FLORIDA; OR, THE IRON WILL.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2027, 3 July 1875, Page 4

FLORIDA; OR, THE IRON WILL.

A STORY OF TO-DAY.

BY MES. MAET A*. DBNISOIf.

Chapter XIII. — Continued. "0! Mr te Boy—then of course you don't know. We both hoped you would."' " My child —you are enigmatical." "I don't wonder you don't understand. We went out to see poor Parker, and we couldn't find him." " What! Florida too P " asked Mr Le Roy, in a strange voice. " Yes Florida, too. We found he had been taken away by somebody; and—oh dear ! where haTe they carried him P " ; . "Why, that is strange," said Mr "Lie Roy, thougbifully. " Pray, who are his friends ?" . . '-■ ' ' . ' r "I don't think he has any," .was Virginia's reply. V "No friends! he must be wretched indeed," said Mr Le Eoy, a dark shadow crossing his brow., , . " If you had known him, Mr Le Roy," said: Virginia) innocently, " you would have been his friend." "You think so?" t '. "I am sure of it—you are go kind, so good." ' : A singular smile flitted over the handsome lips of Le Eoy; it was followed by an expression almost of anguish. ■ At that moment Florida entered. His whole manner changed under the influence of her dark beauty. ° " I suppose Virginia has told you of our wild-goose chase this morning. I should not wish such poor success always to attend our efforts to do good. It is rather discouraging." ; " Virginia has told me; it is a somawhat singular case. Could you get no clue whatever tp^the stranger?" :;;!■ ; "None," was her reply. '"I can't imagine what were their motives. I never knew hebad friends, personally interested, in the city." } " You might inquire at the hospitals.": Virginia's face brightened. • ; " ; " Yes, that might, be done, if—dfrwas worth while," and she glanced at Virginia, half smiling. Virginia's color fluctuated. -.-.• : . : ; r .;] " If you don't find him there, why go to the first clairvoyant you know. They can. tell every thing," he said;: with! a mocking laugh. He had forgotten the trial at the party •i—not so Florida.. All at once her heart" beat wildly—the power within her was at •work. v ' - ; • ■; ■".■; "Virginia ! ".- she said, for the girl had fastened her eyes upon her in a startled ■way- . , : At that moment the music-teacher was ■ushered in. He entered, making a profound bow. Virginia drew a long breath as she met his glance; she walked rapidly to the music-footn, whither ;Fl6rida soon" followed: her, for Mr Le Boyhad excused himself, and taken his leave. ' - . ■■ ; Florida entered the room quite,silently, and stationed herself at the window, a .peculiar look in Her eyes. For a .time Virginia went on smoothly, but, soon a restless mood seized her.. She seamed not to hear the professor, but to be listenings to something far away. [ Presently her■fingersjfelllistlessfromtliekeys. ; " You are ill, or tired, Miss," said the professor, respectfully. ' „ "I. really can't go on with my lesson," she said, earnestly. > "Very well—as Miss pleases.. I shall come to-morrow P" , • : , " It is foolish to give way to this feeling," cried Virginia, peevishly. " I will go on if you are not tired to death; of me." ■'.'"' '' '■ '' ■''•'■ . "OT.no, Miss," and the professor gave a little admiring look. . - • : -; 'Again she pressed the keys, went on very well for some minutes-—the same listlessness came over her; she turned slowly around, encountering the dark orbs idf her sister; and said earnestly: ■ ■, > " Florida, what do you wish of me P." :" Nothing, child,' ■ r replied her sister, a flash of triumph .liehning up her face. ; "If I;- trouble.iyou:l will go.:half an hour of- my,lesson time." \ She went out,* smiling. Virginia resumed ier playing, and this time she succeeded more to her satisfaction. .Still she could not forget that strange impression', and wondered if it was possible;, to be dn the power of a human being, and whether those, weird old stories of evil spirits holding the weak in Bondage could by "any possibility be true. As the hours wore on, her fortitude went with them. If Florida would only go out —if she herself had the courage to go out and search the hospitals—oh! to find some clue to poor Parker! If they were friends who had disposed- of, him, why did they not leave their names and tell what they j intended to do? If enemies, what had become of him ? She shuddered as her | imagination led her to dark places—to the river with its silent bed beneath—to , the great grave of a dissecting room —her , brain grew dizzy with dread. I Florida drove to the hospitals—there were three within a circuit of six miles— but she received no information at either. They had taken no one of that name/ Then, when several weeks had passed, she' determined to profit by the suggestion of Le Eoy, and put Virginia to sleep. A wetj uncomfortable evening without doors excluded all callers. It was now i fast verging into November. The weather had been unusually mild until to- ; day, and Florida, full of her project, had ' gone about thoughtfully. Now she seated herself by the low table on which her work-box stood, and fumbled among spools'and scissors, her eyes all the time travelling to a shaded corner, where Virginia, thoroughly exhausted with sorrow, lay. pale and listless. The gas burned from a drop fashioned like an acacia, pure, while and lustrous. Within the circumference of its brightest radiance the carpet glowed like beds of living roses, the rich furniture glistened, and the marbles further off, the exquisite pictures, all took a softer coloring, and ihe warm tints of Hie. „-■■ j. I Every now and then Virginia moved uneasily—every now and then she sighed. Florida, after: a few moments of indecision, folded her hands before her on the table till they looked like the locked fingers of stone, and, fixing her dark eyes upon. Virginia, she sat as rigid as if trans- j formed into a statue. For some moments she.was thus motionless—not a nerve stirring, not a lash of those large, still darkening eyes moving—until a little; fluttering noiso was heard. It was the -folds.of Virginia's dress that divided the

silence with the ticking of the French clock on the mantle-piece. After another short silence, Virginia raised her head and looked out eagerly into the room. Then she lifted herself slowly, sat upright, gazing towards Florida with a pathetic, imploring look, and finally she came slowly towards her, with the question; " Did you call me, Florida P What do you want of me P " . . . i " Sifc down tiiere," said Florida, motioning her to a seat. She obeyed, and sat looking at. her, like a helpless thing, fascinated and fearful, Shudder after shudder passed over her frame. Once she cried imploringly : "What are. you going, to do with me, Florida P I'm cold ! " ■'Still, Florida did not answer, but, bending all the energies of her powerful will upon her passive subject, she soon acquired the control she wished. Virginia closed her eyes as one in a deep sleep, and thus sat, almost smiling, as if mind and body were at rest. "Virginia," said Florida, her voice terribly earnest, "I want you to go and find Parker." The slight fingers of the young girl 1 began to intertwine ';'■" her face took an almost superhuman look;of interest,! and she rocked her body as if to the motion of *a walk. - ""Go find him, Virginia," said Florida, sternly.: ; - . ■-'.... \ ■■■,;.■. ; , v .; • ,-..■ v^ ■" " It's very dark," said Virginia, shuddering ; " how wet the streets are ! But I must go—oh—on—l must find him. Here, is' gaslight—ever so smany gaslights—l shall get on finely now. lam not afraid—the watchmen are out. How ifrains"! how it rains ! " " ' " .She gathered herself up :as_ if she w,ere gathering garments round chill limbs. " Are you almost there ? " asked Florida trembling with excitement. ■ " It's very dark. This lane is so muddy; Somebody is screaming further down. I am frightened." - "Nobody will harm you,- Virginia. Think of Parker, and,go right on." ;.• t O ! yes, Parker—poor Parker ! I must find him—nobody knows where he is—l am going to him. O! what a large place { .---a square J Must,l go : .over alone?" „, "Yes, Virginia, God will protect you,'" said Florida,; " have no fear." " O ! no, my fear is all gone," said Virginia, while, an expression of angelic peace brightened Her face. '" I have lifted my heart to God. Ido not fear the darkness { now. -There are very few people here: ifc .must,be.,late.".. . '• '...,, „, . .-■ j There waVa long silence, during which only the expressive face spoke, in dimpling -smiles, or in -heavenly seriousness .of. as.-, pect.. Florida exclaimed at last: ; ■'" Well, Virginia, do you think you shall find him?" ."0! yes," she said, quickly. "I'm. going right up to the hospital here." ' "Whathospital?" •■ ■ : A ■*■ ■ , "I can't see yet. There are lamps ' over the steps —a great many steps, and the windows are all lighted. Now I'm going to the door. .It's a gloomy place," she said with a sigh. "O ! ever and ever so many beds, all in rows. Poor thing! And there's another and another; oh! how sick and miserable! Somebody has just died—there's a man dying ; I—" | "Nevermind." said Florida, shudderingly; try and find Parker." .. " I wonder if he's here P " She began to turn her head earnestly from side to side, looking scrutinizingly, and now and then sighing heavily. ; :: , . = r " I've been all through the sick wards —I don't see him. But I think he's here -somewhere." " Go all,over the building," whispered Florida, who was almost terrified at the wonderful exhibition of this subtle agent of her mind. " " The doctor is just going up stairs," said Virginia, a new light breaking over her face. " Follow him," said Florida."' " I'm tired," responded Virginia. " Only a little longer ! " Florida cried. "Think! you may find Parker—dear Parker; " There was a world of tenderness in her voice. ' "_ Yes, yes—now you don't' worry me. I'll go after the doctor." There was a long pause; then, with uplifted hands, she cried out, her fact- brilliant with joy, " O ! I've found him! I've.found himl" '• Are you sure P " queried Florida. " Sure ?" her very voice laughed music ;." sure P oh ! don't I know Parker ? " and her hand began to wave as if" she were .stroking down soft, silken hair. " How does he look? " queried Florida, with a half curious glance. : Z ? "0 ! so white ! so pale! so wasted away ! " The tears began to start. "The doctor is speaking to-him now; now he is giving him something in a glass goblet from a silver spoon. O! Parker, dear Parker ! .how he has suffered !" " Is he dangerously sick, Virginia? " She sighed again ; then there wa3 a pause, during which her Jips moved. "He says," she murmured, referring | probably to the doctor, "he say 3 that he is very low. O! how changed ho is ! " " What kind of place is he in, Virginia —one of the wards ? " "O ! no—a beautiful room, with blue paper, and white lace curtains over blue silk. A beautiful room—as fine as ours. I'm glad of that. The, 1 carpet is very rich, and the gas has such soft shades over it. He is very comfortable, for his pillows are so large and downy. Then there are some alabaster images opposite, and a little,glass fountain on the table, and a glass ship —why, how odd ! " she cried, sudden amazement changing her description into exclamation. "What is odd, Virginia?" " The r! doctor calls him Mr Garret. Why !it is certainly Parker. I cannot be mistaken." "Theyhave changed kis name to prevent his being found out," murmured Florida. ' " Yes, that is it," Virginia said, having overheard"; " that must be it. O ! dear Parker! I wish I might stay and nurse him. It is surely my right; " her lip grieved again " Can you find out what hospital it is P " asked Florida hurriedly. Virginia seemed looking round for a moment. " There is a Bible on the table," she said. "Yes, it is printed on the cover—' The Grove Hospital!' " Florida hastily wrote it down beside the name .that had been given as that of the sick man. : , " Poor Parker I" moaned Virginia, her face taking on an intense and tragic interest, " how very sick he is !" " • " That will do. You, may come back now," Baid*Florida, gentlyStill, Virginia seemed unwilling, and it was not without great effort that Florida could draw her mind from what was impressed thereon. She led her to her old nook, and there, after some difficulty, awakened her. ■ s ,

Virginia looked up, startled; gazed about her, pressed her hand to her forehead confusedly, then murmured, looking in Florida's face: "What is it?" " Nothing—only I should think you had been dreaming," said Florida. " My head aches," Virginiasaid, rising ; and she sjghed so heavily, and looked so haggard, that Florida turned her face away. The look and the sigh both reproached her. f. , " I think I must have been dreaming of Parker," said Virginia, wearily. "I dream of him so much—and he is always suffering. O, Florida; trouble is so very wearing—trouble of any sort; but this—" another deep sigh broke from her lips. "We must all have our share," said Florida. / ; " I was reading in the Bible to-day" said Virginia, simply, "that all things work together for good to them who love God. I don't know that I'm much of a .Christian, and still I think I love God—• have loved Him these many years ; but I can't see any good coming out of this great trial. The suspense is awful! O ! -if we only knew where Farker was ! "...and she burst into tears. ; "Virginia, you-will be sick, if you mourn in this way," said Florida. ;■ ; "O! I can't help it—l can't help it. Sometimes I want to die, for I think he muy ;be dead; * and if he is/ what hope in life is there for me?" . : . " I insist upon your going to bed, Virginia," said Florida, in her sternest '■voice.' ;"•;': ■■.'.- . .■' .■; :;; ";: [■', .■'..'■.''''■ :■: Her sister said no more, but quietly left the room, still weeping. The rain beat against the window, and the street-lamp twinkled drearily through the darkness. Florida .<at down to muse upon the wonderful exhibition in which she had been prime actor. "Was it true" P She had the means xof proof in iher own hands. " Grove-street Hospital,"—" *]\ifr Garret." At any rate, she would soon know. And if he was really there, this .wonderful power might—-she shuddered; Unscrupulous'as she could be, she yet shrunk from the deed but half contemplated. " •-- -■-..--. ;*' , .j «• But, if Virginia should find Mr,Dud-1 ley more suited to her tastes, her position —and undoubtedly she will—it wilt be j better for herj and better for us all. This very evening's.work has proved hoWi.weak J she is, how submissive. She will motirn for a while, but after a time forget." - ■:. [ To T>e cbntimed.J ~ J