St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-25

sitting-room, and as 1 heard the door
softly open and close again, / looked
up, with my lap full of Dicks stockings,
and saw-what made my heart bound
once with incredible Joy. and then seem
to cease beating entirely.
saw mans tall. slim figure, clad in
naval blue, exactly like my husbands
but the face was not Dicks face, and
though young and kind, was very, very
grave.
Are yOu-are you--oh! who are
you?" l cried in an agony of suspense.
He looked like one tOngue-tied with i'll
news.
I'll am Dick Gordon's friend,' he
stammered. land | have come toto
call Oh Mrs. Gordon"
Then, as his diSmayed chances lighted
upon the blue uniform coat, the baby
asleep inside it, and my questioning
eyes, this strange young man muttered:
20 LOrdE' and turned as if to escape
from the room.
'sStay" / called in a voice that
''Stay, and tell me what you mean! L
am Mrs. Gordon. Where is my huS-
band?"
''Oh! on board his ship of course.
Isn't there any one else here but you?
Can't | ring for some One?" he said,
his eyes searching round the room for
bell and determinedly avoiding my face.
Beads of perspiratiOn started to his
brow. and he seemed once more to be
trying to get away. grew sick, sick at
heart.
HE is i'll, or he would have been here
before any onev' cried.
Then, as he reluctantly caught my
beSeeching look, Dicks friend suddenly
turned his back upon me. But not be-
fore had seen his eyeS-and they were
full of tears.
'Dick is dead" I said in curious
voice that seemed to belong to some
poor woman stricken cold with grief,
but not to me.
Dicks friend had found the bell now,
and was ringing so vigorously that Mrs.
Nicholl, Christie and lyon lassie" all
appeared at once, filling the little room
with questions and agitation. Mrs.
NichOll gave one look at my face and
then ran to catch me in her arms. L
pushed her back. and said again in that
dull. cold voice:
''Dick is dead!''
She looked at the young man. and /
saw him bend his head in mOurnful
assent.
/ did not lose consciousness. but all at
once my very life seemed to be ebbinS
away from my heart and limbs. When
Mrs. Nichoil led me to the sofa and sat
with her kind arms pressing my head
to her breast. l simply lay helpless
powerless to look or feel-but hearing
every word.
Dicks friend, now treasured by the
presence of the other women, Stani-
mered forth broken narrative.
Dick had come on board at Bombay
with the beginning of rheumatic fever
upon him-had been very ill-had strug-
gled back to life, nursed by this good
friend-and then-and then-JuSt as
home was nearing, had been found dead
in his sleep of heart disease.
Dick had talked much to his friend of
his wife and child. He made him prom
Use that if anything happened he
would go to my father first, to implore
his protection for me and my little one,
and then come to break lit" gently to
me!
He thought of nothing but them all
the voyage" said the young man husk-
lily. "And he said l was to bring his
watch for his little son."
looked up at this and saw him lay
ing Dicks old watch-that looked like
a familiar face-softly upon the table.
As he did so two great tears dropped be-
side it. How strange that he could cry!
His tears must be warm, and l felt SO
eoId-So bold that no warmth could ever
come into my frozen veins.
SIS there anything for me?' asked.
Dicks friend looked for moment at
me. and then said, uneyenly:
she told me-if he died. was to give
his love- to his pretty Naney.'"
The poor young fellow had turned his
eyes to the door while speaking. He
now rushed out -muttering that he
would come again.
But though he wrote to me, never
saw him more.
: Torpor took possession of me again. /
thought this chill creeping through my
veins must mean death: and [ was glad
in dull way that it was so easy to join
my Dick.
My gallant, handsome Dick! How
thin and pale and cold he must be now!
But was coming to him-and surely he
would unclose those pale lips and smile
at his pretty Nancy still.
l could hear the faint rustic of the
women busy about me; / could smell
the brandy they were rubbing on my
lips. But did not want to be reused
| wanted to lie thus till l saw Dicks
spirit meeting mine.
Suddenly, tiny cry-growing even
louder and cIearer-pierced through the
stupor in my brain. tried to SHUT it
out; but it rang In my unwilling ears,
and something-cOuld it be my dead
hearth huttered in answer. staggered
to my feet, and walked swiftly straight
to the bed where my baby lay, just
waking from sleep and calling for me.
As his soft face touched mine the ice in
my veins melted, and rush of warm
tears made me feel that | still lived
lived to suffer and be lonely, indeed,
but to guard Dicks boy.
: lyon lasSie'' had stolen from the
room to attend the door once more; but,
warned by her late indiscretion, she
called Christie out to interrogate some
visitor.
In second they were both pushed
aside, and, with my baby in my arms, /
looked up to meet my fathers eyes.
He stood in the doorway-white
haired, thin. and strangely aged; but,
with look of love and pity in his dark
eyes which had never seen there be-
fore. he stretched out two eager, trem-
IL; Il f<,xx ND 80