, 1881-01-07
~ TIE GLOiNING,

Perhaps because her gaze turned here
perhaps becauseit rather touched some
ubtle chord of sympathy-she turned
her face away from the first picture. and
stepped out upon the velyety sward'
The moonlight instantly bathed her IN
silver light of welcome. Here was
something better worthy of its embrace
than flower. or tree, or shrub. Lovingly
it rested upon the little head, crowned
by its chestnut braids, kissing the azure
tinted eyes, and shadowing, just for
Aeeting moment, the low, white brow;
or. hiding in the exquisite bloom of the
fair. rounded cheek, laughed in mockery
from the corners Of the perfectly curved
lips.
Nature had no fairer flower in all her
garden than this girl, in all the glory of
her twenty summers.
But suddenly her steps are arrested.
A sound follows her from the room
which she has Just left. 1t is the voice
Of the man at tho piano. breaking into
passionate song The clear, rich bari
tone rounds each word into musical dis
tinctness. Together she and the moon
light listen
AIN the cleaning, oh my darling!
When the lights are dim and low,
And the quiet shadows falling,
Softly come and softly go
When the winds are sobbing family
With gentle, unknown woe,
Will you think ofme and love me
As you did, long ago!'
A moments pause, and then follows
the second verse:
"ln the cleaning, oh my darling,
Think not bitterly of ne,
Tho passed away in silence,
Left you lonely--set you free,
For my heart was crushed with longing;
What had been never could be,
1t was best to leave you darling
Best for you and best for me-"
Was it only song the singer sang
Had its passionate echo, ringing in her
heart, not found its source in his? Had
the words meaning to him as to her?
Even as she thought he joined her.
We're those tears he saw glimmering on
the dark lashes? No man had ever seen
Helen Ransom week. They called her a
beautiful piece of ice, soulless, and q
coquet. Yet even ice will melt beneath
the torrid rays of an August sun.
A soul may sleep unconscious of its
own existence, until wakened by the roy
al touch OF its unheralded sovereign; q
coquet may act her part, believing it only
the farce preceding the plan, until she
finds herself chief performer in Life's real
tragedy.
"Helenw said the man beside her.
His quiet utterance of the one word,
uttered by his lips for the first time,
held the same powerful charm of his
music.
1t was rich, and low, and sweet, but
she shivered as she listened. Could it
be that she who had welded so long the
sceptre must abdicate her throne at last,
and be but handmaiden to her king?
Yet in and about the latter thought
was weaved sweetness not at all the
purple of her sovereignty could afford.
Her pulses leaped and-the very silence
following her name was more eloquent
than words.
She glanced up against her will. His
gaze compelled hers. His eyes, dark,
eager and searching were bent full upon
her face but in them was a. look of
anguish. gy f5S - ~
Slowly he opened his arms, not invit-
ing her to their embrace, but as though
vaunting their emptiness.
"IIelen," he repeated, "I am come to-
bid you goodbye"
"Good-bye?"" she echoed, with white,
trembling lips, as she struggled for calm.
''Yes," he answered. l have been
dreaming; / am now awake. | go to
fulfill my promised troth to woman
God help me!-whom ! thought I loved.
1t IS hard to leave Will you not help
me to my duty?"B = Z. n ~
Then she knew all that the song had
meant. 1t had been his farewell to her.
For two short weeks only they had been
together-7two short weeks-yet long
enough to learn the lesson of q lifetime
She had never dreamed of this. He
had never mentioned to her any other
woman's name, and yet--and yet, he was
behothed. ysr ,.,
"In the gloaming, oh my darlingl
Think not bitterly Of me,
Though passed away in silence,
Left you lonely, setyou free"
The song had told her what his honor
compelled him to leave unsaid. His
honor? Was it not q false, barren idea
of honor?
Here, in the veil of silence soul was
barred to soul, and each knew the awful,
solemn truth. He had made an error,
1t was not yet too late to retrieve it.
Her heart cried out with hungry pain.
She had not known its furnishing until
sustenance had been placed just beyond
its reach She could not help him to his
mistaken duty. Yet he had erred once.
Might he not err again? Perhaps away
from her he wonld return to his old allie
rance. She who commanded it would
ever know his waverirg; and, as to her
yn hurts, she had not yet acllnowl-
ged them even to him, scarce to her
he bleeding was all internal. Thank