Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOCTORUS CH'ISTMAS - STO'RY ItECMIVIED one mornilng tn my surgery a visit from Herbert SprIngthorpe. "I have heard a good deal of you lately, doctor," he said. "That was a very clever cltve you effected In my friend itussel's Case." "That vas nothing," I roplied. "I discovered that mny predecessor lin the case had made a itistake in his ding nosis id was treating the patlent for an imaginary dise.ase, thereby aggrat vntiig Ohe (i froi which lihe was real ly sufferlng. I simply reversedi the treatnietii, w ielivreupon t'ie ptieniit, who is a Inan of excellent constitution, be gall to Inlend dirIectly." "You are iodest, doctor," lie said laughingly. "llowever, I have suili clent coniideiice ili your Judgnient to ask your idvice 1in a1 soliewhat dell cate ria tier. The del!vacy Iles In tho ci rcluiitsta le. thaIt the uttieit filist be kept in igiorance of tle fact that she Is being observed. It Is toy wife, Mrs. Spriigthorpe, to wIhioiml I rceer. She has beenl Inl faliling hevalth for somel tIne, but frotu wlat cause I ciiannot as certaiii. Our fa inlly physici ani, Dr. 1ol list-r, lin whoin I place Inplielt trust, roifessts liiself eiriily at failt and would lib very glad of your opinion, but M[rs. Spihigthorpe is firm in her refusal to se aiother physician. 'liere fore, you wvill have to conceal the real object of yotir visit niidIer (le guise of friendlshilip." "ll you give ie any idea of the Syfinl)tornls?", I asked. "Notlhig but a wastintg awaiy, a fad Ing froin day to day, a Imlysterious sap. ingof the folldati(ons of vitalty." "ias Dr. Ilolister forried anly opini Ion ?" "Ile is inclliled to ht'lleve Mtat the trouible is liienital; that she has solie bra li disease, or 11.1t slthie luis sonlo iigonl her iniindi thle anxiety% of , hiehI Is killing her. .Ilit Ihat, of toilise, we know to he liniassible." "I inuist confess tha t yol have irous I1 111ro1essiontal 1'11osity', I Id. ':d I shall lbe happy to see Mrs. ingthorpte adil conipare n otes with . Ilollisler.'" 111n111kC you, doctor. As I haiv fil i1y intiuanied, It wol1d not (10 for .i too coine owienly in your profession ea )l.(1y. ulit I shall lbe eitertainling r ir-ndL Clrim'slinacs wVeek It Grav y l iiton, in1 Norti ('trolina coiUni v plice -you nlow we lve inl it very ih'1 way, as M rs. Sp ringthorpe does i cnre for town lifev I shall be ry glad if yok one of 'Nothing coulul hettt -in wVith 1115. own bicns," I repliil. "If .'M1 ease pr(f s8i--s 1an3 (ldillIul1y, I sha ll le ioro likely to aIrive at a crrect oin.ionI fromt rantdomi obiserv~allons." "Very3 well, theni, dioctor'; we shall ex pit \ yoti on Alonday.'' 'e * *1 * * * * tirav'elly (I ranage wats a red brick ed11 flerv faced w'ithi stone, in the style k mn itn as c oloniaI. ~lpon nLay airrival I ltu,(1 senreely' time to chIiange my13 dress. Spriitg thiorpe ente red, "I blieve weC tiacitly aigreed not to (discuiss thle reai ohijeet d1' your1 visit, buit I munst exprIess my13 gr'eat anxiety for' my3' wife's healith11. I am afiraid( if thIs myti35erilous dIsease Is nlot pr'omptly chie(ked1 Mrts. Sprinigthotrpo is niot long for thIs wor'ld. I must tell y'ou that we arie ani except iopatlly3 affectionate andti dev~oted1 'otuple, .a~ltogh r amn nearlhy twvice heri atge, andu bte separtlionii woultd lt. t'ierel blow, to me1(. As w'e growv old er our1 attazch eluets biecomei stronger or' oIur senisil i ties miore keeni. (Co1ne; 1 wIll intiroduice y'ou to Mrs. Spring One glanc Iod me(1in as much as I should( probably)13 ever know of Mrs. Spr'lingthorie's case. lIn tihe cmaclitted lines oif heir face I read~ phitisls, and1( thiere was a futivle, hunI~tedi look Ill the eyes that its iinIly spioke of mnental ttroubtle. I satw, too, thait she wits no orinaryut13 per'soni. I was suripr'ised to dletect a tieting exprlezsin of' recogniitlon iat sight of met, hbit It passed so quickly that I shiouild have thloughit uiiyselt :nlstakeni had( niot Spriingthoirpte, also obise'rving it, asked: "1 [ave y'ou t wo tnet beforo?7" "No," I reipliedl; "ait least not to my)3 recollect Ion." She smiled sweetly anfd ex tenided her' "No," she said. "Dr. Norils and I A t the sounad of her voice I statrted, fotr thler'e wits a tone which struck my ('ari as fa;tmil ar1; hbut, allthoughi I scru t Inid her' coun1ttace, I certaInly d1id not r''eember'I hatvinig seen that face. pised,"'S said Sprlinlgithoire. "'l'atrdon me,".' 1 sa Id, "bhut it s'eemsi to mte I hat I haveo hiear d Mrs'. Sprin 1g thlorpe's v'oice biefore', t hough uder wthat c (ir'cumstances I hauve not the re "I low singtular!"' said Springthor'pe. "'i'er'haps Dtr. Norrils will priesently r'eeollect whlose v'oice It Is of whtich minme treminds hhiin," Mrs2. Springthor'pe sid. "Very likely," I repliedi. IDtiring dhmerci I ,s unuisuailly dlull tnd 111pensive. Mttrs. '9.rintgthorupe'is v'oie hauinted meP. Ever'y thne sheo spoke Iivoluintarily looked upi. expccting t.. na~ntc.. a r-wiis.,,. e ',iCe ' mbition 'By HEoR2zarT MojvTGOME2Y 2. B. EUaerngton.) After dinner, when we Lad rejoined the ladles and the other guests were el ther chatting in couples or grouped about the piano, Mrs. Springthorpe camtte and sat beside tme. "Well," site asked, "have you found the owner of the voice?" The speecli was accompanied by a sliglit. poenliar ge.sture, one of those little neivous tricks of manner to whieh we are all subject and which so clearly nirk (alr indivdhliuality. In this case it supplied me with tle missing link of evidentee and enabled me at once to re ply: "Yes; it has Just occurred to me,'-' "Who was it?" "A lady whlo once called to consult mei prof~essionally."1 "Inldee'd?"1 Iler tone Implied a desire for further Information, so I proceeded: "It was about six years ago. I was then a struggling young physician, nuisIng a feeble pract ice in a new nelgl horhood. One day a lady in a thick veil called to ask ny advice in re.:'d to lier mother, who, she said, tras sutfferin- fron heart disease. Then Ole lescribed the Symptoms, which were thoso of a persont in a very crit ial state. They had been expecting, she said, the return of a long absent son and brother who was a naval oil eer, but she lad that m1ornhie received the sad Intelligence of the wreek of his vessel, with the loss of all on board. Somei explanation would havo to be made to the mother of his continued ihsence, but could they tell her tho truth in the state of her health? "I replied that such a revelation at snht a time would probably be attend ed Iby fatal consequences. She left, do elaring that at whatever cost she would coiteal the truth from her mother." "A nd you have never seen her since?" "No; I had quite forgotten the cir elli' stallee." "And you would not recognize her if you matet her again?" "As I said, her face was concealed by a thick vel. I have not the slightest idea of her features." "But tho volceo was like mine?" "Yes." "You do not think It was I?" "Had it been you you would have recollected the circumstance." "Which I do not. But there are re sPembhlanc-es between voices. I suppose. as there arc sometimes between faces." "I do not remember ever having liend of such a caso." "And you aro skeptical on the point?" "I should have been but for this in staince." "The coincidence tl)paN to me to be remaarktible, for at first sight it seemed ts though I had met you before. How do you account for that?" "It is something I cannot account for." "Do you believe that two people who hiave never met in the flesh may meet and become acquainted in dreams?" "I protest," I said, laughIng. "You have mae at a disadvantage. This Ie a theory I never heard before and in re gard to wleh I amn unprepared to of fer an opinion. I am curious to hear more of it. What do you call it?" "Ah, doctor, I am xafraid you would only proeve a scoffer." At this point she was enalled away. 'That night in the smoking room SpiIngthorpe and1( I lingered over our cigairs after the other guests had re tred. I had been thinking over the mnystery of that woman with the veiled face. That she and Mrs. Bpringthorpe were thie name I had not the slightest doubt, but tas she evidently feared ree ognition I haid been too politic to insist upotn it. Why there should be any mystery about a visit to a physician uledZ( mne. "Do you know," I asked, "If Mrs. Sprlngthor-pe is liable to any heredi tiary3 mialaidy?" "I r-eally cannot say," lie replied. "I never- knew her family." "At-e her parenuts dead, then?' "Yes; she has been an orphan since child hood." Ihere I made a mental note. A little laiter I asked: "I Itnve y'ou any children?" "I have tin only son by mty first wife. ie in ani oiler of one of my I'ast In d1ia1 packet ships." "Wais lie at home at the time of his mnothier's deaith? " "No, but lhe was hourly expeted aft cir threce yetars' absence oni a foreign station. I'oor fellow! I ie arrived only in t ine to tdnd his mother ini her cof Ihere I maide another mental note. "[Did the first Mrs. Springthorpo die of c'otnumpltion?'" "No; of' hetart disease." "I Ier '1( endia unexpected, then?" "Not ,altogethaer. She had been all ing for- years, and the doctors warned us to be pi-epared for dleath tat aniy mao mnent. At (lie satme time they said sheo might live for years if spared exeite mnent or shock." "Did she receive a shock, then?' "No; she retired to rest in better health than usutal. The prospect of again seeing her son seemed to gumoy her up. In the mnorning she was f~und dlend in bed. It must have been a happy cending, for no doubt, as my pres c-nt w~ife says, it was the result of the joy ful anticipation of hier son's return." "Ihnd she no attendaince durig nighht?" - - .- - thorpe, usually siept ii the same ajvm ment-she wis my tirst wife's compai ion-but on this particlur alnght in first wife was feeling so well that sh dismissed her to her own room. Th maid slept in the anterooin, but hear nothing." "Iad your present wife access to lie during the night?" "No. Although their rooms adjoine, wall to wall, they were ent(red frot different passages. Iut I an sure I an boring you by talking so muche(1 0 ny own aff'airs." "On the contrary, you have arouse( my interest." "You are very kind to say so. doeC tor." Here we parted. and I retired to rest "So," I thought, "I have alread) learned more of Mrs. Springthorpe'i case than I care to know." Revolving in my mind some pretex for taking miy departure on the follow. Ing day. I fell asleep. My rest was uneasy. I seeied neve to lose consciousness of my surround ings, yet there was something eerle une uncanny about them that did not bc long to the waking world. There seem ed alternations of light and shadow as thin, fleecy clouds chased each othe across the path of the moon, as if th moon had been open to the sky, an' there were rushes of cold wind tha stirred my hair with the soothing rus tie of leafy branches. I seemed t hear the whisperings about my bed a strange, airy beings floated in and ou upon the moonbeams and hovere round about me, and through all an above all I heard the sound of tha voice I had heard in my surgery si years before, the voice of the preseu Mrs. Springthorpe. "You shall not part us! You sha, not part us!" it seemed to say. Then was awakened by an unmistakable a< tual sound. a dull thud, that Jarred th room. It was the closing down of my wir dow, which I had left partly open u admtt a free current of air. Doubtles a sash line had parted. I thought, an turned again to slumber. This time I slept so heavily that seemed to me I was Imprisoned dee CP I PAGUSIZI down i the bwels o th'arhi supuru atopeeata nro prssm na arnsssodnsla seem mteria. My had wa bure I er hirvy wordNG Und canZr< downber them bowlo the cnerth in pmeanrin toma darhenss dnenthe su see materwil. Myv head toa fearf cnrasadom crurehig weihnv. rug ped tus, aniso huse l)cI fel mysel slltes pof my iferno; but, movemer whard thepinfu vhat wI~ trew canel dowem aifr th nowt thy c oneye an eaning tlmep.ndisturbed.n- The a onc crras, nohepreriFr o d'sve rsk oe oury rsonhos.f 'etm" Ainwslifted uponmet but ornci wa enlso parinltati itrea tye down againo e that I onlyi wh a sagiod ra:l ragsurud byNoprisgthorre's guest od's.a "Walk d hisu hapnd dono" i asi oer myvost, "Brin hdme out ithe arn Agairnd a lgazed up and forcdly "Ilow and waft hatppeed to ase dWatn upon hapened?" a itea "You oft Graeur Gaune, onifulu d byoing toped. uets "Itw id tri haoene, doctor" as cd ircumstnc thatl nb the ar er chauned tod geawae apndi detctidly.h smehlt ofas, asaled" raett 'You loft yurie unconedofs. 0 goin canot expant"."a." nItvere.a praoieeof evn wer ji1 cirumsang.Ic indbe that mao sheul chaned roeit aa a detige.' Inmell ofinutews I a leorepi on yourhi ys' roomweeus wintime, foln brnng. wIth iinrediletatmshu wo.e for aIny experience. At break Inst I met Mrs. Spriigthorpe. Her Y face hum a worni look, and her eyes C were sunken and suirrozded by dark 0 rings, but her conversatloll ws as Sspa)irkllng as ever. Vlena she Colnillis crated ine oil my night's aiventuro r ' and coquettiishly raillid ne on my hvedlessness I Could feel Iny suspicolls 811sipl&1g' away-fronli Ie. i Afer 1.e:ikf:tst I stole tipstairs and I iCd' a enreful exaninintioni of my bedroomn. No sash line 11:141 heent bro kei. I had no doubt but that a dellb (rtite at tnitipt ha1d been made on my life. There was no Imeans of ilgresi to the roomi except by the window, 111( that was at least forty feet froi the ground, with no balcony or other projection fromn the steep face of tile I wall. As I stood looking flOill tlhe Vildov Mr.s. Siprinigilhorpe crossed the grounds below, looking up and bowing. with her muost radiant siii inl which I thoughlt I detected a shade of some - thing like deilace. I Yo are n1o ordinary wNonan," thought 1, aipostroplihiing her retreat - Ing ilgule. "Who plays with you h11a - (alangerous o)polent. But there Is such 11 thing Is overreaehliig oneseilf. Today I should have left you without 1 a aigin. Now I lellii to see the gaine t out, even thougih 1 11111 beaten." That night I went to tile s:me ronM. As it had been thoroighly venIllited I begged that no Change be Iinade. 1 Was t just drifting into a doze wilen it I stealthy footstep foil upon my ear, I seeling to Cone froin the Corner of t the roon behild 1n. I was wide C awake in aln Inlist alit, but I slippressed t tile nl111 se to betiIiy tilyself hy I'm tion. The footstep wa' s replwated agaill aI agailn an(1 secined appronching. ite Coruipaled by at deep, sup1pressed breathing. The souilds ce:asoid :t the bed'dde, wIth 11 a long sistained 1insin tion. At thatt minrnet, wvith It suiddenl twist of Illy body, I brougit tuysIf to I1ly feet onl te floor 1 prepared to grap PlC with the intrider. To uny conster nation there was no on tilre. M.- first tholgIlt was that my ia'; t Ination had pIlyed ilie a trick by mik. 0 interpreting somne distant sound; but, no 'ros inan 1ace I herdth sane lon breath exele r-V 4 4k a whl h otsestre adrtet i 1n0oP resistnce.1' c I ho egsad thne Sie tlerfootnpy to rind thatd et rhnt .d o occuat butie mysei'tlf. 111 i' Idsote teair, excit ig blowsriene I wits I literally "upI with thle hlirk." I wenlt 1.out inito the ga rdlen for aI stroll, for tile f weather was delight fuly halmiy for t that season of theO year. 1 11uid talken a r turn out as far as a jittle pilece of' -woods onl the edge of the estate and e was nlearinig the house4 Onl m~y return11 whien I became aware of tile fact thnit I was followed. I had( just passed( a1 weather beatenl oak 0on the edge of the .gardIen. This 0110 tlline gianit had1( been e denuded of its sup1erstructur11 by thle gales of doendes1e, bu11t its t runlk had1( Sgrown until no0w it was5 plointed out1 to visitors as the tree of lar'gesit girth 01n theo estate. Oni the side whence I had come there was ai large envity In the trunki. Ini this had heel) fittedl a smiall 81101f, with a seat below it. I tuirnedi ablout qulickly, buiit saw 110 oneO. I waIs abiout to proceed wvhen I noticed1 a small portion of the blottom of a womanr's drmess obtruding beyond the edge of tile tree. I wallkedi back and1( found Mrs. Springthorpe sitting ill theO rcess of thle tree apparten1tly enl grosseid ini the~ Contents of a book which I ay 01101 before 1her. She kookeid up and11 cheerily greeted 1me. I had by this time becomne con vinced that Mlrs. Springthlorpe wasl wvorse than11 any1 womanl~ ought to lbe, but her smile of greetinlg w~as so ini genll(uu, her surplrise at seeinlg me so) genine l(, thIa t for tile mlomenhlt 1113 susM ilonis wvere dilssipated. She observeud that she was about to retulrn to the Grange and rose as thloughl to acecoml Panly mel. At the time it did not occuir to me1 that tile ordhiary pers5on wouldi scareely selent Ciristmaa .i...r.,,.. fo aiu oIl..ru r1diig, but thils w-as not an ordilary wonan. (irirhtuias pahsed iat (ravelly Grauge an It usually liisse4 Ia the country houses of weitithy persons. There were the usual service att the church, the usual good cheer on tite table and the usual Christmas tree lin the evening for the guests. At thie latter fiction Mrs. Bmringthor)e was at her best. She greeted every wonan and child with a Condescension so claarlatnang Its to rob it of the Iipliet tion of sulpe. riority. She( was unaidoubtedy the tost populhara person present, and Spring thorpe's eyes followed her with ain eagerness and aflfection thiat to nie were almost I)itiable. After tle Christnas tree festivities host, hostess and guests danced aauerri 13' together, Iaid the celebration was kept up until a late hour. When we went to our roonis we were a very tired lot of mortals; but, despite nIy fatigue, I deternined to retuailn it any post to await developmenats. I threw mayself half dressed uponi the bed, Ie tolved that nothing should tenaipt tine to go to sleep. But the iesh is weak, Rid In a short time I was lii ats deep ai slumber as though nothllg were of) lny niad. Sudldely 1 started up, awal ened by the slaudderinig sound of niy slowly rising wi ndow. There, without the window, outlined against the sky, appeared a dark robed, hooded tigiure like that of a Capuclhin ainonk. Slowly tihe Stasl ascended to Its full helight, and noiselessly the figurc niounted upon the sill anld, stepping tiPOn the vIndow sent, reacled tilt floor, whence it glided Into the shadow that filled the corner of the rconi and was lost to sight. After att anxious Interval I agaau saw Its dark oultlinae encroacllhing on the area of diflused light that hay betweenl Ile aand tihl? window, and I knew that It was slowly drawing toward tite. As It approached tle samne stealthy foott'all and1 deep, suppressed liveatling I had loard tle night before beenine aund ible. By the side of tle bed it ialtedl, with n1 deep inispir aIt ion, and a lant Iholdilg4 soinethinag vaIlehl glealed was lifted above the lead. Dropping tily feet tW the (bor, I spanig up1), selig the tip lifted atrin wth tiy left hanaatd and with my right nra-tI plitionaing tile igure aiga Inst aaay bronst. h'lere was n wotninn's cry, thae gentui Ing thillg fell to tle floor, atd I the fig live lay lianp in ny einb-:aee. I placel It lit a ehair and hastily lit tle gas. Then I siaw\% the inaseaisible foaIn of Mrs. Sp-inagthorpe and onl the floor' One of any own sir-gieni II vtes, which I had thought secuare lit the case in riy porltminteatu. I had solved the inys t ry. As .lra-s. pinigthIor Vcovered ier senases we retinai ted gazing at each other it silence. "Well," she sid it last, "you have contquered. You know everythiig." "Unhaappy wv4inall," I said. "I know thint ltt ettased tlie death of your for aIear ristre.ss beeuasc sit' stood inl tih way of youtr untthitiona and tlat you have tw-eit at teapted any life." Site slifpped to tile floor at any feet. "Mercy, uearcy!" she eri(l. "If you kiew low I dr(-ndd this aioient! It was your life ntagninst his lIve. All night i lnced any aoUan. crying, 'Youi shall nlot part at "" "I heard .3 ou lal niy asloop." "Yes; year s a go I discoverthe 11 s caret of thease two rota as,1 hen curous acoustic faet thiattat -ertaina poinits int onte low, Inaten'ase sunads ara reprodliued it thte othetr w itha such vivid dlistinet niess its to sceeait etualIly pares''it, anda so I lienard y*ou Ibreath inag Its you slept. a and lhe thouotghat ennate to itie, ats it e:nte to one whiein I Ilistented to laer braea thl ig itand brok' uaponi haer shaunbter w;itha thea false stoajv that killed htera.MAy inbl t iotn has renledi anotIihng butat I Iend sea frit." "'And youa eateried amy r.(oani, amad by atle wlindoIw! BIut how ? Surtely not by the coing, less thtan a foot ini widlthar' "Yes. At one timte I was it gyiiaust iand aer'obatt, anad evena if It had not been for that any determaiaationi would have caraiedl mn thrttouagh, t he deter'a miaition ohf a dying wotnmnt, for whtoma Jeath andt t danagetr hav e tao faarthier ter totr. Thte fi rst atighat y'ou were. saved b y ano aeciadentalI discovery. Thla seonad I a l(ae you 1by 1netictta otusly alIlow ing you to hienar me listeinag rotr youri sleep. -Tontighit, the thirud, I thtouight to mtake sure. I puit int youra water' bottle ali opiaite." "Wlehl I did not touch." ''You wouald haave been foitnd dlead( with youra ownt katife In yra heart. 'To gentetal v'erdlct wouihdlia hae beetn staicide. itut it was not to lie. Youi were to lie miy faite. Go to haimi. lt-eak laisa hear-t with youtr revehattiont. De nloutlie late [as a Intllideaess."' Shte fell for-wtard. I i sed haer antd, seeing thiat she wais Indeed anar the point of death, tiladiisteredl a restora tive faomi amy case. "MrI s. Sprinagthloape," I Ralid wvhten shte laid somttewhat trecovered, "whatever your aerh-Itie, thiis Is not aI tile for' judtag at wnt, iand I it atot your judaige. To tanorrowa I leiave thItis la-ce, tad, believe late, I sahitil tnver' openi my lIps in Ire garid to wVhait I havi e discov'etrd. Youra pun1 iIshmientt is comaplet e..i atny your anever' have ecase to regr'et youi less. Biut let tme aissist you to your r'ooma. You amuist noat be dlscovered haere." I raised lier to hter feet, butt she drtewv aWaly. "My dloor is- locke'd oni thle in sidle,'' she staid anad glanaced toward the winadow. "Not thtat way, for hieavent's sake!" I ca-led. IBut shte spanga tapoat thle w in dow seat atnad, tuarnlig, wvaved ima back. Th'len site d1isapplearaed. I (litred nlot look aftea' htet', fearaful oi' brilngitg about the centast r'ophe I dread 0(d. I stood br'eatliess util I heard the wvords seanmigly whisper-ed itn uy ver'y eair: "All safe! Good night I" TIhte next daty I aannountced that I shiould be ob~lge'd to r'etuirn at oncee to thle city. hSprintgthlorpje obajected str'enu outsly. "I htave taken a geant liking to you.he aid. hike to Luik to you. Perhaps it Is becauso you are a good 4 listene~r." I again pleaded that my patients in, Baltimore re(luired mny attention and lnformed Iimil as gently as possible that Mrs. Springthorpe was beyond limy help. I begged him to be prepared' fo' the end. Springtborpe was stunned by mly in fornation, but so far from Qperating asg I had hoped mny statement only s'eelnedl to itiake lil mo insistent that I should remain. Again I sought refuge i a vhlite lie and ex)lalued with great circutnipection the Inpossi bility of My staying a daly longer. Sev oral of the guests who were to be there until Satu'gay after-noon importuned 1110 to accede to Mr. Springthorpe's re quest, but I was obdurate. I could not bring mlyself to pass another night tin der the roof of a hostess I knew to be morally, If not technically, it mnur deress. Seeing that a'guient was un availing, Springthorpe ordered a car riage to take ie to the station, and, looking alt Illy watch, I saw that I had barely tliae to catch the fast mail for lialtinore. Thie carrlage cmi in due time, and, with at hurried "Goodby," I was about to step Into it wv'hen a serv ant from the Grange informed me that lis,; mistress begged that on no account should I leave without seeing her. I wals in a < tialndary, but there vas noth lig for me but to wait. In a tuoment irs. Springthorpe arrived. 11er usual ly drawan features were more pillched that ever, and she walked uncertainly. 11cr husband stopped forward and gal lantly assisted her. As Mrs. Spring thorpe alipproaeled the carriage she looked at nie in an Indescribably sig nifleant manner andi, holding some thing aloft, said: "Doctor, have you not forgotten tills?" In her han tld was the klife with wh-liclh she ha1d the night before at tolieil lly life. In the confusion of tIlLe lloment I ia( neglected to pick It 111) from the floolr where It fell wheni 1. gira ippiled with(' her. 1111( .10 illnlist have got it after I laid left to start for hoine. ,\a'r. Spr ingthlaorpe reached for tin instrumnent, but she witlhdrew hter lianitd. "No," Shte said, "I wIll hand It to tIhe doctor myself. Ite 'ls blten so kind to ine sine lie ht:'s hetn here." A nd site gave me10 a Imeaning look is she ldv:iced, shaking off her husband's aria. I was it doibt as to tie creature's itei t ntios. Sometlihig in hr eye, sometlilng lin the tigress-like movement vith wh*Ilehi sht came toward me, warn ed lie llat hetr mind had given way ind that there wats just enough lucid Ity left to enable her to realize that be fore her was, till eeiniiy w.'hOli she llust destroy. [But I stepped forward, at the same tittie keejpilig tiyl eye fixed upon the knife. W vere within a couple of y1ards of (ach othier when 'Mrs. Spring thorp staggered anidl would have fallen bumt for' Ihert Iushandxi, who caught her as sIe roeld hackwal. I ltistetnd to her sil. As I bent mny hteal tal aher bosom I ieard ati In distint whisper. I listened, and with ta last efort sie faIrly hissed into mily car, "I lutte you, iId I should have" She collapise(d. I tmatde a Careful ex !ltIiaIatioln, buit at was nllinecessary. Irs. pringtihorpe had paid the price of lier a ntion . FOR TWELFTH NIGHT, Imiportant Ilole l'lnyed lay the Cnko hn Isngiand. A rITalfth Night cauke in Englanid is as much('l a ipart of' te Cliristmnas fes tiv'itles ns is thec tace itself. On 'Tweiftha N ighit v'arlius gayvelles antd rev'els are airralnged, thIe eake being flinally' drawna in lby te chIihirene on a dlecorated ('art oi Iborn'ie alotft by the serv'anlts on0! a hioar tr( iimntied w.vithI ChrIst imas greens. A r(-i'i for m'a' l tkitng tile ca!ke comes fr'oti Itagl~taid: I k'ent to a stmoot h eceam twe lioundiis of 1iti uted Ibu~tLtr, then alddt two( plountds of powder'ed sugar', a1 wvhole inutmleg gr'ated1 taid an1 OunlCti 'atchi of' powdered''a cinnamltOn, gintger, 1na:e (' ndi tilltlsI lec. licent thIiis milxture tent mtinuttes anid aldd gradlli'ally twenty eggs, hteatinlg t he cake aifter thtat for twenlty' inuittes. Stir in, a little at at itme, two pioundis of flour', four pountds (if currttants, a~ haltf pound1( of bruiised almondt~ts am11 htailf a ioula( each of cani 1heatI in tag enao('ake lighatly3 afltcr ech ad dlilion. Last of1 all add1it cla ret glass of lbrandy13. L. ine it itarge cake It tin with welIlii bt t'red liatper and ti illi It I tree C umarter('s f'utll of thet dough, wh Ih will leave rootti for' tile cake to r'ise. Cover if to (ven hakes fast at the bottom putatl a tianer I t (enke to keep it fr'omi haurn ig. It sholdl( bake or fo'our and1( a half' houmrs it a slow butt wtel h eatted ov'eni. 'The liing Itat ('overs~ It Ili very'3 tI andI tt ( to thotrotugly 3 Ilng lish thie enkt' slhiold lie de'coratedl with sttgti afigur es andt othe lacr11 ge (designs in ornamentI'ttal linig. It will lbe seenl lthat tese' arte pr'opor' tis for an largt n'ak e, andte suchla th lnglIIsh T~iwelfthi N ight tenkae is mea~ti to be.--Plttsbur'g Chr toniclie-Te'legrapit. Jnona!Haneu4s at Cihitmntide, JlOyoutsness Is thIei kayniote ofot Ci'st, mailst tie. it is a tie for Falith to sins - hetr hItghest sonigs of praise. Soime iiulits and itt somei counitries thec glad somtet sir It of' thle seiason hans dlegenl (r'i'll ito hiolster'ous mumlit~iinerllou ligions fest IiaI, butt the greant trtth of lie intcarnllat iont of JTesuis htas teer bietn benath th viouslii miaifestationts of joy. As thle ce'lebt'attion of' Christ'$nia ilvty it mutast a lway3s renmalin ono of th great Cost ivals of the Chrttistian yeair. Th'lis is a timet for' chiarltablo1 dleeds1, Cot' smtilhig faces, merry grecet itnga and1( exc'han ge of gIfts. and~t It is c'trtily a fliltIng opportuityl 3 for us. Ito neceni tatte thle truthI tha t 01ur re lltn Is non ne' 1101) a... .hofthi. s