The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-01-22

houses In the quarter, anu WeIo CohA
mencing a free fight amongthemselves;
A little throng gathered, cursing and
cheering, ano obstruCting the path
way, and Iris stopped, a good deal
frightened. Dick noted one policeman
on the extreme outskirts OF the dis
turbance leisurely whistling for help
and then-it all happened ia an IN
stant-a drunken Lascar broke out
of the thrOng and caught Iris by the
arm. She uttered q 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 q demoniacal look Of rage 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
toms side chatting his hands.
There was q surgeon standing by,
and n or two constables,
looking down compassionately on the
PROSTATE 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 a 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 a pang of regret at
first, but when he raised his eyes, and
saw Iris Enderby's face bending over
him, he was well content. 1t was as
colorless as his own; but there was q
new expression mingled with its in
tentnes8, a look that he had dreamed
of seeing there, but had never thought
to see in waking life, that touched
him with a vague fear.
'This is good Of you," he said faint
ly. Il think it will not be for long"
"Can you forgive me?" said the girl
in a low voice. "You have laid down
your life for me-"
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 / got to forgive?" he
asked wonderingly. "But | will never
forget you. All, ! wish my life had
been worth your taking! A poor,
poor failure! If l had known you
sooner l might have had the heart to
begin again; but l lost hope early
God knows why. You will never let it
troubleyou, this happy fate ofmine?"
ut will trouble me" she said slow.
ly, "all my life"
"Ah, MOI" ne said eagerly; and in
that instant q strange look Of nobility
irradiated his face, O. look it had not
known for many q year.
Forget it. / am not worthy of one
regretful thought from you. Indeed,
indeed, / am not worthy. And how
could it end more happily? For ii l
had lived / should have sunk yet
lower, andnow lam not wholly base"
He paused. His words were growing
incoherent.
"And you will give me the hello
tropeyou are wearing to take into the
darkness, and | never shall be lone
ly."
81 have no heliotrope." said the
girl clearly, though she shivered iii
the August night, "but / will you a
rose"
The rose she had worn was dropping
now. She laid it in his hand; then,
STOPPING suddenly, she kissed his fore
head with o. long, soft kiss.
A light flashed into his face, and an
expression so brief, so transient, she
never knew whether it had been Of joy
or pain. Then all grew dim.
For years after there was one street
that never echoed to Iris Enderby's
footsteps; but now, Of all dreary
haunts in London, she loves Garrick-
street the best, and the children have
learned to wait for her coming there,
with outstretcfhed hands, and the
scent ofheliotrope, as she passes, floats
on the heavy air.-May Kendall, IN
Longman's Magazine