New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-17

now Has it been a long time p
"since you Were a d in1 Oh not so very long
ooh, yes l answered "One day was
il yesterday, or many days agop. you came
quite close to the bed and thought you We're
mamma-or her poor ghost But then ! looked
at you again, ami | knew. You are Ms. Dorian
The lady pressed her lips aeainst my cheeks
$50, them she faltercd, you remember that
'' She 'p paused ana said "Yes yes remem-
Der i have seen il all, over and over and over
in my dreams. Were they dreams. madame or
word word to choose and soft hand was laid upon my
lirs then, while another smoothed my temples
"Thcy werc dreams-ugy dreams my son
You must think no lonFer Of them you VIII pee
quite well If YOU have little more COURAGE q
little mor ratience. And we have talked enough
today Tomorrow we will talk again.'
able to leave NV bed we did talk These con
veIsations. al fist very brief were aierwatu I,U
lon-ed according my renewed health woul'
permit. And finally, when ! was str'nI el,'u
Pace and even TO accompany my po,cctrss Nv
her carriage during long agreeable drives, ui,e
moment came for me to confront ano', 4sor t
time why neither Michael nor Marina ever >,s'uo
me, and always had been answered IN SOM. re
transpire at last MIS-. Dorian told it me as we
sat together in her own large. airy ROOM With
overlooked tie broad street below IL was lslt Q
November now il had been early NAV wren . IN, ,ne
ioXvcst of In Ian summer DAYS We had taken
drive into the country that morning, ana ha1
seen the dsrnantled trees rising round us III so
Golden and bani an air that we almost wondered
new buds did not start from their dark branches
| did not feel at all tired after my drive though
! leaned back in great ychair near one oi
the windows more through an old lin 'c'inQ habit
Of convalesCcnce than because of the least fatlpue
The lieht outside had lost its sunny fervor this
autumn day, all too short would soon reach It's
dusl<y limit. Often. of late, my moods hal been
melancholy ones but now there was tender
luxury in the sadness | felt, like the dreamy re.
pose of the exquisite season pride and cham OF
our American year. A window at some little dis
lance off half open the roll of whec's louder
on this account brought us their htful lcverbera
tons, fun Of the stir yet not the Jar OF ie amid
much drowsy atmosrheric reacc opp site me
the high roofs Of houses almost merEed their OUT,
lines in the hazv blue of the sky. No word hal
passed between Mrs Dorian and myself for several
minutes knew that her ewes had been SlealM
more than Cnce 10 watch my face. above the en-
bruideIy that busted her. But had grown well
used to this covert scrutiny. Bodily weakness
had before made me passively accept all her care
and vigilance but now its dcN Otion was Ier-
petual shield against the keencr grief of loneliness
that my mothers loss must have dealt Then
too. the effect of chanccful. cvcrrccul11n' re-
semblance--of q samcncss blcnt with "A difference
in attitude movement expression was not with
out its gracious comforts. for all that 1T brought
constant livinE and fading souvenirs of the deaf
| broke the silence that had come between us
"You never told me where poor mamma is
buried" / said.
not very far away. Some day we might drive
out Thereon we could 90 by train.
"You had her buried there? p
ayes. | bought little plot of ground. Some
'av-ran years from now, / hope-you may lie
there at her side And PERHAPS your wife and
children, if you marry, also
"You are so good-so wonderfully good" i
murmurcd "Often. when | think of IT, l ask
myself if there many reop'c in the world with
your kind heart. You sought for me there al
Michaels house in the Bowery YOU had me
taken here you have nursed and tended me ever
since with all the regard that my own mother
would have shown except that she, poor soul.
not having YOUR wealth. Still. it cannot
last forever. this goodness. madame. NINA
LAST forever?' she said starting. "Why,
Ohio. l haze been on the verge of telling you
for some days past what will no doubt surprise
YOU. So, now, you force me to tell it at once
] want to go abroad with YOU and stev for a long
time-stay till your education is finished:
She hal thrown aside her work and had drawn
much closer TO me smiled. and the tears filed
my eyes. She bent down and kissed me on the
forehead
"Oh, you have the face Of an an1el, mon petit:
do you know it? And when you smile like that
you make this world-worn old heart Of mine tiein-
Heaven when / am near you, and believe that
Heaven has sent YOU to me for my own sweet
my last birthday. When you are grown up |
shall be in spectaccs and a cap No; not a cap
1 detest them they arc a voluntary surrender
to old age. which l shall fight AGAINST. tooth and
next month-to Paris and afterward to swl'zer-
land ,o.,,.
%Ycs 1t viii be dreadful to cross in Deem,
ber | know. I shall be III the whole way |
always am, unless the ocean Is IKE mill POM.
But since YOU last heard me talk OF my aifalls
| have accomplished an immense change haN G
@ nsigned the who'e business OF Dorian Com
pany to a brother of my late husband-Mr SteN en-
Dorian 1t is what one calls here "sellinE out
I have received a great Of money my
brother-in-la has raised 1t with the aid OF other
capitalists though the name OF the firm, now
tnues more suitably the same as before wen.
| thank my lucky stars that am so well nd OF
future trouble. They say l should have got siv
millions instead Of three. Bah 1t Is absurd
What can one not do with three millonsP one
can surely dwell happily abroad for yeaIs-an !
that is what | intend You see, roor old Cred C
expired one fine morning quite suddenly. Do you
recolect how told your mamma about Grcdge
Well, after he had gone my reputation as a
woman Of finanre hung tembhny in the balance
| was very fortunate to escape when did. And
now. at last | am free. MY money has been
safely invested by my lawyers and l can 90
where | please
hal ceased to sreak And then | answered,
slowly shaking my head: "You offer TO take
| me with you but is it right that should desert
Michael and Martha, who sa' ed mamma and me
from starvation and who love me still very dear
", am sure, though | have not seen either of
them for so long? p
Mrs. Dorian rose with starting naste My
look followed her as she moved about the room
I thought at first that she was in quest Of some
thing ami asked myself If it could be messa"e
from one or both Of my stlltreasurd friends.
But little later she again ap reached me. Fer
eyes were sparkling. and her hrs puivcred. She
sanlx into her former seat and she searched my
face saw that her own was filed with aritation.
"Otho.T she said brolSenly and in tones that
scarcely seemed hers I'll would not have you
here with me now, my son. Tiff they were there
still Yes, that is why YOU are here II
"What do YOU meanp" l cried. anxiously.
"Have they gomez
ayes. my dear boy, they have gone, she almost
whispered.
But in another instant, as though urged by the
impulse to employ self-control where weakness
would be worse than impolitic, She laid one hand
upon my shoulder and looked at me steadily,
calmly.