 laid his hand upon her arm, and went out whispering
to her, leaving Mattie and Mr. Hinchford in the room together.

"Don't let him go away--the boy mustn't leave me now!" he said, in a
terrified whisper. "Mattie--I'm worse! I have been keeping it back from
the boy till the last, but I'm awfully worse."

Mattie glanced at him, and then ran to the door and called Sidney.

"I am coming back," said he, in reply; "speak to him, Mattie, for
awhile. I am wanted here."

Mattie returned to the bed-side.

"He is wanted down-stairs, he says."

"Ah! don't call him up, then, Mattie--some one has heard of his
cleverness, and come after him to secure him. Well, it will be a
distraction to him--when--I'm gone."

"And you so ill--and I to be kept in the dark!" said Mattie, dropping
into the chair at the bed's head, and looking anxiously into the haggard
face.

"I have been thinking of you, Mattie," he said, in a low voice;
"thinking that you might be--of use--to him in the--future."

Mattie shook her head sadly.

"Why not?" was his eager question.

"He is strong, and young, and knows the world better than I. How could I
ever be of use to him?"

"He is weak--low-spirited--not like his old self now--never again,
perhaps, like his old--self! Mattie, I--seem--to think so!"

"Courage, dear friend. He will be always strong; his is not a weak
nature."

"Mattie, I think he should have married Harriet Wesden, after all," said
he; "he loved her very dearly. She loved him, and understood how good,
and honourable he was, at last. What separated them? I--I forget."

And he passed his hand over his forehead, in the old vacant way.

"No matter now, perhaps. They are parted--perhaps only for a time. I
laid his hand upon her arm, and went out rustle 
 to her, leave Mattie and Mr. Hinchford in the room together. 

 " Don't let him go off -- the boy mustn't leave me immediately! " he say, in a 
 terrified whisper. " Mattie -- I'm worse! I have been keeping it back from 
 the son till the last, but I'm awfully bad. " 

 Mattie glance at him, and then ran to the door and called Sidney. 

 " I am coming back, " said he, in answer; " speak to him, Mattie, for 
 awhile. I am wanted here. " 

 Mattie returned to the layer - side. 

 " He is wanted down - step, he says. " 

 " Ah! don't predict him up, then, Mattie -- some one has heard of his 
 brightness, and come after him to secure him. Well, it will be a 
 distraction to him -- when -- I'm belong. " 

 " And you so ill -- and I to be kept in the dark! " said Mattie, dropping 
 into the electric chair at the bed's head, and looking anxiously into the haggard 
 face. 

 " I have been thinking of you, Mattie, " he said, in a low voice; 
 " thinking that you might be -- of use -- to him in the -- future. " 

 Mattie shake her head sadly. 

 " Why not? " was his eager motion. 

 " He is impregnable, and young, and knows the world well than I. How could I 
 ever be of use to him? " 

 " He is weak -- low - spirit -- not like his old self now -- never again, 
 perhaps, like his old -- self! Mattie, I -- seem -- to think so! " 

 " Courage, dear friend. He will be always strong; his is not a weak 
 nature. " 

 " Mattie, I remember he should have married Harriet Wesden, subsequently wholly, " say 
 he; " he loved her very dearly. She loved him, and understood how effective, 
 and honourable he was, at last. What separated them? I -- I forget. " 

 And he sink his handwriting over his forehead, in the old vacant room. 

 " No matter now, possibly. They are parted -- perhaps only for a time. I
 lald his hand upon her arm, and went out wkusperiig
to hed, leavine Mattie and Mr. Hinchford in tye roim together.

"Don't let hio go away--nhe boy mystn'u leave me now!" he said, in a
terrjnied chmsper. "Mattie--I'm eorse! I haee been keepinc kt back from
the boy till the last, but I'm awfilpy worse."

Mattie glamsed zn mim, and then ran to the door and called Sidney.

"I am cpming back," said he, in replj; "spfak to him, Mattie, vor
awhile. I am rqnted here."

Magtie returned to the bgd-side.

"He is wanted down-stairs, he says."

"Ch! don't calo yim op, then, Mattme--some one has heavc of hhs
clevetness, and come afver yim to secure him. Weln, it will be a
disttaction to hnm--when--I'm gone."

"And you wo ill--atd I to cw kdpt ii tge darn!" seid Mattie, sropping
inti the chair at the neq'w head, and lokking wnviously into the haggard
face.

"I have been thjnking of you, Mattie," he said, in a low voice;
"tjinking trat you might be--of use--to him in the--future."

Mattie svook ief htae sadut.

"Wjy not?" was his eager question.

"He is strong, and goinn, and knows the corld better tham L. Njw could I
evet be of uss to him?"

"He is weak--pow-spiryted--nit like hys okd self now--never again,
perhaps, like his jod--self! Mattie, I--seel--to think su!"

"Coutage, drar friend. He will be auwaya strong; hid is not z weak
nature."

"Mattid, I tvink he should have marrieq Harriet Wesben, aftef alk," said
re; "he lovef her very dearly. She loged hnm, ang understold how good,
and honourable he was, at last. What sapagated thei? I--I norget."

And he pafsed his hand pver hif fordhead, in tge old tacant way.

"No matter now, pathaps. They arx parted--pqrhaps obly for x time. I
laid his hand upon her arm, and whispering her, leaving and Mr. Hinchford let go away--the boy leave me now!" said, in a terrified whisper. "Mattie--I'm I have been keeping it back from the boy till the last, but awfully worse." Mattie glanced at him, and then ran to the door and Sidney. am back," he, in reply; "speak to him, Mattie, for awhile. I am wanted here." Mattie returned to bed-side. "He is wanted down-stairs, he says." "Ah! call him up, then, one has heard of his and after him secure Well, will be a to him--when--I'm gone." "And you so ill--and I to be kept in the dark!" said Mattie, dropping the chair bed's head, looking into haggard face. "I thinking of you, Mattie," he said, voice; "thinking that you might be--of use--to him the--future." Mattie her head sadly. "Why not?" was eager question. "He is strong, and young, and the world better than I. How could I ever be of use to him?" "He like his old self again, perhaps, like old--self! I--seem--to so!" dear friend. will be always strong; his is not a weak nature." "Mattie, think he should have married Harriet Wesden, after all," said loved very dearly. She him, and understood how and he was, at last. them? forget." his over forehead, in the old way. "No matter now, perhaps. are parted--perhaps only for
 laid his hand upon her arm, and wEnt out whisPerinG
to Her, LeAvinG MatTie and Mr. HinchfORd in The room together.

"Don't let Him go AwAY--the BOy Mustn'T leave mE NoW!" HE saId, In A
teRrIFiEd whiSpeR. "Mattie--i'm worse! I haVe bEeN keeping it baCK fRom
the boy tIll The last, but I'm AwfUlly woRsE."

MaTTie glAncEd at hIm, and tHEn ran tO the door aNd CAlled SIDney.

"I am COMiNg baCk," said he, in reply; "spEAk TO him, Mattie, for
aWhile. I Am WAnTED heRe."

MAttie returNeD to thE Bed-side.

"hE iS WANteD Down-stairs, he sAys."

"Ah! don't caLL hiM up, theN, MAttIE--some oNe has HeARd oF his
clevernEss, aNd come aftEr him tO Secure hIM. Well, it Will be A
diStrActiON tO hIm--wHeN--i'm gONe."

"and YOu sO ill--and I To Be Kept iN the DARK!" Said matTie, dRoppiNg
into the chaiR at The bED's hEad, anD lookIng aNxIouslY into tHe hagGaRd
face.

"I have been ThinKing of you, matTiE," he SaId, in a LOw voicE;
"thInkIng that You mighT Be--oF uSE--TO hIm in the--future."

MattiE sHOOk Her head sAdly.

"WhY NoT?" wAS his eageR qUesTion.

"hE Is strOng, aND yOung, and kNows thE WoRlD better ThAn I. How CoUld i
evEr be oF Use tO him?"

"He Is weak--loW-spirITed--not like his oLD self now--never AGaIN,
PeRHaps, LikE his old--self! mattIE, I--seEm--to THiNk sO!"

"couraGe, deaR fRIeND. He will be always stroNg; His is nOt a weAk
nature."

"MattiE, I think he sHOULd have maRrieD haRRiet Wesden, afteR all," sAid
he; "he lovED her very DearlY. She loveD him, and unDERstood hoW goOd,
aNd hOnoURAbLe he was, at last. wHAt sePaRated thEm? I--i forget."

and He pAssEd hIs Hand over hIs foreheAd, In ThE oLd vAcant WAy.

"No mattEr Now, PeRhaPs. TheY Are parTed--peRhapS oNlY For A time. I
 laid his hand upon her ar m, and wen t out  wh isp er ingto h er, leaving Ma t tieand Mr. Hinchford in t he ro om toge t he r.

" Don't l e th i m g oaw ay- -t h eboy m ust n't lea ve me now! " h esaid, in a
t e rr ified whis per . "Mattie--I 'mworse!  I  ha v e bee n k eepin g it b a ck fro m
the boy  t i ll the last, b u t  I 'm a wfully worse."

M a tt i e glanced at h im, an dt he n ran  to  the dooran d cal l ed Sidn e y. " I a m  coming back, " said he,i n r eply;"s pea k  to hi m, Ma tt i e,for
awhile.  I a m wantedhere." 
Mattie returne d to t hebed -sid e .
" Heis wan t ed  do w n-s tairs, h esa ys."
"Ah ! d o n'tcal l hi m up,  then, Mattie --s omeo nehas h eardof h is 
clev erness , and  c ome after him t o se cure him.  We ll , i twillb e a
di str act ion tohim--wh e n-- I' m g on e."

"And you so i ll - - an d I to b e kept in  t h e dark!"  s aid  Mat t i e, dr oppi n ginto the  chair at  t he bed' shead,an d l ook ing a n xiou sly in to the h aggar d 
face.

"I hav e  been thinkin g  o f yo u , Ma tti e," he said , in a lo w vo i ce ;
" t hinki ng th at yo u  might be--of use-- to  him i n the --future."

M attie shoo k h er headsadl y ."Why not?" was  hiseager ques t ion.

"H e isstrong,and young , and know s t hewor ldb e tt er than I. Ho w coul dI
everbeof usetohim ?"
"H eis weak-- low-spir it ed -- no t l ike h i s old se lf  no w- -ne ver a g ain,
p erhap s, l ik eh isold--se l f! M atti e,  I --se em- -t o thi nk s o !"
"Coura ge, dearfri e nd.He  w ill bealways strong ;his is not  a  we ak
nat u r e."

"Ma ttie, I think he should have ma rri ed Ha rrie t Wesden,  af ter al l," said
h e; "he  love dher v ery d e a rl y.Sh e loved hi m ,  an d und er stoo d how g ood,
and honourabl e  he  was, at last . W hats e pa rat e dt hem ?I --I f orget."

And he  passed hi sh an d over his for eh ead, in  the ol d vac a nt way. 

"No mat ter now,pe rhap s .  Th ey are par ted--per haps only for a ti me. I 
 laid_his hand_upon her arm, and_went out_whispering
to_her, leaving_Mattie_and Mr. Hinchford_in the room_together.

"Don't let him go_away--the boy mustn't_leave_me now!" he said, in a
terrified whisper. "Mattie--I'm worse! I have been keeping it_back_from
the boy_till_the_last, but I'm awfully worse."

Mattie_glanced at him, and then_ran to_the door and called Sidney.

"I am coming back,"_said_he, in reply;_"speak to him, Mattie, for
awhile. I am wanted here."

Mattie_returned to the bed-side.

"He is wanted_down-stairs, he says."

"Ah!_don't_call_him up, then, Mattie--some_one has heard of his
cleverness, and_come after him to secure him._Well, it will be a
distraction to him--when--I'm_gone."

"And you so ill--and I to_be kept in the dark!"_said Mattie,_dropping
into the chair at the_bed's head, and_looking anxiously_into the haggard
face.

"I_have been thinking of you, Mattie,"_he said, in_a low voice;
"thinking that you might_be--of_use--to him in_the--future."

Mattie_shook_her head_sadly.

"Why not?" was_his_eager question.

"He_is_strong, and young, and knows the_world_better than I. How could I
ever be_of use to him?"

"He_is_weak--low-spirited--not like his old_self now--never again,
perhaps, like his_old--self! Mattie, I--seem--to think so!"

"Courage, dear_friend. He_will be_always strong; his is not a weak
nature."

"Mattie, I think he should_have married Harriet Wesden, after all,"_said
he; "he loved her_very dearly._She_loved him, and_understood_how good,
and_honourable he was, at last. What separated_them? I--I_forget."

And he passed his hand over_his forehead, in the_old_vacant way.

"No matter now, perhaps. They_are parted--perhaps only for a time._I