FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61  
62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   >>   >|  
re forenoon; and from that time forward, his hold on the world and its things seemed to relax. One morning, when Margie went to take his gruel up to him--a duty she always performed herself--she found him sitting in his arm-chair, wide awake, but incapable of speech or motion. The physician, hastily summoned, confirmed her worst fears. Mr. Trevlyn had been smitten with paralysis. He was in no immediate danger, perhaps; he might live for years, but was liable to drop away at any moment. It was simply a question of time. Toward the close of the second day after his attack, the power of speech returned to Mr. Trevlyn. "Margie!" he said, feebly, "Margie, come here." She flew to his side. "I want you to send for Archer Trevlyn," he said with great difficulty. She made a gesture of surprise. "You think I am not quite right in my mind, Margie, that I should make that request. But I was never more sane than at this moment. My mind was never clearer, my mental sight never more correct. I want to see my grandson." Margie despatched a servant with a brief note to Archer, informing him of his grandfather's desire, and then sat down to wait his coming. It was a wild, stormy night in March; the boisterous wind beat against the old mansion, and like a suffering human thing, shrieked down the wide, old-fashioned chimneys. In a lull of the storm there was a tap at the chamber door. Margie opened it, and stood face to face with Archer Trevlyn. "Come in," she whispered, "he is asleep." "No, I am not asleep," said the sick man; "has my grandson come?" "He is here," said Margie. "I will leave him with you, dear guardian. Let him ring for me when you want me." "Remain here, Margaret. I want you to be a witness to what passes between us. I have no secrets from you, dear child, none whatever. Archer, come hither." Trevlyn advanced, his face pale, his eyes moist with tears. For, having forgiven his grandparent, he had been growing to feel for the desolate old man a sort of filial tenderness, and strong in his fresh young manhood, it seemed terrible to him to see John Trevlyn lying there in his helplessness and feebleness, waiting for death. "Come hither, Archer," said the tremulous voice, "and put your hand on mine. I cannot lift a finger to you, but I want to feel once more the touch of kindred flesh and blood. I have annoyed you and yours sadly my poor boy, but death sweeps away all enmities, and all shadows
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61  
62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Margie

 

Trevlyn

 
Archer
 

moment

 

asleep

 

speech

 

grandson

 

Remain

 

Margaret

 
witness

whispered

 

fashioned

 
chimneys
 

shrieked

 

mansion

 
suffering
 

chamber

 

opened

 

guardian

 

finger


feebleness

 
helplessness
 

waiting

 

tremulous

 

sweeps

 
enmities
 

shadows

 
kindred
 

annoyed

 
advanced

secrets
 

forgiven

 

strong

 
manhood
 

terrible

 

tenderness

 
filial
 

grandparent

 

growing

 
desolate

passes

 

smitten

 
paralysis
 

confirmed

 

summoned

 

motion

 
physician
 
hastily
 

danger

 
simply