Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-04-25

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/. late walk over the cliffs in the darki'
! Never mindp' cried Robert, stout
". 'sHere aressuch light and warmth
within me that shall not heed pas.
sing touch of wind and water viii
see You to your door first, and then
good night"
Ny cousin Conrad promised to come
for me-" Hester answered. II Won
der what detains him. 1t is too bad
for me to take you all this long way
out of your route"
ST like it better so, . the young man
said, gravely. do not Ike your
cousin Conrad, and I am not willing
! TO trust you to his care, Oh, my dar-
ling" he went on, earnestly, 'tif my
music but brings me fame and fortune
can then make you all my own, and
there will be no more good nights, no
more partings in the storm for us"
They passed down the stairs and
out into the street together, uncon-
scious of the shadow closing upon
them, nearer aud bIacker. AT the
door of Hester's home they parted
with lingering good-by.
'tMy precious music, cried Robert,
buttOning his coat closer about him.
'sNo harm must come to that. 1t
represents fame and fortune and love
and honor for thee and me, my dar-
ling"
Hester lifted a small wet face to
peer into the gloom.
at wish you could stay" she said.
's1And oh, Robert, be careful of the
cliffs-the path is so lonely and dan
gerous. 1 shall come early to rehear-
sal to morrow for the sake Of know
ing that you are safe"
"Do" he answered. "I shall bring
YOU glad tidings. Success is too near
good night, my sweetheart! and 50
speaking he passed from her into the
shadow of his waiting doom.
After that night of storm.the day
dawned clear and cool. At st. PauPs
the Choral Society, just then in flush
of enthusiasm over O new oratorlo,
gathered early. One-Two-Threei
the great bells chimed the hours and
the singers waited impatient for their
leader. Something had detained him
most likely; he would come soonl
| The hour struck Four and he had not
come, and Hester Heathersleigh, with
a heart heavy as lead in her bosom,
fell on her knees in an agony ofPray-
er. "Oh, my God!" she cried, reck-
dead. Ny Robert is deadl he has
been lost in the cruel storml"
Some one, pitying, touched her arm.
It was her cousin, Conrad Charters;
| he was looking down at her with
pale faoe-a face paler far than that
with which he had spied upon her
yesterday from behind the gallery cur
tain. Her piteous cry had touched
even his stony heart.
"Hushl" he whispered, "here is
news from him-from Robert; come
and hear what it is. ="
A note had been brought by swift
running messenger, and shudder
ran round the waiting circle of listen
ers when its contents were made
known. 1t was signed by leading
physician of the city, and stated that
Robert Field had been picked up that
morning at the foot of the cliffs and
taken home for dead. He was now,
at the date of writing, lying in an in
sensible condition, and it was impos-
sible to tell what the extent of his in
juries were, or if there was any hope
of his ultimate recovery.
A horror-stricken silence followed
the reading of the note, broken at last
by a low, sobbing cry from Hester
Heathersleigh's white lips.
''I must go to him-oh, must go
to him! Who Will take me? Youl youl"
and she caught Conrad Charters by
the arm.
He shrank away from her with a
gesture much as if she had pierced
him with knife. His black eyes di-
lated horribly.
81? L go with you to see him?'' he
cried. ''What are you thinking Of?
What do you take me for?" Then
noting her astonished look he made a
fierce struggle for composure; but his
hands shook like withered leaves.
''Why do you wish to go to him?"
he questioned angrily. "He would
not recognize yOu-and il is no place
for you! Let me take you home"
She snached up her shawl and bound
it with trembling fingers about her
shoulders. ''I tell you 1 shall go to
him." she answered. 81 was to have
been his wife and, living or dead, my
place is now by his side. You can
come with me if you ikew And she
flew down the steps.
1t seemed an age to her, that short
time she was on the road leading to |
the lonely house of Robert Fields |
widowed mother; and when at last, by |
dint of her prayers and tears, she was |
suffered to approach his bedside, she !
looked down on very different Rob- |
ert Field from the one with whom |
she had parted in such high hope the |
night before.
The bruises were chiefly about the |
head, the physician said graYely, and |
even if he recovered it was doubtful |
if his mind would ever be sound again. |
Hester heard him, and with a great |
sob fell on her knees by the bedside. |
Where now were the brilliant aspira- |
tions, the tender hopes, the gay cour- |
age and stout-hearted faith of one
short day gone by? LOST lost! Sue
cess so near to him, and yet to fail. |
Triumph so nearly won, and yet to
pass by on the other side.
s'Robert, o my Robert Look upl
Speak to me, or I, too, shall diel"
All! but love remained. Love un-
changed and unfaltering. This then
was left-the blessing of a love which |
believes all things, hopes all things,
and endures all things unto the end
The drawn white face on the pillow
did not change at Hester's cry, but
under the half-clOsed lids the dull ewes
cleaned feebly and the slender hand
outside on the eoverlet CROPPED help
! lessly. Hester took his hand in hers
and then, quick as lightning, by some
strange, subtle instinct rather than
! by any demonstration of his, she felt
that the poor, stricken senses were
| trying to break through the darkness
that envOlOped them and make their
unknown want understood.
t'Robert, Roberti what is it?' she
cried. "What is il that you want to
make us understand?''
The helpless movement of his lips,
the helpless cropping of his fingers,
were enough to make one weep. Hes
| ter bent her ear to his mouth.
''What is it, Robert, dear? Tell me
| what is it you want?"
The stiffened lips strove with ter
rible effort to move, and this time one
word was feebly articulated:
| ''Music."
Hester looked up with startled
exclamation:
''Musici He called for his music.
Do you not hear? Where is it? Who
! knows about it? Is it lost?" she aues-
toned eagerly.
Again that terrible attempt at
! speech. The dull eyes opened wide,
the feeble fingers clenehed themselves
on Hester's hand, and, with last mad
effort of expiring desperate strength,
he raised himself, and shrieked:
''My music? Find it, Save it!''
And then he fell back on his pillow
like one dead.
''You have killed him. said the
| physician, angrily, and at the words
] Hestar with q mnan drnnnad down