Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-10-16
life, youth and jollity left behind, Mr..
Harden followed his hushed conduct
tor into the chamber Of death.

Tor into the chamber Of death.
sls &. 5=s45s
lt was g strlklngiy luxurious room,
hun hung with rich & arras Of CRIMSON silk,
and carpets to match. in which the
feet sank no1selessly On each side Of
the venetian looking glass were hand
some French cande abras Imported by
little Loves in tinted porcelain On
the drcssing-ta BILE glittered silver-top.
ped SCENT ottles and q woman g small
watch set with diamonds. The fire
had been allowed to burn low, and
only one small lamp lit up the silent
room and its solitary occupants
worn, whitehaired woman whose life
was nearing it's close. $5= Ia
1t was easy to see that, like her hus-
band Mrs. Harden had not been, born
to such luxury as this:her physiopn omy
as well as his own indicated a homely
origin. Her thin hands still showed
evidence Of Iaborious toll. The heavy
silk curtains Of warm red, and DOWN
quilt covered with satin, we're in
strange contrast with the look of the
mistress. Twenty wears Of opulence
had never familiarized her with It. To
the last. she looked. as indeed she felt
a stranger in her own home s. l., -
SEQ away. Anna she said oantl,
to the faithful neasa,1t WOMAN who
had grown old in her service. aIeave
US aione.,' .'-.7G :
The husband realized at 9, Glance
what had happened. She .hada.re.
membered something, been reminded
OF something she wanted to say to
him at the last, and as will often han.
pen in the case of the diving q brief re-
turn of consciousness was accom-
panied by d momentarv 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 we'll nigh forty years.
From the beginning OF her illness,
greatly to his relief, she had avoided
anything approaching to close, con.
tidential, talk, any allusion to the
past or the future as they more inn
medlately concerned themselves. He
had taken care that thing money
could do was done forher. ALondon
physician had been summoned in
Consultation; all the concern that deco
rum exacted 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 valediction that
might be looked for from two human
beings who had passed almost a life
time together, had never been uttered
Now it became clear to him that they
were not to be separated thus. The
opportunity for a last word had come,
and she clutched it with almost frenzied
earyerness. The expression on her
face he could not misread-she was
determined to say what she had to
saw, 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 eyerv word all the nent.un
indignation OF Years poured forth at
the last, II have had something to saw
to you FOR years past. Now I must
speak or not at ALL"
"You ought not to agitate yourself
Bessie" he said nervously; 1T will do
you harm"
Harm" she reiterated with a ges-
ture of contempt. "You speak OF harm
to a dying woman. But do not inter
r,lpt me. My time is short.''
"John, l ann not afraid to die. T
have never been what IS called a re-
ligious woman. Twas neverso tender
hearted to the Door and afflicted as I
see now that / ought to have been.
But have done my duty. As q wife,
as woman, have acted uprishtly
When the same moment comes to YOU,
when the door stands open before YOU,
as it does to me, between life and death
and you know you must go the dark
way, can you say even so much fol-
yourselt?'
She leaned forwad, not looking ex.
actly at him, he could have borne
that better, but peering as if into
futurity, seeing, so he seemed to think,
what Law behind the grave and was
yelled from his own and from oll NOV.
tails gaze. The meanness. the homli.
ness of the woman 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. It was not the in.
jured wife, the outraged woman 50
much that spoke now to John Har.
denis guilty soul, as the voice ofcon.
science itself, OF awful Justice, of award.
ing doom.
these years, I have never once opened
my lips to you on the subject of your
conduct to me-" she went on in q
systematically strong, clear voice