Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-09-22
rconolpdea from First page. ]

Oh, Gar my darling you never SAID
goodbye ~
Toward two In the morning Jessie came
softly into the room where Lord Paul still
waited. She carried small lamp IN her
hand. and set il on the table. Then he saw
a pale, delicate-featured face. framed IN
bands Of golden hair Once, twice, she
essayed to speak, and failed. AT last the
words came, 'She-katie-says VIII you
go and tell Mrs. Stewart that she Is here
with us-and that they must not expect
her home for while"
Fain would the man have uttered some
words of sympathy; but he had been lit
tie used TO scenes of sorrow, and had new
er vet encountered the presence of Asrael
Angel OF Death so the tongue which was
glib enough among the deuizens OF the
world of fashion, stammered and found
no words in the presence OF girls sor-
row.
"You know" the poor child went on.
her face looking weariedly sad in the flick
ering light of the lamp, "Miss Stewart
Kate--was engaged to Carlo my broth
er ! mean; they had been fond OF each
other from children, and now-he is dead. y
Her voice broke; her tears fell hot and
fast.
II am so grieved--so sorry-I did not
know-''faltered Lord Paul, feeling very
much as if he were in dream.
81 am sure you are sorry" went on his
companion, recovering herself, land it
you saw Katie-oh, it is terrible to see
her, and to see her weeping They
brought him home this afternoon; he had
fallen in the street, some where in the
city. Mother was the one who opened
the door, and he knew her and spoke to
her; he said no one was to be frightened;
but he grew worse after we had taken him
up stairs; he could not get his breath,
and--we could not make out what he said,
but 1t was something about Katie; we
knew that he was dying; the strange doc
tor that brought him home told us so ;
and we sent letter to Katie-every min
ute we thought she would come"
The story seemed very hard to tell, and
listening to it, Lord Paul Nethercliffe's lip
actually trembled with agitation. 1t was
all so new to him, this awful grief, this
this terrible form in which death had come
and taken the darling OF that humble
household
For the first time in his easy going,
pleasant life, he was brought face to face
with reality.
"Iknow now should have telegraphed
she might perhaps have seen him then,
or if she had got the letter, but il seems
she never did. 1t is kind of you to be
sorry for US. | see you are so by your
face; but, oh, you can never know no
one can know what Garth was to us all
He died of hard work-of working for us
here in this city-where people are so
rich; he"
AS the girl was once more silenced by
the rising tide of grief, Lord Paul Neither
cliffe hated the thought of his own wealth
and his own prosperity; he had never
thought that there were such people--such
weary struggling in the world.
lis there nothing | can dol" he said
eagerly, in the plenitude OF his sympa-
thy.
Yes answered the girl with a gentle
dignity, that struck him the more in think
ing Of 1t afterward; II have told you
what you can do. Gar aud let Mrs. Stew
art know that Kate is here. and tell her
how it all happened. as have told it to
you. Kate asked me to tell you she would
thank you one day for all your goodness
to her tonight, and now-good-bye."
and SO he went his way from that house
of mourning.
And now what more shall find to tell
of Katie's storyP
Truly not much.
How she lived through the days and the
weeks and the months that followed Ed
gar Birley's death, you best may know
who have waded through just such a
troubled sea of pain you who have had
to take up the dropped thread OF your
daily life, and bear, as God may have
given you strength, the burden of the
days and the months and years that are
desolate by reason of silence that is the
unbroken silence of death. Mrs. Stewart
forgave the horrible improperly of that
midnight drive with Lord Paul Netherciffe.
Let us hope her pardon was given in con-
sheraton of the low, heartbroken moan
that was Hates only comfort or reproach,
on the treachery of that withheld letter.
The motive that influenced her step
mother and sister to act thus toward her
she never suspected, and gulelessly be-
lieved them when they told her that the
delay had been an oversight.
You did not know you did not know ~
she moaned through her white lips. and
Maud was so penitent she nearly betrayed
both herself and her accomplice.
Nearly, but, fortunately, perhaps, for
Mrs. Steward, not quite.
As time went on it transpired that Lord
Paul occasionally called at the house in the
narrow street in the East District; there
fore, Mrs. Stewart smiled upon Rates fire.
quent visits to that ungenteel locality, and
alluded to Edgar's untimely 'demise" as
one of those ways of Providence" which
are very apt to strike US as being ''all Tor
the best" when they chance to chime in
with our desires.
And so it came about that one day,
about year after all these sad things that
l have told you of happened Katie-an
older, sadder Kate than you and | have
known in the past--came home from Mrs.
Birley's full Of some important news.
Mamma" she said, taking off her hat,
and pushing back the tendrils of rich.
brown hair from her brow. edo you know
that Lord Paul Netherclifie is going to be
married?"
1t was long since Katie had had such
bright smile on her face, and Mrs. Stewart
cast a triumphant glance at Maud, as she
answered;
Indeed | think | can guess who the
Ia x-t IL