The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-11-13

AS0lNSA Ills huCIlCu GODUuGJ-
ress to the chamber of death.
III.
1t was q strikingly luxurious room,
hung with rich arras of crimson silk,
and carpets to match, in which the
feet sank nolselessly. On each side of
the venetian looking glass were hand
some French candelabras supportedby
little Loves in tinted porcelain. On
the dressing-table glittered silver-top-
ped scent-bottles and woman's small
watch set with diamonds. The fire
had been allowed to burn low, and
only III small lamp lit up the silent
room and it's solitary occupants
worn, whitehaired woman whose life
was nearing it's close.
1t was easy to see that, like her hus-
band Mrs. Harden had not been born
to such luxury as this;her physiognomy
as well as his own indicated q homely
origin. Her thin hands still showed
evidence of laborious toll. The heavy
silk curtains of warm red, and downy
quilt covered with satin, were in
strange contrast with the look of the
mistress. Twenty years of opulence
hadnever familiarized her with it. To
the last, she looked, as indeed she felt,
a stranger in her own home.
eco away, Anna" she said gently
to the faithful peasant woman who
had grown old in her service. 'Leave
uS alone"
The husband realized at a glance
what had happened. She had re
membered something, been reminded
of something she wanted to say to
him at the last, and as will often hap.
pen in the case of the dying 8 brief re-
turn of consciousness was accom-
panied by a momentary recovery Of
physical strength-last, bright, evanes.
cent flicker of the fame of life.
The servant withdrew, and Mrs.
Harden now beckoned the shrinking,
conscience-stricken man to her bed
side.
They had hitherto been no leave,
taking between him and the faithful
partner of well nigh forty years.
From the beginning of her illness,
greatly to his relief, she had avoided
anything approaching to close, con-
fidential, talk, any allusion to the
past or the future as they more inn
mediately concerned themselves. He
had taken care that eYerythingmoney
could do was done forher. ALondon
physician had been summoned in
consultation; all the concern that deco
rum REACTED under the circumstances
had been testified by him; he was con
stantly in the sick-room. But the
solemn confidence, the final under
standing, the supreme valedictiQnthat
might be looked for from two human
beings who had passed almost q life
time together, had never been uttered.
Now it became clearto him that they
were not to be separated thus. The
opportunity for q last word had come,
and she clutchedit with almost frenzied
eargerness. The expression 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.
John" she began, gathering fire and
force with every word, all the pent-up
Indignation of years poured forth at
the last, II have had somethingto say
to you for years past. Now / must
speak or not at all"
"You ought not to agitate yourself,
Bessie" he said nervously; ut will do
you harm"
Harm she reiterated with a ges-
ture of contempt. "Youspeak ofharm
to a dying womanl But do not inter-
ssssYaf naa Nv %spoa sc ch0xf ~
John, / am not afraid to die. I
have never been what is called a re-
ligious woman. Twas evers tender
hearted to the poor and afflicted as /
see now that | ought to have been.
But z have done my duty. As a wife,
as a woman, / have acted uprightly.
When the same moment comes to you,
when the door stands open beforeyou,
asst does to me, betweenli life and death,
and you know you must 60 the dark
way, cal you say even so much for
YOURSELF"
She leaned forwad, not looking ex-
actly at him, he could have borne
that better, but peering as If into
futurity, seeing, SO he seemedt to think,
what lay behind the grave and was
yelled from his own and from all NOR
tabs gaze. The meanness, the homli-
ness of the vanished indeed
then.
Something more than personal feel
ing, the Indignation born of silently
endured wrong, almost flashed from
her dying eyes and white, almost
spectral features. 1t was not the in
jured wife, the outraged woman so
much thai spoke now to John Har-
denis guilty soul, as the voice ofcon-
science itself, OF lawful justice, ofaward-
ing doom.
Ihave been a hypocrite to you all
these years. have never N ceopened
my lips to you on the subject of your
conduct to me-" she went on In q
systematically strong, clear voice.
"But do you suppose | was blind Or a
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