Pictures and the Picturegoer (October 1915 - March 1916)

• PICTURES AND Hi! pt< \i in un i ED AND WOULD HAVI I vi.i.i N. persuade her to leave the country until 'l'li.' old man's voice broke, ami. turning abruptly, be left the room. .1 [aiding to Aiau's entreaties, Hernnin^ at last ci nsented to obi j Dr Merrick s wishes, and the hill summer found them wandering through Italy Ihere, amid their beautiful surronndind with casual acquaintances who knew nothing of the historv. fthc voung hnglishman and his beautiful ' coinsaniou. tho young couple soon began to forget the slights and covert insults that had marred the first months of their •pmantic union. But one [ ei rless day m old Perugia the blow fell in an unexpeeted manner, for, while dawdlin a late meal, the caretaker of the h >use mwhichthej hadapartmi nts announced » visit from a uriesl attached to the neighbouring Cathedral. For a moment Alan and Herminia poked at each other in dismay, but the nod ..Id man soon pnt them at their ease. " Pardon this intrusion, and at such an hour, he exclaimed in exc dlent English, 'but you are strangers, and L considered it my duty to warn yon rouchno water in Perugia, for typhoid !»,»yinS\ waste the city, and sparing neither rich uor poor, and the epidemic has been traced to water supplied b polluted springs.'.' Then.-Tjowmgand smiling, he went off to baa work of self-sacrifice in the slums wn^e-tne poor were dying like flies. thank heaven, he warned us in tune sweetheart!" Alan exclaimed, as they heard the old priest conveying his thread message to the other inhabitants oT the house. "There's a train in two hours tune, and " "No, dear.' Herminia interrupted gmtly; /you go if you think fit-but my duty is here among the sick " . » spite of all Alan's arguments nid pleading. >)„. persisted in her resdlve, and the following morning saw he devoted COUpie set out upon their jrrand ot m^rcj . Into noisome cellars, dungeon-like in heir damp blackness, and up into filing .attics Alan and Herminia their way. until at last their iuppty of comforts were exhausted for ?W"; but in the last garret that they lsited Herminia lingered to console a I human aid "l !ome bebi ave il rmin i\ ping back her tears w it It ditfien " and tomorrow we « ill eo Man. dear oh, lie he iven ! Wit h a orj . she ran i the room and dashed th his hand. " Qh .' my dear what have ■ Nothing very serious 1 hope. & The day is bo infernally close and hot thai I took the hherty of helping mj to a glass of water from this jug." " Ah. Alan." rTerininiit I her eyes n ide open u iih horror, " have jfon s(. soon forgotten the priest's warning For a moment Alan was Berions; then •' ' laughed. • Bj Jove, I think I must "A SOVBEEI&n! ' S1IK CRIED 12* \STONISUMEN T. have done; but cheer up. darling, I'm pot afraid." , As they left the tenement and walked back home she forgot her fears and joined whole-heartedly in an expedition to. explore the lake which they had promised themselves for some days past ; but suddenly, when side by side they stood gazing out over the blue depths. he stumbled and reeled heavily against her. shoulder. '•Sorry, my dear." he stammered. steadying himself with a gueat effort "Its the heat. . . . Funin . I ! wretchedly faint, and T don't remember having fainted in my life." Again he tried to laugh away her fears, then after a ven few yards he reeled and would have fallen but for her protecting arm, and so they made their way to where the electric launch was awaiting them; but every minute made his condition worse, until at last he sank upon some steps and Herminia called alond foi tin tllO -ick man th. 1 1 1 1 y , Merricl talc, n ill | must liurrv home W iih the help of th she succeed* i|„. launch at d in home. but. once there Cor sh.. .|v his head " I regret, madam bid I nothing, but .' hi plucked up couragH at tin I) in her dark eyes \| id ■ surely pardon me you -| medi itelj for h is illustrious fatlu r \ lone once more, Herminia wan b I light the battle between her the man who l.,\ go -till and silent her pi ide, and in the end her I quered as a true woman's love ah. must and she t|„. (,., ad i ised. With the following d y Dr M reply arrived. •' Am coming oni to attend Alan immediately it ran, " but must strou nth ise you a a matter ,,f dill j I marri, d at once." The agon] of the hours that followed lefl then mark 'brminia for life. .Wain she fou-ht the fight bet ween t he principles she had adopted and the love that was in herhe^u-l for the helpless man and the little one who would shortly come into the world their child. In the Lady-chap where side bj side she and Alan had . -he prayed lone anj| fervently for Divine guidance; then, comforted, she returned to their apart ments. Man. my darliii-. Aim | " she whispered in the ear of the man who lav so still. " Dr. Merrick-:" At the sound of the announcement Bhe turned slowly Iron-, the 1,,-d to face the stern face of the man who had travelled post-haste to the aid of his son the man she loved, Ignoring her presence, Dr. .Merrick bent oyer the DoLL-i mn m. a ioxtsq w Bbyd&es.