Little Falls transcript., 1886-01-22

ways court eous, onewhat kindly;but
the loo discern in her eyes seemed TO
arringt on s embitt tered vision never
to pass away.
For Ave weeks he saw her daily.
deft, tranquil, gentle, the light OF that
dark time; at the end of those weeks
Hartley died His death was sudden
at the last, and only Warning on and
his wife were with him. Iris who was
to have watched that night came an
hour later. When She entered With
flowers il her hands, for she had
brought fresh ones every day to please
the invalid, Warrington was alone in.
theroom. A dull pain was upon him
heavier than his grief for the dead
man, the hard, bitter :conscio
that he should see Iris no more. He
rose as she entered, and rough he did
not speak his look warned her of the
truth; and she glanced hastily at the
quiet face on che pillow. Her lips
quivered, and the roses dropped
from her hands, and were scat.
tered, spots OF glowing color on the
dingy floor. Warrington, hardly
knowing what he-did, fell on his knees
and began to gather them up, with a
wild longing to speak at all hazards,
to call her his saint, his divinity. &,
"Glve me q rose" he said, huskily.
The girls voice faltered as she an
swered him; but it had a ring of indie-
nation that touched him to the quick.
'This is no time to talk of roses"
she said passionately, ....
ooh, you do not underst and" he
exclaimed hotly. "You have no pity
for the living" ~ al. 80.
He did not glance up as he spoke, or
ne would have seen q strange look pass
over her face, It passed like q shadow
was gone; she turned away, and the
next moment he heard her voice, all
sympathy, speaking to Mrs. Hartley.
Then, feeling like an arrant coward, lie
skunk back to his own room.
= Iris left an hour later. Some rela-
tives Of Mrs. Hartley's had come, and
she could do little more. Dick reap
peared as she was quitting the house,
to offer his services as escort.
''Thank you," she said, not unkind-
~, but with quiet decision. Il would
rather walk alone,
"It is very late," urged Dick.
II am not nervous" she said in q
cool tone of dismissal, and he fell back.
But he was not to be bafded so easily.
Iris might walk solitary it she liked;
but she could not prevent his follow
Ing at suitable distance, at all events,
till she reached the main street. He
took no pains to keep under cover for
he was reckless; and indeed had she
turned, his tall figure and careless
gait would infallibly have betrayed
him. But whether or not some in
stinct warned her of the truth, can
not tell; but she never cast a glance
behind, not even when her quick foot.
steps brought her into all alley rath-
or too riotous for her liking, and he
saw her hesitate once or twice. But
further on, when they entered Garrick-
street, he himself lessened the distance
between them, for things were begin
ming to look ominous. Half dozen sail.
ors, British and foreign, but all drunk,
and all very much excited, had just
poured out Of one of the worst public
houses in the quarter, and were COM
mencing a free fight among themselves.
a little throng gathered, cursing and
cheering, and obstructing the path
way, and Iris stopped, good deal
frightened. Dick noted one policeman
on the extreme outskirts of the dis
turbance leisurely whistling for help;
and then--it all happened in an in
stant-a drunken Lascar broke out
OF the throng and caught Iris by the
arm. She uttered low cry. The
next moment that Lascar was lying
on the pavement, to which Dick had
flung him with perhaps unnecessary
force.
Not for long. He was up again,
with a demoniacal look of rag ge on his
face, and he sprang at Dick like q wild
beast. Something flashed in the Grim
son tavern lights. Then. as in q wild
dream, the throng melted away, with
fierce cries and CALCULATIONS, and Iris
was kneeling at Dick Warning
tons side chatting his hands.
There was g. surgeon standing by,
and one or. two constables,
looking down compassionately on the
prostrate figure, and some one had
said, "There is no hope" For the
Lascar's aim was not made false by
passion, and he had struck at the
heart. A strange and wild dream, a
life that she had tried to scorn, passing
away for her. sake into the darkness.
Dick seemed to wake from q heavy
sleep, with the sound of the sea in his
ears as it thundered against far dis
tant rocks. Stay, was it the sea or
the tumult OF the great city? The
city was growing silent now, wrapt in
an ever-deepening tranquility. Then
memory came back to him; he knew
what had come*to pass; knew that he
was dying. With pang Of regret at
first, but when he raised his eyes, and
saw Iris Enderby's face bending over
him, he was we'll content. It was as
colorless as his own; but there was a
new expression mingled with it's in
tentness, a look that he had dreamed
Of seeing there, but had never thought
to see in waking life, that touched
him with q vague fear. y. :. = !
tThis is good OF you" he said faint
ly. ."I think it will not be for long"
"Can you forgive lne?'' said thegirl
in a low voice 'You have laid down
your life for me- E.
Dick looked at her with amazed
eyes. The surgeon had turned away.
The two constables were speaking to
each other in husky undertones.
what have I got to forgive?" he
asked wonderingly. But / will never
forget you. All, ! wish my life had
been worth your takingl a. poor,
poor failure! II / had known you
sooner / might have had the heart to
begin again; but I lost hope early
God knows why, You will never let it
trouble you, this happy fate Of ofmine?''