0:)E DOLLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA: 1
(rijnrs&fln ffloraino, October 1, 1857.
gtlttlth Calc.
MY SISTER'S HUSBAND.
I.
I was the youngest of a handsome family.
.Mv three sisters, eaeh in her way, were very
pretty ; but I, the youngest, and with a natu
ral right to be the pet of the house, was never
either a beauty or a favorite. My rights iu
the matter of favoritism were, and from the
first day of her existence had been entirely
monopolized by my third sister, Caroline. I
was not, however, envious of that ; it doubt
less, suited her better to be made a pet, than
it would have suited me. My lack of beauty
{ did regret; but as that want could not be
remedied, I endeavored to become reconciled
to the face aud figure God had given me.—
These were both small, and the first sallow
and thin. It boasted, however, and boasts
still, of at least oue striking feature, a pair of
In rare black eyes.
>lv two eldest sisters were married while I
was still a girl at school. They both became
the wives of military men, and both within a
vear of their marriage, accompanied their hus
bands to India. I have never seen either
of them since. My third sister, however re
mained at home, and there I joined her when,
a <rirl of seventeen, my school life ended.
I was fond of Caroliue, and she too, I be
lieve, of me, yet her affection was by no
means that of an elder sister for a younger.—
As I said before, she, and not I, occupied the
position of youngest in our household. She
was spoilt, while I was left unpetted ; she was
flattered and admired, while no eye looked at,
and no lip spoke of me ; she was encouraged
and almost compelled to lean on other people,
while I was left to depend upon myself.
I came from school full of a happy plan of
life. We had uo mother, and our father was
a mill-owner, and for many hours each day
away from home. These periods, when Caro
line and I should be left together, I meant to
turn to good account. I was better educated
than she was, and I meant to give herlessous.
I cared for study, and I ineaut to make her
learn with me where I was most iguorant. I
came home primed with my project, aud the
tirst domestic tiding I received was the news
that she was to be married within six weeks.
She gave me the information herself, as 1
stood taking off my bonnet in my room—gave
it me with the prettiest blushes in the world,
with the smallest, timidest voice—so softly
and shyly, indeed, that at the first telling I
neither heard nor comprehended what she said.
But, for any sympathy that she got, or was
likely to get from me, I understood quickly
enoiitrh.
Had either of my elder sisters been at the
moment of this declaration in my place, she
would I do not doubt, have forthwith put her
arms around Caroline's neck, and conveyed her
congratulations to her with much affectionate
kissing, and probably some few tears. I
grieve to say that in no manner approached
any such demonstration. I simply expanded
my black eyes till Caroline's blue one's sank
before tliein, and broke into one short sentence
which I fear was neither affecting norconsola
tory.
Her lover was in the house, however, at that
inoment, and I had to go down stairs and see
liitn, as soon as I had smoothed my hair. I
found liitn in the drawing-room with my father,
and ray father presented me to him.
" Ilallam, my daughter Anne."
"My daughter Anne" put out her hand,
and it was encdosed straightway between a
large palm aud fingers—enclosed, but not
grasped. I was small and cool ; Mr. Hallam,
oq the contrary, large and nervous. What to
do with my hand wheu he had got possession
of it, or what to respond to the salutation that
1 made him, he seemed equally at a loss to
know, lie stood high above me, a tall hand
some young man, looking into my face with a
strangely-startled gaze, fluttering my hand up
mid down with a feeble irresolute touch.
' This is our youngest, oar little school girl,"
m y f at ' lfcr i "-she is not much like Carry, is
Xo, certainly !"
His eyes turned to Caroline's face with a
'j Uick , beaming, pleasant look ; his fingers
dropped from ray hand, and I retreated to my
father's side, taking to myself the consolation
at if my own reception had been neither
elegant nor cordial, my sister's future husband
could at least in regarding her, wear a look of
iaaulmess.
j As |i>r me I thought it likely enough that
10 would take little further notice of me. In
' lovvev cr, I found myself rather singularly
"-taken. He dined with us that day, and
(,u "iig the whole time of diuuer I was con-
f ous °f the continual movement of his eyes
me. I became aware too, that each
he detected my gaze upon himself he be
ne straugely discoucerted, to an extent that
f""":'-'! Nic ; he stammered and grew confused
|' at he said ; he even more than once al>
• 'ptly broke off his seuteiice. I grew both
and perplexed, yet except for this
j '-'Uiar nervousness, I liked him. I preferred
; decidedly to cither of my other brothers-
] o[ . AU ' U11( l so I told Caroline before we slept,
CODBC ' eDCe smote me for the manner in
had received the first announcement of
r,p c e "S a s e roent, and some amende for that cool
appeared to me called for.
. 'Uiir husband will have more in him than
, er Jane's or Harriet's, Carry," I said,
0 r !l U? il is a P'ty he does not break himself
• mi nervous manner."
„ *'d you think him nervous ?"
over > J eaf an( * ?He seems to get
teoil'p i° WCVer ' w ' leu ke ' s accustomed to
"father'' k° ws none of it to you or to ray
Anne," <hc said, "it is straDge. I
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
never saw any trace of such a thing in him
before."
" Did you not ? Them I suppose I must es
pecially discompose him. lam sorry for that;
because, if he begins with a strong dislike to
me, he probably won't get ever it."
" Mv dear he does not dislike you."
" How do do you know ?"
"He almost said so, Auoe. He came to
me after dinner, and said that it must be such
a comfort to me to have some one with us now
that I could lean upon, and when I looked as
if I did not quite understand him, for indeed I
did not, he said quickly, "I mean Anne ; can't
you lean on her ? dou't you like her ?"
" And you said —what, Carry?"
" I said you were the youngest, and it seem
ed strange to talk of leaning on you."
I rose up from the fire over which we had
been sitting, and laughed.
" Mr. Hallam has seen in one night
what you have not guessed in all your life,
Carry !"
It certainly did appear that Mr. Hallam was
deeply impressed with the belief of my capa
bilities as a support, for we had not beeu ac
quainted for a couple of days before I per
ceived that he intended to use me not only to
prop up Caroline, but himself. A looker on
might have wondered how they had ever got
on before I came, so constant now were the
appeals to me, so eager the question "what
Anne thought ?" " what Anne advised ?"
questions, however that they were rarely asked
frankly or cheerfully, as though my opiuion
was cared for because I myself was liked, but
always— strange as it seemed, it was certian-
Iy so —as if in a kind of continued incompre
hensible fear of me.
ID many respects he was a strange man, and
as time went on 1 was by no means hearti
ly satisfied that he should marry my sister.—
he was subject, I soon found, to (its of gloom
and low spirits which had, even already, a
most depressing effect upon her; the more
that, fond of him as 6he was, she was too
timid a creature ever at these times to be able
to summon courage enough to attempt to
rouse him. If she was timid, however, I was
not; and when I could not persuade her to
interfere with him, 1 at length took that work
upon myself.
One day, when he was sitting moodily over
the fire, I came into the room bouueted and
cloaked.
" Frederick," I said, "get up and come out
with me. Look how brightly the sun has
broken over the snow."
He looked up, not upon the sunshine but on
me. I had expected a direct refusal to my
request ; instead of that, with nervous haste
he rose ; in two minutes I had him in the
open air, trampling the frosty ground beside
me. There he paced, for two long hours,
gloomy as uight, yet obedient to every word I
spoke. Where I went he followed me ; what
I bade him do, he did. I brought him home
as the sun was setting, and I went up stairs
and shut myself in my own room, with a
strange chill feeling of dismay. What was I
that this man should so obey me? —doing tnv
slightest bidding with this aspect of spiritless
fear ?
After this day I made one strong effort to
prevent my sister's marriage. I spoke both
to my father and to her. Her I made intense
ly miserable by what I said, and my father I
inspired with enough anxiety and alarm to in
duce him to speak forthwith to Mr. Ilallam.
I was present at the interview between
them, and 1 shall not quickly forget the ghast
ly look of pain that came to Mr. Ifallatu's
face as my father told him our fears of trust
ing Caroline to his keeping. lie was stand
ing up by the fire, and, grasped the mantel
shelf with one hand, with a clutch that brought
the blood to every vein he listened. When
my father ceased to speak, he could only pit
eonsly cry—
" You gave me your promise !"
" I did,'' my father said ; "but I gave it.in
ignorance of what I have since seen, ana in
ignorance of what I have heard others."
" From what others ?" he demanded fierce
!y-
I came forward and said, "From me."
rt From you Anne !"
He looked up wildly in my face ; then sud
denly his head dropped, he laid it down upon
the mantel-shelf, and burst into tears.
Inexpressibly shocked, I came beside him.
" Frederick, for God's sake, be calm !"
Broken with sobs his voice rose up.
" Anne, have mercy on me ! I)o not take
her from me ! She is all I have in the wide
world !"
The tears were coming to my eyes. My
father silently took me and put ine from the
room. He was a soft-hearted man and he
could not stand the sight of Mr. Hallam's
misery ; but he had a sense of his own digni
ty also, and, in consideration of it, I suppose,
he turned me out before he yielded.
I avoided Caroline and went to my own room
Half an hour afterwards I was summoned
thenoe to my father's study. He addressed
me as I entered at once.
" Anne he has behaved very well, ne has
promised to use every effort in his power.—
Things will go on better now, I have no
doubt."
" Then he is to have Caroline ?"
" I cauuot break their hearts, Anne. They
may have something to bear togtt/ier, but they
would have more to hear apart."
I saw Mr. Ilallam no more that day. Our
next meeting was ou the following afternoon.
I met him then by chance for a a few moments
alone.
What his feelings towards mc might be I
could not tell, but I went up to him as usual
and extended my hand. At once he took and
grasped it in both of his.
" I want to see you," he said, eagerly.—
" Anne," he cried, "do not take part against
us ! For God's sake, be you our friend !"
" I did not act yesterday out of enmity," I
said.
His hands dropped from mine ; he grew even
ghastly as he asked me,
" Do you mean to repeat what you did yes
terday V
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
I shook my head. I said—" No."
He gave a cry of joy. " God bless you,
Anne !"
The warm tone pained me. I said, sadly
enough.
" You have had little cause to bless me,
Fred. But, if you are willing, let us be friends
now."
I gave him my hand again, and it was clasp
ed cordially. I believe that, in truth, he bore
me no malice.
It wanted a fortnight to the day fixed for
their marrriage. During that fortnight Mr.
Hallam was all that we could wish : there
were no more fits of gloom. He was cheerful,
[ sensible, affectionate, and my father and
Caroline brightened daily. The marriage day
came, aud she was wedded to him. I bade
farewell to them on a bright crisp February
morning, and saw uo more of them for nine
mouths.
11.
At the close of the nine months, I was
suddenly made an orphan. Mj father had
long suffered from disease of the heart; one
evening, as we sat alone together, I heard a
half cry from him, and saw his head drop
on his breast. Wheu I reached him he was
dead.
I sent a telegraphic message to London to
the Hallams, begging that Frederick might
come down to me. Sometime upon the fol
lowing day I hoped to see him and trusting
to him to spare me all the arrangements for
the funeral, I shut myself up alone that day
with my grief. But I waited for him in vain ;
the day passed and he did not come. I had
to to rouse myself then, and give directions for
what had to be done. A secoud and a third,
and a fourth day elapsed, and I was still
alone. On the fifth morning, when I was in
deed utterly alone, for the house was empty
now, lat length received a letter from Caro
line, with the postmark of a country place in
Devonshire, whither they had gone, she told
me, oa her husband's account, for rest and
change of air. She had neither received my
message nor my letter, nor could I write to
her now, for she gave me no Rddress.
I waited patiently, in my lonely house for a
long fortnight. One evening, when that
time was expired, at last Frederick came. He
came into the room where I was sitting—the
blithe bridegroom, whom I had parted from
nine mouths ago, changed into a wan, worn,
haggard man.
I heard his entrance, and rose up. He ut
tered my name as I approached him, then
seized the hands that I extended to him, and
held them in a convulsive grasp.
"You have been alone," were the only
words that burst from his lips, "alone through
this whole time."
" It could not be helped ; T knew you would
have come if you could have known."
" Alone !" he only repeated, shivering,
"without a creature near you ! How could
you bear it ? I could uot live oue day
alone."
" Frederick, you have tired yourself with
your journey. You arc not strong. Caroline
told me you had been unwell."
He raised his eyes, with a sharp suspicious
look, to my face ; but they staid lifted only
for a moment. Suddenly changing into the
old, incomprehensible expression of subjec
tion, they dropped, lie did not speak a
word.
" Come to the fire ; I will order supper for
you. Come aud take this seat. It is cold to
night."
He came and sat down ; I seated myself
beside him, aud asked for news of Caroline.—
He had nothing to say but that she was well.
I tried to make him talk of other subjects but
the effort was vain. His mind seemed entire
ly filled with that strange hauuting horror
of my loneliness ; agaiu and again, as we sat
like one who had lost all self-control, he broke
out into the same trembling exclamation,
" Good God ! how could you bear it ?"
I sat at last quite silent, in deep wonder
and distress. I thought it was well that I
had been alone. I could ill have stocd com
panionship such as this three weeks ago.—
With a woman's instinctive love for manly cour
age and strength, I began to feel a strange
pity and coiutemptfor this weak nature—these
unstrung nerves. I gave him food and wine,
but they did not restore him to himself. He
came back when he had eaten, and crouched
again in silence over the fire.
It grew late ; the clock over the chimney
piece struck eleven. Then I spoke once
more.
" You must be tired, Frederick. After your
journey you had better go aud rest."
He looked around with a wild shiver.
" No, no ; the house is so lonely," he said.
" Let me stay here. Stay with me, Anne."
" We cannot stay here all night."
"It would only be for one night. You will
be ready to come to-morrow."
" I am uot going back with you, Frederick."
" Anne !"
He looked rae wildly in the face ; then—
" Anne you must come 1" he cried. " All
our hope is in you. If yon will not come to us,
we are lost."
lie seized and grasped my hand ; his manner
was excited in the highest degree. 1 drew
back and shook him from me.
" Mr. Hallam, what do you mean ?" I de
manded sharply. " Sit still aud speak ra
tionally."
He winced strangely, and shrank back. —
There was a few moments pause ; then, iu a
voice entirely subdued, he asked mc—
" Did I give you a letter ? There was one
from Caroline."
" No."
He searched in his breast pocket, and
brought it forth.
" I beg your pardon ; you ought to have had
it before."
1 took it to the light and read it. She had
written mostly about her father's death ; but
at the end of the letter came these words :
" Frederick will ask you to return with him.
Ann P, do not refuse Mm! Oh, Anne, if you
ever loved me, do uot refuse to come !''
" REGARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANT QUARTER."
I folded up the letter, and went back to the
fire where he was sitting. I laid my hand up
on his shoulder. He looked eagerly round.
" Anne," he cried "you will come I"
" Yes, since you both wish it."
" Thank God 1" he ejaculated ; and the
first look of composure I had seen came to his
worn face.
" And now, that this is settled,- Frederick,
go to bed." *
He rose np in silence : but the ghastly palor
of cheek and lip, as he prepared to obey me,
so shocked and startled me, that I abruptly
cheeked his departure. Unmanly and pitiable
as it was, there was no mistaking his intense
fear of solitude ; and iu his weak and unstrung
state I did not feel that I dared to force it on
him.
"I am not going away yet," I said. "If
you prefer to stay here, I will wheel this sofa
forward, and yon can lie down, before the
fire."
lie accepted ray offer eagerly.
" I am not used to strange rooms ; I am
afraid I should not sleep," he muttered.
He lay down, and I threw a cloak over him.
I sat down in sight of him and read, lie was
in reality weary and worn out ; and before
half an hour had elapsed he had fallen asleep.
We sat out together next morning, aud
reached London by nightfall. My sister met
us at her own door, aud I looked again on the
face I had not seen for nine months. It might
have been nine years, it was so changed. I
could have passed her in the street uncon
scious that she was kith or kin of mine.
I restrained my surprise and pain until we
were together iu my room. Then I stood up
and faced her.
" Caroline, what does this mean ?"
She had been trying to talk and smile. At
my question all feigned composure gave away.
She burst into tears and answered me. I
might have guessed it. She was breaking her
heart over the change in her husband.
" 11c is never unkind to me, but all day
long he terrifies me," she sobbed. •' I dare
not leave him—he will never sit alone for ten
minutes, from morning to night. He is so
wretched himself that it half kills me to see
him. Oh, Anne ! what is the matter ?—what
is the matter with him ?"
I tried during the day that followed to dis
cover the answer to that question Alas,
when I thought at length that I had discovered
it, it was no answer that I could tell his
wife. Everything I saw forced upon me the
conviction that the crushing weight upon Mr.
Hallam's mind was some crushing remorse.—
Day by day I tried to forget and thrust it back
the more vehemently it forced itself upon me.
I began to live under the pressure of a strange,
chill horror.
"We passed a fortnight miserably enough.—
Mr. Hallara never left the house. Almost his
entire time was spent in silence and inaction
—stooping over the fire. If he was roused
or spoken to, a face of such infinite despair
would rise before us, that many a time its
expression wrung my heart. Sometime a
momentary brightening iu his look would
cheer us for a few seconds ; sometimes, aud
that, alas, more frequently, his dumb, listless
misery would warm into a wild aud feverish
excitement.
We never left him, for his strongest terror
was that of solitude. Day and night Caro
line, or I sat with him. He had been fond of
music, and even yet he seemed to take some
thing like pleasure in it. Heavy as our hearts
were, I therefore often played, and his nearest
approaches to couteut seemed during the mo
ments that he sat listening to me.
A fortnight had passed thus : at the end of
it one evening this happened.
It was dark, but we had no candle ; the fire
was burning brightly, and I bad gone to the
piano, and sat there playing. Mr. Ilallam had
risen from his seat and was pacing the room.
Caroline had come to my side.
I was playing softly, and suddenly from
my sister's lips a cry rung through the room.
Before I could speak, white with terror, and
with outstreched arms, she started from her
seat. I sprang up too. I could see uothing ;
the room was all as usual ; but, while gasping
out her husband's name, she staggered one
step towards him, and then fell. Before she
reached the ground I caught her iu my arms,
but she had faiuted.
" Frederick, help me !" I called.
He was standing before an open drawer,
looking wild and excited ; but at my call he
came.
" What is it ?"
" She has fainted ; raise her up."
He stooped and raised her. I bade him fol
low me, and went towards the door ; but when
I reached it he had uot moved. Turning round
I saw him still standing wildly gazing upon
aud passionately kissing his wife's white
face.
I did not speak, and in two or three mo
ments he came and joined me, and we lett the
room together. We went up stairs, and he
laid Caroline on her bed. Then I rang the
bell and summoned help. A servant came to
me at once. I bade her see to her mistress,
aud leaving them, I hurried back down stairs.
Mr. Ilallam had gone a second or two be
fore me. I found him again iu the drawing
room, when I noislessly re-entered, before
his escrutoirc, where he had stood when Caro
line faiuted. He was stooping towards the
fire, examining the muzzle of a pistol by its
light.
I stole up behind him and before he was
conscious of my presence 1 had caught his arm
with the strength of both of my hands. He
turned round, wild eyed and furious.
" Let me alone !" he shouted "Devil!—let
me alone !"
He tried to shake himself free. Ido not
know whence my strength came, but agaiust
his power, I kept my hold.
" Lay down that pistol !" I cried.
ne kept it clutched fast.
" Lay down that pistol."
Our eyes were full met, and staid so for a
moineut ; then bis dropped. I moved one
baoid from his arm, and laid it on the pistol ;
he let me take it He stood before me, his
wild fierceness gone, shaking and shivering
like a child. I locked the weapon in the
drawer ; then I could stand no longer. I
sank into a seat, and we neither of as spoke
again.
Some moments passed—l do not know how
many—and a hurried hand was laid upon the
door. The servant I had left with Caroline
entered.
" Miss King," she said nervously, "would
you come up stairs ? I don't know what is
the matter with my mistress."
I made Mr. Hallam accompany me, and we
returned to Caroline's room. She was still
almost unconscious, but moaning in pain. In
half an hour two physicians were at her bed
side, and that night she was delivered of a dead
child.
111.
It was four o'clock in the morning, but still
dark as midnight, for we were in the midst of
winter. The commotion of the last hours was
over. Caroline's room was hushed and, mo
tionless and almost insensible, she lay between
life and death. Iu another room, alone with
I its white limbs composed, rested the little form
whose eyes had never opened to the light—
the human body that had never held a living
spirit.
Over the still burning drawing-room fire I
sat with Mr. Hallam. I had tried to induce
him to retire to rest, but he would not go.—
Blanched over cheek and lip, his very teeth
chattering like a man in deadly terror, he sat!
beside me, holding my hand in his with a force !
that crushed the flesh.
" How firm the eyes were closed, he kept
tremulously muttering. " Did you notice,
Anne ?—aud the clenched hands, as if there
had been a struggle ! Could it have fought
for life ? Oh, the third !—the third !" he
gasped. " How many more 1"
He chilled me with his wild whisperings,
until my heart grew faint. I asked him at
last, sharply,
" What do yon mean ?"
My question brought a scared look from
him, but no response. He ceased, however to
mutter to himself, and for a minute we were
both silent; then, touched by the half con
temptuous pity that constantly awoke in me
when I perceived him quelled by my voice or
look, I said more gently than I had spoken at
first.
" Why do you keep whispering these things
to yourself, Frederick ? What do you mean
by them ?"
He turned his face around to me as I spoke,
and a wild fierce light spraug to his eyes.
" What do I mean by them ? Do you want
me to tell yon ?" he cried.
His changed aspect startled me ; but I con
cealed my fear. I said, calmly,
" Yes—or I would not have asked yon."
lie held his gaze steadfastly upon my face.
As he sat gazing at me, something dawning in
that look made my blood curdle.
" Shall I 1 tell you ?" he said, sharply.
The fear was creeping over me with no will
of mine. Trying to crush it, I answered quick
ly and contemptuously—
" Mr. Hallam, we are not a pair of child
ren If you have anything to tell me, tell it at
once. Do you mean to speak V
" Hush, Anne !" he said. " Anne," he
whispered, "bend nearer. Oh, it is horrible
to tell you !"—he was shivering from head to
foot—"but I must tell some one. I cannot
bear it longer ! Are you ready ? Anne ?" he
cried. " I have shed blood !"
" Mr. Ilallam, yon are mad !"
I leapt to my feet. I cast his grasping
hand away from me. High above his voice
sprang my cry, and he answered with a wild
shout of agony.
" Oh, that I were mad 1" he cried ; "that
God would have that mercy on me, to strike
me mad ! Anything, anything to escape this
torture ! Oh, Anue, turn your face away ;do
not look at me with those dreadful eyes 1 You
have got my secret. Have mercy on me, have
mercy on me now 1"
With limbs that were turning into stone,
with pulses that seemed ceasing to beat, 1
stood, pity crushed out of me ; all emotion
concentrated and hardened into one unuttera
ble and incredulous horror. I could not speak ;
my cold lips would not unclose to ask one ques
tion ; but perhaps he read my face, for he
came after I do not know how many moments
had elapsed, and passionately cast himself
down at my feet.
" You do not believe-me ?" lie cried ; "you
cannot believe me. But it is true, Anne !
As God sees me, is true ! Stand still—you
shall listen ! I had a friend—Frank Hillyard
—and we quarreled. I took up a pistol that
lay upon his table, and shot him dead ! Again
I met the woman who was to have married
him, and she suspected me, and threatened
me. 1 put my two hands around her throat''
—he looked up, and his eyes were like devil's,
glaring at me from the ground,—"and stran
led her ! Ah ! Stand still, Anne !" he cried.
It was the last word that I heard. His
voice had riseu to a shriek. Trying to move
and fly, 1 fell. A mist was over eyes and brain,
and recollect no more.
We were still in the room alone together
when I awakened. He had raised and laid me
on the sofa ; he himself crouching like a wild
animal, was again at my feet.
I lifted myself up, and slowly and fearfully
the recollection of what I had heard came back
to me, —hideous, unreal—like the memory of
a nightmare. I rose up ; pressed my hand
upon my forehead, and tried to clear my voice.
I went forward and stood above him.
" Arc you mad ?" I faintly asked him, "or
is what you have told me true ?"
He lifted his haggard face, and broken and
toneless came his voice—
" As I stand before God it is true !"
I staid to hear DO more. Breaking from
him, I fled from the room and through the
unligbted ball, into which the dim winter dawn
was stealing.
My life, thank God, has given me no second
experience so terrible as that of the week that
followed Mr. Hallam's confession, f would
not live it again for a king's ransom.
VOL. XVIII. XO. 17.
During tbat week I had him with me in my
sister's sick room for the greater part of erery
day, and for the whole of every night, for
when he slept he only lay down on a sofa by
his wife's bed, and he scarcely slept three
hours out of the twenty-four. JJutyet, wake
ful as he was, I was more wakeful still. Fear
gave me an unnatural strength. For seven
days and nights 1 never closed tny eyes for
one entire hour. TV ith a restless, feveiish,
undefined terror, I watched over my sister,
driving sleep from me. Mr. llallam never
came near her bed, never looked at her, uever
spoke to her but niy eyes were on him. He
foieir, too, that I watched him, and possessed
as I was of his secret, the fear he bad always
had of me became this week uuutterable. But
I rejoiced iu that fear now. It was my strength.
This misery, I say, I endured for seven days.
At the end of that time the tidings were gi*
ven to me that my sister was out of danger.
To me they were given, not to Mr. Uallam,
for throughout her illness, by tacit consent, all
communications from the physician who at
tended her had been made to me. Mr. Hullam
had scarcely seen him Vet to-day it happened
that while Dr. Kane talked with me, he for a
moment entered the room in which we were.
Dr. Kane had his face to the door and he
perceived his eutrance and went forward to
him.
" Hr. Ilallam," he said, cheerfully, "we
have good news for you to-day. I think we
may call our patient out of danger."
Mr. Ilallam stood still. His eyes glauced
up and flashed.
" Out of danger—who ?" he cried.
" Frederick !" I said.
lie looked at me, seemed startled, pressed
his hand upon his forehead.
" Ah, J. forgot. I beg your pardon. Out of
danger—is she ?" he said.
There was a moment or two's strange pause.
Then, with an effort, I turned Dr. Kane's at
tention back to me. 1 trusted that while we
spoke Mr. Ilallam would leave us, and he did.
I)r. Kane took up his hat—his hand was
extended to me. Suddenly he brought his
eyes np to my face.
Mr. Ilallam is not well," he said, abruptlv.
I felt my color flushing over cheek and
brow, but I answered calmly—
" lie does not complain."
" Is he in good spirits ?"
I trembled at that question with a sickening
dread, the horrible terror of discovery that
continually haunted me. My eyes fell "before
they answered ; they could liot bear the keen
gaze that confronted them.
" lie has not high spirits."
Dr. Kane looked at me sharply. He stood
still for several moments, but "he spoke no
more. His hand was again extended.
" Good morning, Miss King."
He turned from me, and I breathed again.
Alas, he was not yet gone ! He reached the
door, then paused, hesitated, finally came
back, and again addressed me.
" Miss King," he began abruptly—and if
the color had come to my cheek before, it left
it now as white as marble—" I do not know
you suspect—l half think you do ; I feel, in
any case that I ought to speak to you about
what you may be forced to hear soon. Mv
dear young lady, I am afraid it will not be
possible to keep it concealed much louger, if,
indeed, it is concealed now. I aut very much
afraid some steps must soon— "
So far, as I stood frozen, he spoke ; but his
sentence reached no terminatiou.
" Anne I" suddenly shouted Mr. Hallam's
voice from the door, —and I broke from Dr.
Kane and fled.
1 tried to rush straight up stairs, but my
brother stood in the hall and caught me by my
arm. He caught and shook me, his "face
white, the wildest fury iu his eye.
" You were betraying me !" "he hissed into
my ear.
" I was uot, so help me God !"
" You devil, if that is a lie— !"
His face was close to mine ; he had his fin
gers round my throat. A cry—a sort of gasp
—burst from me, and in another moment Dr.
Kane's figure was between us.
" Mr. Hallain 1"
With a guilty start the fingers unloosed ; I
sprang from their hold and rushed up stairs ;
a few seconds afterwards the hall door was
opened and closed, and I heard Dr. Kane's
carriage drive away.
I went back as soon as I was able to my
sister's room, and I sat beside her undisturbed
for several hours. Happily for me—for the
emotion, whose entire signs I could not sup
press, might else have betrayed me—during
these hours she slept. Where Mr. Hallam
was I did not know.
It was past mid-day when, sitting in silence,
through the door that was not quite closed my
car caught the murmur of voices whisperiug
in the hall. The sound might not have not at
tracted me ; it did not at first ; but suddenly
I heard, or thought I heard, within it the
voice of Dr. Kane. At that I rose up silently,
and crept from the room.
I descended the stairs midway, and, unper
ccived myself, looked dowu. I was right ;
Dr. Kane was in the hall, and with him ano
ther gentleman. Both were speaking in a low
voice to the servant who admitted them, but
the parley was almost at an end ; while I
looked, the two gentlemen went forward along
the hall, at ond end of which was the dining
room. I saw them stand together a moment
before that door ; then with one look at each
other, Dr. Kane softly turned the handle.
They entered the room, but almost at the
same instaut I was beside them. Before the
opened door could be closed agaiust me, I
stood upon the threshold.
They both saw me and paused. They aiadp
one hurried effort to bar my entrance I
stood, wild-eyed and determined, aDd they let
me alone and passed in.
They advanced in silence to nhw, befora
the fire, Mr. Hallam sat. Tbey did not speak,
nor he perceive them till they were half across
the room ; then suddenly he heard their steps,
and turned. I saw the first look he gave
them, haggard anfl wild with fear ; another
moment and he had leapt upon hie feet, a c