The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-20

IAnf MT fs1s time they .l.1s,i.,
& o'clock, when every tbing was aM Y. ~.
Quiet, aud the rumbfng OF some iaI.oa ~
rsnre now aud then seemeu iiEe the s Sno.s
OF sound, they were startled osaa y. sa' a =
tap on The door, and sBntiers CANT in, ,,,an
glanced from one to the otner, an IL s1s hs
curling his lipa little moro than USUAL nt
said & pm very sorry to interrupt you, ous
r fhnrvht it might interest you ooth 10
kno q si,at Sir Charles is dying: Az
Tsay godfrey rose, and blushed from ene
Ain, an her pretty little ears to tue :toptnost
mint of her soft bair; Lewson plrsheu' .oo.
They could hardly have looked more cor
con. don't cry,o said Butler, observing
TINT INV lady was feeling for her nanokeI-
Echsof. "Let me assure you that the greas
est grief Is always fearless. we hau oes'
make haste; there is no time 10 De ios..
So they proceeded In solemn PROCESSION W
| Sir Charles's room. hoa ern.
Sir Charles was sitting up III peu :,,; su
-. Mod by piIlows. The room was brilliant
b. liphted. Lady Godfrey went over to me
}.Rad and said, NCharles, do you know me
He was breathing with great diihcuity,
lh,,t . smjls crossed his face which was good
l.o ace. since oil! thai was best in the mans
nature came out on 1t. Eyes" he gaspeo-
L. YES. nv poor-faithful, loving wife -
She kissed the damp forehead and put her
larnd into one of his, too feeble now 10 close
on II His other hand was pulling at the
I.oo,,nfarnane. Poor wasted, hands, done at
Etength with aE loves pressures J Late as IL
wns. even then fashionable London was lull
Ises life. Dancers were circlIng to MAD, De-
witching waftZ-music. Men ana women
made engagements for the morrow, ana
anned fresh pleasures, thinking as llttie OF
| the hour OF their death as that Oh thelf
birth. :.,, -.
riot of mirth and Of roses, and Sir Charles,
who had been foremost once in every
! scheme OF pleasure, was passing with It
(tran sacting that grim last business which.
shrink from 1t as we may, we must all
transact some day. My lady stood on one
eide OF the bed, looking fearful and agitated;
J,evsen stood Just opposite her, serious AZ
a Judge. forgetting somehow even to Twill
his mustaches; BntIer stood at the bed's
foot with an air Of quiet expectation.
At length Sir Charles addressed himself
again to bis wife. "My darling be said,
family, 81 am dying. II could but have
lived, how happy l meant to make you.
| And now "-he paused for breath, and then
resumed-"now you will be all alone.
Dear. you are young; you mustn't be too
sorry for me--sorry for too long"
She pressed his hand for sole answer
Then for several minutes the silence would
have been complete but for the LOUD, per-
sistent ticking Of Sir Charles's watch,
which sounded on with a sort Of don't-care
tone, as If to say, "Men may die, but L
must keep time"
Though Lewson had forgotten to twirl
bis mustachcs, he had not forgotten to look
at Lady Godfrey, or. rather. he had forgot
ten not to look at her. Did he s!mpathlZe
with her so deeply, or did that face, with It's
wistful, childish gaze, draw him as by
spell? Raising her eyes suddenly, she met
his. This meeting, significant look which
crossed the bed was quicker than light, but
Sir Charles Intercepted it. An awful COM
prehension dawned on bis face. He had
| been about to die. carrying with him one
sweet delusiou. He knew well enough that
he would have few moUrners-that his
death would leave little void in the world.
But he thought that all was not gone from
him, since even at the last he had power to
win and keep his wire's love. He believed
that he should carry il down with him into
the darkness. He fancied her in her wi
dow's weeds, pale with many tears, bent
| bv heavy sorrow. Would it not warm
his heart even in the grave to know that she
came there to weep? But now-he had
seen that look.
Lady Godfrey saw the awful, unnatural
Intelligence IN his eyes, and shivered. Lew
son stood thunderstruck. The sneerround
Buffers lips grew shade more decided
than usual. and he looked Interested.
Then Sir Charles, glancing from one to
another, laughed; but his laughter flowed
scantily, like a thin, winter stream, and
was choked among gasps and lnaItlculate
words. At last, with one supreme effort or
will, he spoke clearly: II see it all now,
al-funeral and wcdding.cards all in one.
Yet would have sworn you loved me.
What fool have been! Poor fool-poor
fool!"
| "Don't, oh, for mercy's sake, don't!"
cried Lady Godfrey, kissing him, with Il
DIES pcrate attempt to play through her role
Of loving wife credtably to the end. He
bore her kiss-he had always been gentle 70
vomen-but he was not one whit deceived.
Fate accorded him no such mercy. He lay
there with his strange gaze fixed on some
thing very far off-his lost youth, perhaps
and he kept saying over TO himself, at first
with awful emphasis, and then at last d"awl-
ingly and fcebly, as il the words had lost
their meaning, "Poor fool poor fool!'
Then, suddenly, Just as they thought he
was dead he cried out, fixing his eyes OH
Butler, D." Let them wait year." And then
be tried to laugh, but it was faint yet hor-
ribe laugh, which froze upon his stitfening
lips. In that last CHASTITY effort his soul had
passed.
81 believe Sir Charles is really dead
now" said Butler, quietly. {" lie never
kept people waiting longer than he coudn' {
help"
lLamars (Iowa) Sentine'. Salwart organ par excel