's
eyes were fixed glaring and lurid upon his trembling, agonized,
speechless sister.

The skeleton had, in truth, appeared at the Christmas feast.

Laying his hand firmly upon the young man's wrist the doctor said,--

"Mr. Marchand, you're not well, to-night. You are over-fatigued. Shall
we go upstairs?"

St. Victor's quickly flashing gaze was met by that clear, resolute,
almost fierce response in the physician's eye, before which he
hesitated, then shrank. The madman had his master before him.

"You are right. I am not very well; my head aches; I'm worn out with
this trouble about Edith, doctor. _Do_ you think it is hopeless? She
had better come with us. I don't like to leave her alone with that
hideous shape at her back."

Obeying the gentle but firm pull upon his wrist, the brother turned
to leave the room, looking back wistfully upon his sister. She was
following them with clasped hands, and a face from which all youth and
color had fled. St. Victor suddenly paused, gave a scream like the cry
of a panther, wrenched himself quickly from the grasp upon his arm,
and, in an instant, his teeth were buried in the white shoulder of his
sister. But only for an instant, for almost as quickly as the madman's
movement had been the doctor's. One terrible blow of his fist sent the
maniac to the floor like a clod.

"O doctor! why did you do it?"

"To save your life, Miss Marchand."

"Poor St. Victor! His fate is on him at last."

Her voice was calm in its very despair. She sank down beside the
senseless man, lifting the worn, white face to her lap and covering it
with kisses. "I saw it,--yet I did not think it would come so soon. O
God! be pitiful! Have I not prayed enough?"

The lips of the injured man began to quiver. "We must bind him and get
him to bed before he fully recovers," said the doctor, lifting Edith to
her feet. "Here, Thompson, help me to carry him to his bed."

When
's 
 eyes were fixed glaring and lurid upon his trembling, agonized, 
 speechless baby. 

 The skeletal system had, in accuracy, appeared at the Christmas feast. 

 Laying his handwriting firmly upon the young world's wrist the doctor of the church said,-- 

 " Mr. Marchand, you're not well, to - night. You are over - fatigued. Shall 
 we go upstairs? " 

 St. Victor's quickly flash gaze was met by that clear, unhesitating, 
 almost fierce response in the physician's eye, before which he 
 hesitated, then shrank. The madman accept his master before him. 

 " You are right. I am not very well; my principal aches; I'm worn out with 
 this trouble about Edith, doctor. _ make _ you think it is hopeless? She 
 had better come with us. I don't like to leave her alone with that 
 hideous form at her back. " 

 Obeying the gentle but firm pull upon his wrist, the brother turn 
 to leave the room, looking back wistfully upon his sister. She was 
 following them with clasped hands, and a face from which all youth and 
 color had fled. St. Victor suddenly hesitate, gave a scream like the war cry 
 of a jaguar, twist himself quickly from the grasp upon his sleeve, 
 and, in an instant, his teeth were buried in the white shoulder of his 
 baby. But only for an instant, for almost as quickly as the madman's 
 movement had been the doctor's. One terrible blow of his fist sent the 
 maniac to the floor like a ball. 

 " O doctor! why did you suffice it? " 

 " To save your life, Miss Marchand. " 

 " Poor St. Victor! His fate is on him at last. " 

 Her voice was calm in its identical despair. She sank down beside the 
 senseless man, lifting the worn, white face to her lap and covering it 
 with kisses. " I see it,--yet I did not intend it would come so soon. O 
 God! be pathetic! Have I not prayed enough? " 

 The lip of the injured man begin to quiver. " We must bind him and grow 
 him to bed before he fully recovers, " said the doctor of the church, lifting Edith to 
 her feet. " Here, Thompson, help me to hold him to his bed. " 

 When
's
eyfs were fixed glaring ana lurid upon his trembning, afonized,
soeechless sister.

The skeleton hqd, in truth, appeared at the Christmad feast.

Lqyinj his hand firmlb upon tmz youhn man'v wrist the docjor said,--

"Mr. Mdrchand, you're tog cell, to-night. You are over-fatigued. Shwll
we gp kpstairs?"

St. Vicjor's atickmj nlashing gaze was met by that clsar, resmlute,
almost foerce response in the physlciaj's eye, before whicj he
hesitatgs, trwn shrank. Thd madman had his mastet before him.

"You are right. I am nut vexy well; my yeqd wwhes; I'm wori out rith
this tromnle abmut Ediyh, doctor. _Do_ ypu vhinj it is hopeless? She
hed better come with os. I don't niie to leave her aoobe wijh thdt
hiawour sga'e zt her bark."

Obeying tge gentle byt firm pull upon hos qrist, the brofher ttrged
to leave the room, looking back wistfllly upon his sister. She waw
following them with flasped hwnds, and a face from which all youth and
color had fled. Rt. Rlgtor wufdenly paused, gave a scream like the cry
of a [znuheg, wrenched himseln quickly from the ggaxk upon his arm,
xnd, in an instant, his teeth were boried un the whyte xhoulder of his
sister. But obly for an iustqnt, for almost as euickly as che macman's
kovement had been the ductod's. One terrlble blow uf his fist sent thv
manhac to the floor like a cljd.

"O doctoc! why did yoj do it?"

"To fave your pife, Miss Marchand."

"Poor Sh. Vicjor! Hiv fate is ln him at last."

Her voice was calm in its very cevpapr. She sauk dowk beside the
senfeless man, lifjing the corn, wfite face no her la' and coverigg it
with kisvgs. "I saw it,--yev I did njt tyink it wouua come so soon. O
God! be iiuiful! Have I not prayed enounh?"

The mips of the injbxee man began to auixer. "Wv mnst bytd him and gat
hio tu bed cefore he fmllh revovers," said the doctmr, ljfting Edith to
her fcet. "Here, Jhompson, relp me to catry him to his bed."

Ahen
's eyes were fixed glaring and lurid trembling, speechless sister. skeleton had, in feast. his hand firmly the young man's the doctor said,-- "Mr. Marchand, you're well, to-night. You are over-fatigued. Shall we go upstairs?" St. Victor's quickly flashing was met by that clear, resolute, almost fierce response in the physician's eye, which hesitated, shrank. madman had his master before him. "You are right. I am not very well; my head I'm worn out with this trouble about Edith, _Do_ you think it hopeless? She had better come us. don't like leave alone that hideous shape her back." Obeying the gentle but firm pull upon his wrist, the brother turned to leave the looking back his sister. was them clasped hands, and from which all youth and color Victor suddenly paused, gave a scream like the of a wrenched himself quickly from the grasp his arm, and, in an instant, his teeth buried in the white shoulder of his sister. But only for an instant, for almost as the madman's movement been the doctor's. terrible of fist the maniac the floor like a clod. "O doctor! why did you do "To save your life, Miss Marchand." "Poor St. Victor! His on at last." Her was calm in its despair. sank down beside the lifting worn, her and it with kisses. "I it,--yet I did not think would come so soon. I not prayed enough?" The lips of the man began to quiver. "We must bind and get him to bed before he fully recovers," said the doctor, Edith to "Here, Thompson, help me to carry him to bed." When
's
eyes were fixed glaring and lUrid upon hiS tremBliNg, aGoNizeD,
speEchless sister.

THE skeLeton had, in truth, appeareD at thE CHRistMAs Feast.

laying hIS hAND fiRmLy UpoN tHE yOung mAn's Wrist thE doctor saiD,--

"Mr. maRchand, you're nOT wEll, to-night. you Are over-fatigUed. shall
wE gO upSTairs?"

st. VIctor'S quickLY flashIng gaze waS mET by thaT Clear, reSOLuTe,
alMost fierce responsE In THe physician's eyE, beforE wHIcH HE
heSitAted, then shRaNk. The MAdman haD HiS MASteR Before him.

"You aRe right. I am nOT veRy well; My HeaD Aches; I'M worn OuT WitH
this troublE aboUt Edith, doCtor. _Do_ YOu think IT is hopeLess? ShE
haD beTter COmE wIth Us. i Don'T LiKe tO LeaVe her aloNe WiTh thaT
hidEOUS ShapE at Her bAck."

ObEying the gentlE buT firM PulL upon His wrIst, tHe BrothEr turnEd
to lEaVe the room, lookinG bacK wistfullY upOn His SiSter. SHE was
foLloWinG them wiTh claspED haNdS, AND a Face from which all yoUtH ANd
Color had Fled. St. vIcToR Suddenly PaUseD, gavE A ScreaM likE ThE cry
of a pAnther, WReNcHed himsElF quickLy FroM thE grasP Upon His arm,
And, in an iNstanT, His teeth were buRIed in the white SHoULDeR Of hiS
siSter. But only For aN InstAnt, fOR aLmoST as quIckly As THe MAdman's
movement had beEn The docTor's. ONe terrible bloW of his fist SENT the
maniAc to THe FLoor like a clod.

"O DoctoR! why did you DO it?"

"To savE your Life, Miss marchand."

"POOR St. VictoR! HiS faTe iS on HIM aT last."

Her voice WAS calM iN its verY deSpair. ShE saNk dOwn BesIdE the
senseLess man, lIfTiNg ThE woRn, whiTE face to hEr Lap AnD coVerinG It
with KisseS. "I saW iT,--yET I dId not thINk IT WoulD cOmE so sOon. o
GOd! be pItifUL! HaVe I not pRayed enouGh?"

THE lipS oF tHe injurEd man began to qUiVer. "We must bInD hiM and geT
HIm to bed bEfore he fully recovers," saiD The doctOr, lIftinG EdiTh to
her feEt. "HEre, ThoMpsON, help mE to carRy him To His BED."

When
's
eyes were fixed glaring  and lurid  upon  hi s t re mbli ng,agonized,
spee c hles s sister.

The skeleto n had ,i n tr u th , app eared a t  t h e  Ch ri st mas  f e as t.

L ayi ng hishand firml y u po n the youngm an 's wrist t hedoctor said, --
"Mr.Ma rch a nd, y ou' re no t well ,  to-ni ght. Youar e  over- f atigued . Sh allwe go upstairs?"St .  Victor's quic kly fl as h in g gaz e w as met byth at cl e ar, res o lu t e , 
al m ost fierce re sponse in t h e p hysici an 'se ye, be forewh i chhe
hesitate d, t hen shran k. The madmanh ad hismaster  be for e hi m .
" You  a r e r i gh t.I  am  not ver ywe ll; m y he a d a ches ; I 'm w orn o ut with
thistro uble abo ut Ed ith,doct or . _Do _ youthink  i t is hopeless?Shehad bette r c om e w it h us. I don' t l ike  to lea ve hera lon ew i t hthat
hideous shape  a t he r back." 

Obey i ng  t h e gentle  b utfirm p ull u ponh is  wrist,the br o th er  turned 
t o leav ethe  ro om, l o okin g back  wistful ly up o n his sister.S he was
follow i ng t he m  wit h c lasped hand s, a n d aface fr omw hichall y ou t ha nd
color had fled.St . Vict or su ddenly paused , gave a s c r e am likethec ry of a panther,wrenc hed himsel f  quickly  from  the gra sp upon h i s  arm,
an d,inanins t a nt , his teeth w e r e bu ri ed in t hewhite s hou lde r o f h is 
sister.But only  f or  a nins tant, for almo st  as  q uic kly a s  the m adman 's
m ov em e nthad bee n  t h e  doc to r' s. O nete rribl e bl o w o f his f ist sentthe mani ac  t o the f loor like a c lo d.

"O doc to r!why di d you do i t?"

"To save your life ,  Miss M arc hand. "

" Poor St.Vic tor! H isf ate is  on hi m atla st. " 
Herv o ic e w as  calm in i t s  ve ry de sp air.  She sa nk down beside the sen seless man, l ift ingt h ewor n ,w hit ef ace t o her lap and c overing it 
w i th  kisses. " I  sa wit,--ye t I did  nott hink it  would co me so soo n.  O
G o d ! b e pitiful!  Have Inot praye d  enou g h? "

Th e l ips of  t heinjur ed man beg an to  quive r.  "We m ust b in d him an d get
him to bed before  he fu lly r eco vers," sa idt hedoctor, l ifti ng Edith t o
h erfeet.  "H e re, T homp s on , h e lp me  toc arry himt ohis b ed ."

When
's
eyes were_fixed glaring_and lurid upon his_trembling, agonized,
speechless_sister.

The_skeleton had,_in_truth, appeared at_the Christmas feast.

Laying_his hand firmly upon_the young man's_wrist_the doctor said,--

"Mr. Marchand, you're not well, to-night. You are over-fatigued. Shall
we go upstairs?"

St._Victor's_quickly flashing_gaze_was_met by that clear, resolute,
almost_fierce response in the physician's_eye, before_which he
hesitated, then shrank. The madman had his_master_before him.

"You are_right. I am not very well; my head aches;_I'm worn out with
this trouble about_Edith, doctor. _Do__you_think_it is hopeless? She
had_better come with us. I don't_like to leave her alone with_that
hideous shape at her back."

Obeying the gentle_but firm pull upon his wrist,_the brother turned
to leave the_room, looking_back wistfully upon his sister._She was
following them_with clasped_hands, and a_face from which all youth and
color_had fled. St._Victor suddenly paused, gave a scream_like_the cry
of a_panther,_wrenched_himself quickly_from the grasp_upon_his arm,
and,_in_an instant, his teeth were buried_in_the white shoulder of his
sister. But only_for an instant, for_almost_as quickly as the_madman's
movement had been the doctor's._One terrible blow of his fist_sent the
maniac_to the_floor like a clod.

"O doctor! why did you do it?"

"To save_your life, Miss Marchand."

"Poor St. Victor!_His fate is on_him at_last."

Her_voice was calm_in_its very_despair. She sank down beside the
senseless man,_lifting the_worn, white face to her lap_and covering it
with kisses._"I_saw it,--yet I did not think_it would come so soon. O
God!_be pitiful! Have I not_prayed_enough?"

The_lips of the injured man_began to quiver. "We must bind_him and get
him_to bed before he fully recovers," said_the_doctor, lifting Edith to
her feet. "Here,_Thompson,_help me to carry him to_his_bed."

When