For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

Will Have Authority Over Other Men. Make Them Obey You. There,

Good-By!" Said Old Aaron Rockharrt,  Holding Out His Hand To His

Grandson.

Sylvan Noticed How That Hand Shook As Its Aged Owner Held It Up. He Took

It,  Lifted It To His Lips,  And Pressed It To His Heart.

"There,  There; Don't Be Foolish,  Sylvan! Good-By! Good-By! And You,

Fabian! What Are You Loitering Here For,  When You Should Be Looking

After The Works?" Impatiently Demanded The Iron King.

"The Carriage Stands At The Door,  Sir,  Waiting To Take Sylvan To His

Train. I Shall Go With Him As Far As North End And Try To Do Your Work

There In Addition To My Own."

"Quite Right. Where Is Clarence?"

"At North End,  Sir,  Where He Went Directly After He Saw You Safe In Bed

Under The Doctor's Care," Said Mr. Fabian,  Lying As Fast As A Horse

Could Trot.

"Very Well. Send The Two Women Here."

"There Happen To Be Three Women Below At Present,  Sir. Violet Has Come

To See You."

In The Morning Sitting Room Below Stairs Sylvan And Fabian Found The

Three Ladies With Clarence,  All In A State Of Anxiety To Hear From The

Injured Man.

Sylvan Was More Agitated In Leaving His Sister Than Any Young Soldier

Should Have Been. At The Last,  The Very Last Instant Of Parting,  When

Mr. Fabian Had Left The Parlor And Was On His Way To The Carriage,

Sylvan Turned Back And For The Third Time Clasped Cora In His Arms.

"Never Mind,  Sylvan,  As Soon As I Possibly Can,  Without Violating My

Duty To The Only One On Earth To Whom I Owe Any Duty,  I Shall Go Out To

You. I Can See Now,  Now In This Hour Of Parting,  How Very Right I Was In

Deciding To Go With You. My Journey Is Not Abandoned,  It Is Only

Postponed. God Bless You,  My Dear."

After Standing At The Front Door Until They Had Watched The Carriage

Out Of Sight,  The Three Went Up Stairs And Softly Entered The Room Of

The Injured Man,  So Softly That He Did Not Hear Their Entrance. They

Stood In A Silent Group,  Believing Him To Be Asleep,  And Afraid To Sit

Down,  Lest A Chair Should Creak And Wake Him Up.

In A Few Seconds,  However,  They Heard Him Clear His Throat,  Knew That He

Was Awake,  And Went Up To His Bedside.

Rose Spoke,  Gently,  For All.

"You Sent For Us,  Mr. Rockharrt. We Are All Here,  And We Hope That You

Are Much Better," She Said.

"Oh,  You Do! Stand There--All Three Of You At The Foot Of The Bed,  So

That I Can See You Without Turning."

The Three Women Obeyed,  Placing Themselves In Line As He Had Directed,

And Perceived That He Lay Upon The Flat Of His Back,  Looking Straight

Before Him,  Because He Could Not Turn On Either Side Without Great Pain.

He Scanned Them And Then Said:

"Ah,  Violet,  You Are There! You Have A Proper Sense Of Duty,  My Girl. So

You Have Come To See How It Is With Me Yourself,  Eh?"

"Yes,  Father; And Also To Stay And Help To Nurse You,  It I May Be

Permitted To Do So."

"Rubbish! My Wife Can Nurse Me. It Is Her Place. I Don't Want A Lot Of

Other Women Around Me! I Won't Have More Than One In The Room With Me At

A Time! Violet,  Get Into Your Carriage And Return To Your Home."

"Oh,  Papa,  How Have I Offended You?"

"Not In Any Way As Yet; But You Will Offend Me If You Disobey Me. You

Must Go Home At Once. You Are Not In A Condition To Be Of Any Service

Here. You Would Only Injure Your Own Health,  And Distract The Attention

Of These Women From Me. Wherever There Is A Lot Of Women,  There Is Sure

To Be More Talk Than Duty. So You Must Go. When I Get Well,  And You Get

Strong Again,  You May Come And Stay As Long As You Like. So,  Now,  Bid Me

Good-By And Be Off With Yourself."

Violet,  Feeling Much Chagrined,  Went Around To The Side Of The Bed,  Took

The Hand Of Her Father-In-Law,  Bent Over And Kissed Him Good-By.

"Now,  Cora,  Take Her Out And See Her Off."

Violet Took Leave Of Her Young Mother-In-Law,  And Followed Cora From The

Sick Room.

"Now,  Rose,  Close All The Shutters; Darken The Room And Sit Beside The

Head Of My Bed. Don't Speak Until You Are Spoken To; Don't Move; Don't

Even Read; But Sit Still,  Silent,  Attentive,  While I Try To Rest."

Rose Obeyed All His Orders,  And Then Sat Like A Dead Woman,  Back In The

Resting Chair Beside Him. She Had Noted How Weak And Husky His Voice Had

Been In Giving His Instructions To His "Womankind," With What Pain And

Effort He Had Spoken,  While His Strong Will Bore Him Through The

Interview,  Which,  Short As It Was,  Had Left Him Prostrate And Exhausted.

Rose Wished To Offer Him The Cordial The Doctor Had Left,  But He Had

Ordered Her Not To Move Or Speak Until She Was Spoken To,  And Rose Dared

Not Disobey. She Did Not Know What Might Be The Result Of Her Passive

Obedience To Him,  Nor,  To Tell The Truth,  Did She Very Much Care. Rose

Was Weary Of Life!

Meanwhile,  Cora And Violet Went Down Stairs Together.

At Six O'clock The Doctor Came,  And Made Anxious Inquiries Into The

State Of The Injured Man; But Cora Could Only Report That He Seemed To

Have Passed A Quiet Day,  Watched By His Wife,  But Unapproached By Any

Other Member Of His Family,  All Of Whom He Had Forbidden To Come Near

Him Unless Called.

"A Very Wise Provision,  My Dear Mrs. Rothsay. I Will Go Up Now And See

Him," Said Dr. Cummins.

A Few Minutes Later Rose Came Down And Entered The Parlor,  Looking Very

Faint And White Except For Two Small,  Deep Crimson Spots On The Cheeks.

"Here,  Rose,  Take This Chair," Said Violet,  Vacating The Most

Comfortable Seat In The Room,  On Which She Had Sat All The Afternoon.

The Woman Dropped Into It,  Too Weak And Weary To Stand Upon Ceremony.

"How Did You Leave Grandfather?"

"I Hardly Know; But Doing Well,  I Should Think,  For He Has Been Dozing

All Day,  Only Waking Up To Ask For Iced Beef Tea,  Or Milk Punch,  And

Then,  When He Had Drank One Or The Other,  Going To Sleep Again. I Have

Been Fanning Him All The Time Except When I Have Been Feeding Him."

While Rose Was Sipping Some Tea Which Had Been Promptly Brought To Her,

The Doctor Came In And Reported Mr. Rockharrt As Doing Extremely Well

"You Will Stay To Dinner With Us,  Dr. Cummins," Said Rose.

"Thank You,  My Dear Lady,  But I Cannot. I Shall Just Wait To See Mr.

Fabian Rockharrt And Give My Report To Him In All Its Details,  As I

Promised,  And Then Hurry Home And Go To Bed. I Have Had No Sleep For The

Last Twenty-Four--No,  Bless My Soul! Not For The Last Thirty-Six Hours!"

Replied The Physician. He Had Scarcely Ceased To Speak When Mr. Fabian

Entered The Room.

"Oh! Home So Soon!" Exclaimed Violet,  Starting Up To Meet Him.

"Yes; How Is The Father?"

"There Is The Doctor; Ask Him."

"Ah,  Dr. Cummins! Good Afternoon? How Is Your Patient?"

"Come With Me Into The Library,  Mr. Fabian,  And I Will Give You A Full

Report."

"Where Is Clarence?" Inquired Fabian.

"Up Stairs Somewhere. He Did Not Come To Luncheon," Replied Cora.

"Poor Clarence! He Is Awfully Cut Up!" Said Mr. Fabian,  As He Left The

Parlor With Dr. Cummins. As They Passed Through The Hall They Were

Joined By Mr. Clarence,  Who Had Just Heard Of The Doctor's Arrival.

"I Left Him Very Comfortable,  Carefully Watched By Old Martha,  Who Has

Waked Up Refreshed After A Ten Hours' Sleep And Has Taken Her Place By

His Bedside. There Is No Immediate Cause For Anxiety,  My Dear Clarence,"

Said The Physician,  In Reply To The Questions Put To Him.

"The Worst Of It Is,  Doctor,  That While It Was Absolutely Necessary For

Me To Stay Here During Fabian's Absence,  I Dare Not Go Into My Father's

Room. He Thinks That I Am At North End. And He Would Become Very Angry

If He Knew That I Was Here Against His Will And His Commands. Besides

Which,  I Hate Deception And Concealment," Complained Mr. Clarence.

"It Is Rather A Difficult Case To Manage,  My Boy,  But It Is Absolutely

Necessary That Either Yourself Or Your Brother Should Be On Hand Here

Day And Night; It Is Equally Necessary That Your Father Should Be Kept

Quiet. So I See Nothing Better To Do Than For You To Stay Here And Keep

Still Until You Are Wanted," Replied The Doctor.

And Then The Three Went Into The Little Library Or Office At The Rear Of

The Hall,  And What Further Was Said Among Them Was Whispered With Closed

Doors. At The End Of Fifteen Minutes They Came Out. The Doctor Took

Leave Of All The Family And Went Away.

Mr. Fabian Went Up To His Father's Door And Rapped Softly.

Old Martha Came To Admit Him.

"How Is Your Master? Is He Awake? Can I See Him?" He Inquired.

"Surely,  Marse Fabe! Ole Marse Wide Awake,  Berry Easy,  And 'Quiring

Arter You. Come In,  Sar!"

Mr. Fabian Entered The Room,  Which Was In Some Darkness From The Closed

Window Shutters,  And Went Up To