Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-24
THE MESSAGE.

/ uSesu' W the younger, bridegroom. The
,aaeo mistress Of the rich parvenu's home had
| isih oo"n 70 die, facing the doom Of all with
tne cold stoicism of the neglected and the un
ioveo. Ready to take her place, impatient to
| ciutcn AT the Rauds the other despised, and to
parade triumph which should have been hel
dfshonor. was her rival.
| Sne was young woman of course. Subtlel
| FEMININE charms than bright eyes, rosy lips
Always parting in q smile, a slender figure, and
lasclnaIe map of John Hardens character
III = man VINO had risen from the meanest ranks OF
s sine, spent his years in money-getting. and
summed sho rather than sought good company in
the true sense OF the word. TO be put out OF
conntenAnce BY no one, had been q leading
tharafno o. sne money-maker's career, whilst
glitter of opulence, be remained the blunt,
9lain-sPoken. iiomely John Harden OF early
with such affectation Of demureness on some
1 hsrH,t. boarding-school bead-work, could
ea a.S :,b De twenty The pair sat opposite to
, word fIom time to time, betraying nothing OF
aneir secret thoughts to chance eaves.droppers
quick observer must have seen at q glance
| now II stood with both; the girls flushed cheek
anu s2arkiing eyes, the mans look Of sup
dread messenger, whose name is Death. as he
passed through this hushed house, made way
i dUr Joyous successor whom, under various
The hand OF the costly tfme-pfece on the
m man pointed to twelve, and the mere
| rose to make up the fire. as he did so letting
one hand fall on his companions: 1T is grow
| Ing hate and cold. Better go to bed, Constance, -
ne SAID In voice OF tender concern.
Inc girl, allowing herself for moment to be
earned away by impulse, leaned forward, her
| locks, her softly-rounded cheek just came in
contact with his own, lined and corrugated
"Shouid leave you alone at such a timer
she whispered. He said nothing, but kneeling
before the fire, making it up after methodical
fer from bis waistcoat pocket to her not un-
leather lined With velvet Within elea aas' a
upon it furtiSeiy, her lovers lace showed ex.
ultatiop equal to her own.
eS TINS shsl0w girl the Ss glimpse Of her
could mean. She was nothing, possessed moth
ing; the ring would give her ali she set store BY
come II would throw the Responsibility Of her
own own existence upon another's shoulders, re-
lieve her from the odious burden of bread.
winning, afford ease, luxury, social power,
and the kind of sway over an ordinary nature
mat oy such women is made to do duty for af-
t ths Inc , ring in short was to wide
without It, unattainable as q crown. To the
man also the ring symbolized the aspect of life
making had not rendered him calfous. To his
mina, certain feminine type ever remained
Irresistible; Ofideal loveliness, of spiritual or
that he should have the remotest conception;
but he owned the sway of trolicsome girihood,
less women. 10 surface charms ofiook or man
ner, he waS ever ready to do homage. But
the ring had other and graver meaning rhim
enormous wealth amassed so laboriously
lacked an heir Might not a young wife make
mn ny Soa o s
Mr.. Harden fetched from the lobby close by a
carriage cloak lined with rare fur, and be-
He next went 70 the sideboard, and, half.fiii.
SSili q ialht then" he said softly, standing
She just slipped the wine and put back the
glass, smiling gratefully. He returned to the
wine. then sat down in his old place by the the
Just then the door was tapped lightly and an
eioeriy, homeiy woman-servant made her ap-
IF you please, sir" she said without looking
at the girl, mistress is herself again, and asks
might be, was imperative. With a lingering
behind, Mr.. Harden followed his hushed con- on.
ouctress to the chamber OF death.
rich arras Of crimson silk, and carpets to match,
In which the feet sank noiselessly. On each
side OF the venetian looking-glass were hand
Loves in tinted porcelain. On the dressingtable
glittered silver-topped scentbotties and a
Woman's small watch set with diamonds The
nre hao been allowed to burn low, and only one
small lamp lit up the silent room and its soli-
tary Occupant-a worn, white-haired woman
whose life was nearing its close.
1t was easy to see that, like her husband Mrs
Harden had not been born to such luxury as
this: her phystognomy as well as his own inoi-
showed evidence of 1aborious toll The heavy
SILK curtains OF warm red, and downy Quilt
covered With satin, were in strange contrast
NJ "a rp1iS fr e
opulence had never familiarized her with it. To
the last she looked, as indeed she felt stranger
aGo away, Anna" she said gently to the faith
full peasant woman who had grown old in her
SERVICE TSn s,,.b Ls n US alone"
happened. She had remembered something
been reminded of something she wanted to saw
to him at the last, and as will often happen in
the case OF the dying, q brief return of con-
recovery Of PHYSICAL strength-last, bright,
The servant Withdrew, and Mrs Harden now
beckoned the shrinking, conscience-stricken
man to her bedside.
There had hither to been no leavetaking
between him and the faithful partner of we'll
nigh forty years. From the beginning of her i'll
ness, greatly to his relief she had avoided any
thing approaching to close, confidential talk
any ailusion to the past OF the future as they
more Immediately concerned themselves He
was done for her. A London physician had
been summoned in consultations ali the concern
tnAt QecOrum eXacted under the circumstances
had been testified by him: he was constantly in
the sick-room. But the solemn confidence, the
nnai understanding, the supreme valediction
that might be looked for nom two human
beings who had passed almost q lifetime to-
Eether, had never been uttered.
IN NOW y. II became clear TO him that they were
Last word had come, and she clutched at it
with almost ffenZied eagerness. The ex pression
On her face he could not misread-she was
determined TO say what she had to say. She
felt confident that death would afford her this
grace consent to hold aloof a little while.
Iohn," she began, gathering fire and force
with every word, all the pentup Indignation of
years poured forth at the last, II have had some
sninE to say , to ySn for years past Now must
"You ought not to agitate yourself Bessie
he said nervously, ut will do you harn.'
Harm" she reiterated with gesture of con.
Tempt You speak OF harm to dying woman!
But do not interrupt me. My time is short
,.c Jonn s u am not afraid to die l have never
never SO tender-hearted to the poor and afflicted
as see now that ought to have been. But I
nave done my duty. AS a wife, as O woman I
have acted uprightly. When the same moment
you, as IT does TO me, between lite and death,
ana you Know you must go the dark way, can
You say even 50 much for yOurself?"
She leaned forward, not looking exactly at
him, ne could have born that better, but peer
ing as If into futurity, seeing. SO he seemed TO
think, what lay behind the grave, and was
yelled nom his own and from oil mortals gaze.
The meanness, the homeliness of the woman
vanished indeed then.
Something more than personal feeling, the in
flashed from her dying eyes and white. almost
spectral, features. It was not the injured wife
the outraged woman SO much that spoke now to
John aarden's guilty soul, as the voice Of con-