Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-19
ALMOST TOO LATE.
"I am going now. H en-"

81 am going now, H5 en-"
Charles Archer stood at the door of
the one room high up in a noisy tene-
ment-house in New York. which he
called home It vas not the welded
home he had dreamed of twelve years
before, when he uttered the "Valedic-
tory" at Yale. when Helen Gordon
blushed and smiled at the applause that
greeted his appearance on the stage.
Nor was that crouching figure beside the
window, in the untidy print dress, with
the pretty sullen face, and the uncomhed
golden hair, much like the graceful belle,
ofwhose company he had been so proud,
so happy to monopolize, upon that
golden day.
His wife looked up and caught the ex-
preston of plying regret opon his dark
and handsome face. Her heart was full
of angry rebellion against her fate,
against herself. against him - almost
against Godi
"Why do you look at me like that2"
she said, peevishly. Il know that the
room has not been swept, and that l
have not made my toilet for the day.
dy toilet. she laughed bitterly. when
shall | make toilet again, wonder?
/ once set the fashion in New Haven!
tthink-Only TO think what my life
night have been, If / had been wise"
Her husbands face darkened all over.
II UNDERESTIMATE he exclaimed.
"You mean If you had married Paul
Hayden instead of me-"
How can / help such thoughts? I
saw his wife early yesterday morning
when / was out. She was driving to
the railway station on her way to their
country house for the summer. Iheard
the footman say so TO some one when he
went to buy the tickets for her. And,
oh, what difference there was be-
tween us twoi No wonder she has Kept
her beauty. No wonder / have lost
minel Beauty and health, and youth
and happiness. they are all going away
from me, because we are so poorp
"Better days may be coming, love-"
said the husband, after n pause. 81
have heard of a good situation this
time, you know. II / get it, 1t will be
a stepping stone to other things of more
consequence. And when / am rich,
you know wei. my darling. that shall
refuse you nothing"
"You have thought so many times
that better days were close at hand.
Ana every time you have been disap-
horrible life," was the discouraging re-
ply.
II know, my dearest; but this Is
really good news. / trust ard hope. If
you will only kiss me and wish me
good luck, l have faith that IL will
come
He btnt down. his dark eyes wistfully
searching hers for one glance of love,
such rs he had so often seen there in the
happy days of courtship. But love, so
far a. size was concerned, he sometimes
feared, had flown out of the window of
this home when poverty entered. The
heat. the dust, the discordant street.
cries without, the shabby, disordered
room within, the general sense of her
own untidiness, and the CALLING memory
of the freshly beautiful summer costume
+. worn By the wife of Paul Hayden, as
she lounged in her carriage on the pre-
yisus day--all these things combined TO
hsznish the affectionate glance for which
ne husbands heart so vainly hungered.
and to make the wife's parting kiss SO
cold and formal that 1t fingered like ice
upon the young mans lips as he turned
sway,
He said nothing. But the deep sigh,
that seemed TO come from the very
depths oi = tried and overladen heart,
silently reproached her.
Size caught last glimpse of his face
"a ne closed the door. ft wore look
OF repressed sorrow that would haunt
her to her dying day. What evil spirit
Lad tempts 4 her 70 try him SOP
Was It Lis fault that, by the sudden
failure Of bank in the great panic. "
the savings Of years of steady toll had
been lost In msmentp Had he not