Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-07-09

"My last grateful blessing to Pen
rose. And to you. May 1 not say it
You have saved Arthur" eye,
turned toward Stella" you have beer
her best friend" He paused to recover
his feeble breath. looking round the
large room, without creature in il
1 ut ourselves. Once more the melan.
choly shadow of smile passed over his
face and vanished. / listened, nearer
to him still.
Winterfield, Death is great teacher
| know how have erred-what have
lost. Wife and child. How poor ant
barren all the rest of it looks now"
He was silent for a while. Was
he thinking? No; he seemed to be
listening, and yet there was no sound
in the room. Stella, anxiously watch
ing him, saw the listening expression as
did. Her face showed anxiety, but
no surprise.
"Does it torture you still ?" she asked
"No," he said "I have never heard
it plainly since 1 left Rome. 1t has
grown fainter and fainter from thai
time. 1t is not a voice now. 1t is
scarcely whisper. My repentance is
accepted, my release is coming. Where
is Winterfeld
She pointed to me.
81 spoke of Rome just now. What
did Rome remind me off" He slowly
recovered the lost recollection. "Tell
Winterfeld," he whispered to Stella,
"what the Nuncio said when he knew
that was going to die. The great man
reckoned up the dignities that might have
been mine if I had lived. From my
place here in the embassy"
"Let me say it," she gently inter.
posed, "and spare your strength for
better things. From your place in the
embassy you would have mounted d
step higher to the office of vice-legate.
Those duties wisely performed, another
rise to the authorship of the apos:
tolic chamber. That Office filled,
a last step upward to the highest
rank left, the rank of a prince of the
Church"
"Allvanity |" said the dying Romayne,
He looked at his wife and his child.
"The true happiness was waiting fol
me here. And 1 only know it now. Toe
late. Too late"
He laid his head back on the pillow
and closed his weary eyes. We thought
he was composing himself to sleep.
Stella tried to relieve him of the boy.
"No," he whispered ola only rest
ing my eyes to look at him again" We
waited. The child stared at me in
infantine curiosity. His mother knelt
at his side and whispered in his ear. A
bright smile irradiated his face; his
clear brown eyes sparkled; he repeated
the forgotten lesson of the bygone time,
and called me once more Uncle Ber. u
Romayne heard it. His heavy eye
lids opened again. "No," he said.
"Not uncle. Something better and
dearer. Stella, give me your hand"
Still kneeling she obeyed him. He
slowly raised himself in the chair.
"Take her hand" he said to me. / too
knelt. Her hand lay cold in mine.
After long interval he spoke to me.
Bernard Winterfield," he said, Glove
them and help them when I am gone. "
He laid his weak hand on our hands
clasped together. "May God protect
you may God bless you'll" he mur-
INJURED. "Kiss me, Stella"
I remember no more. As man /
ought to have set better example, !
ought to have preserved my self-control.
1t was not to be done. / turned from
them and burst out crying.
The minutes passed. Many minutes
or few minutes, don't know which.
A soft knock at the door reused me.
I dashed away the useless tears. Stella
had retired to the further end of the
room. She was sitting by the tireside
with the child in her arms. I withdrew
to the same part of the room, keeping
far enough away not to disturb them.
Two strangers came in and placed
themselves on either side of Romayne's
chair. He seemed to recognize them
unwillingly. From the manner in which
they examined him ! inferred that they
were medical men. After consultation
in low tones one of them went out.
He returned again almost immedi.
ately, followed by the gray-haired gen.
tleman whom l had noticed on the
journey to Paris, and by Father Ben.
we'll.
The priests vigilant eyes discovered
us instantly in our place near the fire.
side. I thought saw suspicion as well
as surprise in his face. But he recov-
cred himself so rapidly that could not
feel sure. He bowed to Stella She
made no return; she looked as ii she had
not even seen him.
One of the doctors was an English
man. He said to Father Benwell:
"Whatever your business may be with
Mr. Romavna ua odviaa Won to enter nm