Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-11-29

81 am only thirty -eight, and vet my hal
Is almost snow-white," she unused, as sh,
laid aside her professional cap and brushe(
out the still abundant locks. 'sAnd my fac
how haggard and old it looks tonight
All, well, it does not matter there is no ont
to care-no one to care" She dropped dow
in chair and hid her face in her hands
and the tears fell through them in. bitter
scalding drops. She was thinking of 6
bright beautiful girlhood, brilliant mar
rage, happy wifehood of a few briet
years, then of neglect, estrangement, doubt
treachery, despair, temptation, flight.
sit was a great mistake, great mistake
she moaned; Though the devotion promised
me was given-though, while Count Dubois
| lived, he was my slave and his idol-it was
a terrible mistake. Sin and happiness car
| not walk hand in hand-it is one OF Gods
| sternest laws that they shall not be united
Far better had borne my bitter lot in 81
lence, and suffered my humiliation alone
with an unsullied soul There could have
| been no lot more wretched than mine has
been during all these terrible years. Love,
devotion, wealth, excitement, travel, as
sumed honors, what were they all to one
whose heart was tortured with a remem-
brance of a lost Paradise, ruined
name, wrecked life. o, it would have
| been better, far better, to have suffered and
made no sign. And Whereof, where to-
night is he who brought all this ruin to a
life that was once happy and good. Is he
alive-and does he feel no remorse!n
A quick rap sounded on the door.
The nurse started from her bitter reverie
and hastily brushed away the tears as she
opened the door.
One of the physicians stood before her.
Pardon my disturbing you at this late
hour" he said, ''but there has been an acct
dent in the street; man has been thrown
out of carriage and badly injured, and we
need a steady hand and calm nerve to assist
US. We can trust no one go well as you.
Come at once to the operating room"
The nurse hastily coilcd her hair, and, re-
placing her cap, followed the physician to
the room indicated.
The injured man lay stretched upon the
table. barred to the waist, one crushed and
mangled arm hanging, mass of unsightly
flesh and broken projecting bones, at his
side. But he was perfectly conscious.
When the nurse approached the table she
gave low moan, and would have fallen had
not one of the physicians reached out a pro-
'ecting arm.
Il never knew you to be so affected at
sight of this kind. You must return to
your rooIn.n
now 1t is nothing-only the patient is
known to me. But hush-he may not rec
ognize met is betterif he does not.
But already the patients feverishly bril-
liant eyes were fixed upon the face of the
writ inn hn nlra
starting to an upright position.
My Godr' he cried, lit is Clarice-Clar-
ice here-and with that hairI" Then he fell
back again.
The nurse was kneeling at his side.
"You must be quiet; you must not be
agitated," she said, calmly. There is
dangerous operation to perform, and you
must not be excited"
There need be no operation" he said, in
labored voice. THE crushed arm does not
matter-the trouble lies here in my chest.
There is some internal injury. I shall not
live many hours. 1t does not matter now.
came to Europe to seek you, Clarice; l
could not live longer-I could not die-until
had seen you and told you that it was all
a terrible mistake. Iwronged you'll was
unkind: but was never as you thought"
He ceased suddenly and put his hand
upon his chest. He gave one long sigh and
and then he breathed no more.
This man was friend of yours?'' the
physician asked, turning to the nurse.
'Some one you had knownF"
HE was my husband" she answered.
They went out quietly. and left her alone
with her dead-alone with the irrevocable
past, the pitiless present, the hopeless fu-
ture.
There her husband lay, deaf to entreaty,
insistence or outcry. She had spoken no
word of forgiveness, had received none
death had come too quickly for this comfort
to be possible. She must live the rest Of
her days with regret and remorse as her
constant companions. If she could only
have known the peace Of pardon from him
whom she had wronged so deeply: but that
could not be. All the ghosts of the past
which had haunted her before must rise up
now with tenfold power to torture her.
She knelt by her dead-all her own now,
when too late-until the gray of the morn
ing. Then she rose and walked to the win
dow, looking out at the dawn just beginning
to redden in the east.
A faint CLEAN touched the white still face
like benediction Was he sorry for her!
she wondered. Did he love her now with the
old-time fondness before change had come!
Surely, it must be so. With the new day,
new hope seemed born-she could believe
that all might be well with them BOTH
Somewhere in the eternal morning, forgive
ness and reconciliation awaited.
And, with this trust in her heart, she
finds peace kneeling there beside her dead
Ella Wheeler Wtlcor, In Peterson's Magazine.