\--her one con-olation in the uoild -Mi 1 mdsay. do you call that ]u- 1 100 ''•Tinny* ate not at their w(JK-tw (J K-t \ a," he said toher. "I -uppjse \ou tan -tiy litie for a da\ oi twn ' • ( Oh.%e-. How could 1 cro awiy until — until 1 knew tha& the bu\ w.t- out of danjier .' ' -aid Janie, bia\e'\ '• I'ml i-g-oing to run down to m .now to =co th.tr 1 am comfoitabh -ettlud ; but I am -me theie i- no nf-ed." "A* ro that," -aid he, ''if you would rathci ha\c rhe mom that Mi- Hud i<> < upies now, I o uld -» nd hti to the Checker to ,-leep. But iam afi aid .Sahm.i ■would yet to know \ ou wcit in the hou-e — and it would alaim hei. "No, no, tlit- inn will do \u\ u <- 11, Janie ~di<\. " I thoufjht -heouL'ht to have a wuinanfriend ikm 1 hti. ju-t m ca-e .tnj iliimi -hould hapo-n." he continued. " And lam -vie I shall be glad to ha\e \mi heie ; foi a woman - judgment in lot- of rhin^ i- moie delicate and di-cum.natm',' than a man - What do you think, now, ot -Hiding wold to Sir Anthoin that the h tie boy i-eeriou-ly ill — I mean, without letcmu Sabn a know ; tho'd<!n t that !<«• done ' Ot coui-c 1 >vould ilo nothing r >t the kind if I thought lie would come dow n and al'U m her in =ome -tupid w ay. Janie iccened the mention of Sii Anthony Zembia- name with maiktd cold-ne-s—nay, with op«-i - otn. "I wi'ote tn him the h-t time I wadown," she siid. " Sabniu. a-wed mo to write. The letter had to \m soaked in carbolic acid, althougli it had nt\crbecn in thy ?ick-ioom at all And do you think Sir Anthony v.ould come neai a hou-e m which these «a-> -cailel tt\ ti ' Not hktl\. He ha-5 iar too gieat a -tine of hi- impoitanfe to the eounhy. A man of -u"h value to the nation couldn t aticul to i un such a ii-k. And -ociety think, of the po=sibiiit\ of -ocitt} 10-iiig -o handsome, and cli-tingiu-Jied-looking an •Jinameni. ' "You aio ie\en^eful. But I teally think we ongnt. to -end him word that the boy is seuou^ly ill. And \ou mu-t ■\\rite the note." By thi- time they were an i\ed at the inn, where Janie found thai they had prepared a very snug little loom foi her. Theie vv.'io a fire burning biightly ; there weie-ome books and flowers on the tublu ; Un- would make quite an excellent little hittniL' loom in the'day-tnne, if f-he cho-.0. But bo-idc-, that, they had filacedalhei di^povda. small inner parlour down-tan^, in w Inch she could .see anyone: they seemed anxious to oblige this friend of the young mother who-e trouble had awakened L'encial sympathy. Janie wrote the note to Sir Anthony that afternoon ; and, contrary to all expectation, he came down to Wit-tead the \eiy_nexb day. But it wa- neither she nor Walter Lindsay ib wa-? Lind-ay s housekeeper, Mi & Reid, who found at the door of the cottage this tall, handsome, fre-h-complex-ioned7 white haiied, bland-looking man. Standing a little bit back, ho made Hie usual inquiries a? to h'>w the child wat. going on ; and paid he wa-, s-orry to have no better news. Then he said — " You will tell Mrs Foster that her father called " " I beg your pen don, .sir— her father, did you say"?" Mrs Reid said, in some surprise. "Ye?." "But won fc you come in, sir ?" "Oh, dear no I suppose what you told me ife quite correct." « But wouldn't you like to seethe poor lady, sir '!'' " No, no ; no, no. I suppose you are not aware that she has bratheis and si.-ters. She herself would be the latb to expect that I should run the risk of carrying infection to members of her own family." He delivered the-e sentences with that calm and impressive manner well-known to the House of Commons, when, harnig caught Mr Speaker's eye, he rose to his f e et; placed his right hand within the

breast of his frock coat, and, with another glance round Iho House, said "Sir.'" .Naturalls, tins poor housekeeper was overawed ; but she wu* ii« elderly woman with some expei ieneo of liunuiu life; and .she had a beuildeied, instinctive notion that a father would like to tee lii£> daughter— if onls to say a kindly word to her— in the tune of her gicat tumble. " IVrhapd sou don t understand, sir — the two 10 nns are q«ite isolated," bho said. "There aie e.ubohe euttaitib separating hem horn the le-t of the house. Theie tould be no n-k ot eairjing inteetion.'' "IVunit me to be the best judge of that," he ob.-ei\ed. "Oh, eeitamU, mi," -'he said, with appaient luumht) ; but she was beginning to rebel a little : she mm- a veitobiate animal. • And 1 thank sou to take my lnstiuotion« I wi-h m\ daughter to be into mod th it I called : and that I was soi ry nor to hoar bettei new- If she wants tor an> iluno-, 1 ho|H< -he will wute~-b.\ a t ml poison, miml--be p.utieular about that, it \ou plea-e -he must wnte by a thmi pei- ; Hli ; b did on »he la>t occasion— uul I will soe that hei w i^hos aie attended to. (Jo.il mo mug '" _ t% • Uood-moining, - s ». * u d Mis Kern: and toi a minute or two she -tood on the dooi-^ep. looking utter the statcl) and 1 handsome gentleman, who passed down thiouMi the little »aiden and hnally di-up peaied awas along the load. Hut -he did i i" KU a t onceV 1 up-tan-. She had been in ! teuupted vi "ome dome-tie dutie* ; 'md '' -he went luck to the kiteheu to ic-unie ■, the*e ; and toi a while she \\a- elnelly on- I iM"-ed' m eon?ideinig what kindly little ' me"-aoe\- -he eon d satcl> add to that, which had been Sett with hei todelner. And ;4ie thought lhat when Mi Lind-as came alonu in The attemoon, and when clumuii tos-ul what -he had done, he would sas that tIKM lie- weio white indeed bo the an\iou- (ia\- pa--ed Lmd-a\ .-aw ht tie ot l-i'nni now. \N hen he lapped at the dooi she s-ent the wu-c Mil would j not hu\e the bed-ide wheu-that -mall f h'e -eeiued to be tlukounic so Jeebls. The niu-e ?aul to him once . "1 wi-'u \ou would -peak to hei , -u\ Mie wont take an> le-t NMiietime-. -he Jails into v d>'/e in hoi ehaii —foi a kw minute?, that i=> all No human bem'j; can beat up again -t that long. "li 11 hor I want to -cf Ik r, he '•aid. Ln a Mtvnd i two, habma wa- theie ; he wa- shocked at the change ho saw •• \on ate actirnr »vrougl\, he -aid. "Thi- weakne— mas la-t toi a long time what i- d become ot \out caie, ot \out iwii-mg, II }"" will take no ic-t "I ha\c tned— l cannot &!etp," .-he -aid, tfimpU . "no, sou cannot -Icep -o long as sou re mam m that loom Wh) not he down m the mii;M loom, when it id hei tutu to -it by him ' '"luinnot be ciwav fiom m> bos,' said Then -he suddenly uii'-cd htrhead, and tixeil a -tiangLis .-'•lutiuisini: trlatu c upon him, a- it -he would lead him tluough and tluo irh. Mi LiiiAsw U the tloeior tLlhng me the whole tiuiu ' \\< s i- not * onct ahng ans tiling ' nat doe- he -as tv \cm ' f'iti.oii-5 and hau r^aid i- weie hei eje-, he fee thai tlvs ha>l a en tain command in them. " Vi.nau \u\ iiicnd -I t-ii'-t sou to tell me the whole uuth, the -aid. "N ou cannot X tll-l Well, In" 1 did not tty to -huk thoie-pon-Mlnlits. A- neail) a- he could he ie[i ate i the \ets phia-c- — incniu lu-no as thc-e \\cie- w'huh the doctor had u?ul to hnn--elt Mie h^tem d in -item c : \nd she -ennedto be weijhinLr nil) vv " *i '1 he pile, -ad iaii bettaSed no e)ni>tion. ; but hei i\i-«tit di-tanc and thoirjhttul a- -he it He'd. wuliDiil tuithti questioning, into the i oom He went o\ei the was, io tho I'hei kei-, and -ent toi -lanu to toiuc tiuwn-tan- ' I -'ippu-o \ou ha\t e*ei\ tlung !< ad\ ' _ he -aid— -it :t it ing to a cuinplelo t hange of eo-tuni., -he had got down tiom London, le-t at an\ tuiiC -In might bu at>ked to take hei place m v.h< -n k c hambor " \ L '\ c\eisthin. r wa- the m-ianl an&w ( r •• A' t il thno l- onls one thing to be done a- I. n a- 1< an -oe, ht continued. "SaUna i- killing li-'i-elf The watching and the anuefs .tie too mm h for lvr — )ou can -cc it in hei tace in bcre>e-. J'oor eieacuie, it i- no I<> .gei 'bke placing at bin ing ill in,— m tin house ' '1 twit wa- making -u c too -oou ' \\ hat do >ou wnt me to do ' Ja it -aid. "luant jon to go light into the r>om and in-i-t on lemaining tlieie ; and then ya. nui-t foicc Saluna'to ho down fiom time to tune and get hidic le-t The inn -e ha- no .mthoiity o\ei her ; )ou mu>l ha\ c. " L iii.tj fiighten her if I go in auddenl},' J.mii' -ai J. mi doubt. " She i- fuuhtened of only one thing — -iie think- ot nothing cl-e - -he will haidl} heed s on,' he aid. So .'fame went over to the cottage, and m-tdlltd hu-elt m the pick-ioom without nrote-i Theie was little nui.-ing to be done: onl) waiting: and waiting for what neaih e\(i>unf m senct fe.'ued Oiic cseniug tlie doctor c unc down-taii-anrl iouikl Walter Lind-ay k.uliiil'h book m the little paloui. llu wa- ically waiting toi now- '■ Don t. sou think jou-hould send ioi her fathei '' ' the doetoi h<iu\. Lnul-as looked up (juiekly. " Then tin end h ncai v ' '•1 am afiui'J the doctor-aid—-peak-iii^r low -o that no one should oseihear " Xe\c) -IiHL tliH hngei ing began has theie been an> -ign ot a light again- 1 it— nothing but a gi'adu.d 10-ing' ot vitality --and now the fluid i- alise, but that is uli you can &ay." "Hut -vn-ely patients sometimes recover after they have got down to the lowe-t ph.i-e of c ,hau-.tion ?— iati t there a chance V —it it i- only weaknes-, there might come a turn ': Ho put these question- without much hope of an ainwor. What he was really thinking of s\as Sabina in her lonely condition- boic f i of all ,-he aired for on eaith. Xor was rhis the fitf-t time that pieluiu had come befote hi- mind. For days back dread po--ibihtjes had been ever present ; and in hi-, solitary evenings, sitting bcfoic the iiie and absently looking to the future, he .sometimes saw a young widow, in deepest mourning, enter a little churchyaifl. There was a small white gra\estone theie, with flowers around it, and pel haps, atter the (simple recoid of name and date, this inscription—" D\i Jfn/i'./e, ? ujr dun Kind virtc'k." The young mother kneeling— that was a pitiful sU'ht— and putting further little ilowerb on the little givno. He had almobt forgotten the presence ot the doctor in the room. " Theiu is no hope, then ?" he snid, looking up from his reverie. "One must never say that," wa» the answer. " But, for myself, I think the end is near." " Docs she know '/" , . "1 imagine so, though nothing definite has been said. 1 hear bhe has had some violent litß of crying, when she was by herself in the smaller room. I think sho is prepared for the wor-t. Indeed, she, is almost in a dazed condition, what with

want of sleep, and fatigue, and dread of what may happen. lam glud ot it, Sho ib so wot n out that when the end doo& come, it will bo k'fth ot a shock ; her nerves rfeem to bo numbed ; ,she goe? about in a kind of hopele-s and mechanical way — yes, 1 think she must know. ' "As for .sending for her father, that would be no use, ab he .vould not come near a house whore there had been scarlet ft>\er. A.^ for lier late hu^band'h father, he can't btir out-01 -doors on account of rhemnatistn, or he would luue been here ere now, he wiites. Hut when you think theeiisis i& ai> hand, 1 u ill go alon;^ to (he vioaia^e and a^ic Mr LulwutUi to come and bo with her. | The tanui\ liu\e been \ei> kind to hei ; and she has a <;u\it i expect tor Ihe old man Don't jou ilimk 1 could do that ?M? M " (\n lumly." " When v " % "As t'ir a- appemances iro, I think the boy may la-i thioii'jji the ni^ht." " liiu not. much iongei '!' a^ked Lindsay, eon-ideiabl) si. n tied. The doctor hi^ licad. " 1 am ati.ud nol, ' lie *uul. ILowevei, it \\.i> not until lato the followiii'j m^hi, that Ihe end c tine. <lanif wa^ in tin* lOvim and (In 1 olei^unan: the nuise h.ul let lied, ln v r mm \ u-e^ wen 1 una\adi now ; Waltei l.ituUa\ w.i^ below, waitmu! .uimousl} enough foi new- .Sabiu i would not UU i a\ c the bedside: she UneH. thrie mot ionic--, \oieele*:-, te.ule—, holding the "-m.iil, tiii'i hand m hei-> ; hei \ci^ soul hanmnijj on tli t taint. bieathui<^ tliat \\a-~ 'Xiadual^ mowing moie and moic tecble. And then tlie little lite, happik without any stt ultijU 1 , ])a^-i'd (put c (imetly awaj, and the motlici'** luavl it'll foiw.tid on the lied withw it h a dumb moan ot ,i»on\, No U\u -> tame to h«"i aid ; wa- 100 worn onl and Lew ddeied and -tucki'ii down (on^iiou-- , no*- -ct'inrd to h.i\i v ltoiio imni hei with (hat low wall ol pam -lanie wa-> at lici -ido and w ould ha\(> (aki.ii h«*i .iwaj, but i thene\t iuoiucmL \ilnn.i wa- tittt. in tlu 1 iimldle of (hr tloui , and hei e\e-> «i'ic.h one l)i_n,tt ot ua-on. taking 'n> hi eil ot tho-e aiouiul \\< i , and h>i a -(.coud '-he looked a- it -he wei c li-tnunu. lln n -he went (juukl\ to the window, and (ona>ide the blind I'u o\ti head the mid ni'j;'n -kto weir -hiimr^, tl>e msi lad •-( nweie cold and clc.it \ little was "-hi. lai-ed hi l tl.etnbhnut 1 . etnbhnu hn^ei-, a- it -l\e would fain iculi to tho-i di-tati* plain-: and tin n tin \ licaul the -titled and piteous Ci\ — " And t heie ]•- no one no one then — to take catc ot m\ little I'oy " ' No one, ' -iid the i l< it;\mau, '" no one — e\< < pt t lv i-t the Loid And tin n lie put his hand on Ju i aim, and led hei out ot the mom