Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-31

more than Ann told us. And then per-
ceived change pass in Miss Gwynne
Gradually she thought less of me, and a
stranger supplanted me in her affections,
man whose features [ could never see.
But she met him often, and | saw that
| from having loved me with a maiden's
| first timid love, she passed to forgetting
me and to loving him with woman's first
great passion. Then l heard my compan-
| ion speak again
"'Will you see the rest p
"And l seemed, without speaking. to
answer Yes but with apprehension.
"And l saw the rest. 1t passed like
lightning; like that perfect recollection
the brain of a drowning man; but saw it
all. saw what was never known, and l
know it. | saw Mrs. Morgan, when Il the
last depths of her distress, set out on foot
through the streets of London to go to me
for help-for l was in town at that date.
and she knew it; and l saw her turn back,
saying to herself, He cast me off when |
loved him for the lightest trife, and what
would he do for me now?' saw her. with
no covering on her head in the cold night,
take the poison from her pocket and drink
it at the stile where we had parted. saw
her stop at the wicket gate, where she had
accepted my present, and say to herself,
oh, why did he never come back p l
saw her tapping at the kitchen shutter,
already in the torrents of death. And
| saw her die. ! saw her buried, too, BY
the third buttress of the church-not
counting those of the chancel. Andn-my
uucles voice dropped-'I saw her soul;
and it had not yet entered into its rest and
it said to me, what did do to YOU !?
See, faint heart, what you have done to
me ?
"And then l was again in the dining
room with my visitor And | was no
longer young, but old, as old as am now
and | understood that Jessys soul is not
even yet at rest.
'sMy visitor had grown old too, very old,
and gray and bald
"sAnd was the cause, then, that Jessy
Gwynne came to sorrow, and rum, and
shame, and death? | asked, smitten with
a sudden fear of guilt.
"'Yes, you, William answered my Wis
itor in that voice I knew so well but could
not recognize. If you had gone again to
Northbrook, would any of these things
have happened?'
Then l understood, and I bent my
head and was silent.
My visitor rose and stood with his back
to the fire. After long time l raised my
eyes to him. 1t was-myself. For while
| eyed him steadfastly, and then a sudden
great shock passed through me, and |
knew that | was again alone, but my con-
sciousness forsook me, ard knew nothing
more until you came in"
A long silence ensued, burst ask no
questions.
"And now l will go to bed, Bob" said
my uncle at length, quietly. "When die
tell them to bury me near Jessy if they
can"
When came to see my uncle the next
morning | was shocked at the change /
found in him.
II am very i'll, Bob" he said at once.
"Send for your father, and for priest
'4ou have had bad night" l asked.
"Ah, no, Bob" answered the old man
with strange smile; 81 have had a good
night, good night, Bob; but / have had
a bad awakening. / dreamed, Bob, that it
was that Christmas afternoon that your
great-grandfather brought us little lads
box of bricks and sat on the floor and
Dick taught me to build wall. And |
said to some one, But how comes Dick to
be here? Dick has been dead these sixty
years. And the person to whom l spoke
said, Dead sixty years How SOP 'Why,'
/ answered, Il am turned ninety-one.'
And the same person answered me, Non
sense, Billy, you have been dreaming
again. Ninety, child. Why, you are not
yet nine And Dicks funeral l asked,
and my long life, and Jessy Gwynne p
All dreams, you silly little fellow, an
swered the voice; your life is all to come
Then l leaped up from the floor and
clapped my hands for joy; and Dick
laughed; and sat down again on the floor
by him, and we went on building the wall.
But, Bob, the awakening has killed me
my life is DONE"
We telegraphed for my father and the
old man died that same afternoon. We
buried him at Northhrook in the spot he
wished. He was quite right about the To-
cality of Mrs. Morgans grave. The last
words he said were, Remember Jessy's
soul"-Iemple Bar.