Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12

your brow Placing her hand against his
breast she had pressed him backward, 90 that
burning Goals; her voice rang through the 81
lent house. She was terrible in her intensity.
Those from below had come up; those from
above had come down. Tho two figures were
women and bad men we're there; yet even they
seemed 70 recoil from the shrinking, palhd man
id the corner-he who had led tbs widows son
through devious and crooked ways, even unto
death itself
''You have murdered hinl Murdered him,
Murdered him. cried the msddsnsd woman.
.'You have taken him from me. left me desc
late. went down upon my knees to you once;
ne would have come back to me then. II you
would have let him aione-but you would not,
you would not"
Her voice fell to hoarse whisper. her head
sank upon her breast The remembrance Of
the ordeal still to be faced came upon her.
Where is he?" she said WI some one
| take me to him?'
They led her in-these bad people who we're
80 much more tender and good than better
people might have been-and there, in poor
and narrow chamber. with the blind pinned
askeW across the window, lay all that vas left
TO her of her son.
A Awhile cloth, blood bedabbled at the lower
edge, lay upon the face. The long. slender
outline OF the ngure was well defined beneath
| Q fimsy sheet
Mrs. Ruthven knelt BY the bed, and. in spite
OF more than one OBTAINING hand, pulled the
lace cloth from the CHASTITY thing it covered. I
say CHASTITY because the lower part of the jaw
was shot away, the little silky, golden mustache
| stiff with blood
MY dear, my dear" said, trembling, and
scarce knowing what did. Come away; oh.
come away my DEAR
She looked up at me and then saw that the
noble mind wandered; the brain was reeling
| from . shock too heavy to be borne.
Come away! she said and smiled. Come
away and leave the boy when have lust found
him! He is tired. He wants rest-sleep-auiet
will hold him, as always do, as have done
| SO often"
Some pitiful hand had drawn the kerchief
over the shattered mouth. Only the calm,
beautiful brow, the golden locks, the half
closed eyes beneath their long Iashes we're wis.,
| ible. She gathered the still form in her arms,
drew the golden head to her breast and bowed
| her face upon that of the dead.
1T is mother" she crooned, "it is mother
arms that are around you. Try to sleep-my
| boy-my boy"
The women in the room broke out sobbing;
the men turned aside.
Oh. pitiful and awful sight; the DOOR, dazed
mother holding the dead boy in her arms, the
boy dead by his own handi
While l stood there bewildered- my hand
upon that dark, kneeling figure, from whose
| prone head the black veil fell to the ground,
| there was a stir, and new strange voices on
1
1T Is the police inspectors" said some one
near; and a man in uniform, with two others
| following. stepped up TO the bedside.
Clear the ROOM" said the first conner in an
authoritative manner. Stay, what is this?"
He touched the long veil / stretched my
| arms over her.
''She is his mother" said, and could say no
more for tears.
ut don't matter who she is; she must CO."
| great horror was upon me. Something in
the dropping attitude Of the kneeling figure by
the bed sent a chill shudder through my veins.
My arms fell heavily to my sides.
None OF this" said the man harshly un-
needing Of the murmurs that began to be heard
among those around Il tell you, whoever she
| is she must CO."
lifted the head that lay beside that of the
dead boy. The face was ashen. the lips livid,
the eyes-Ah, heaven! they would never look
| on me again.
.'She has gomez said, speaking in what
voice L knew not, surely not nv own. ''She
has gone; but a higher call than yours"
There, have told you my story and nov
you know why could not bear TO hear the
woman singing out in the shadowy night:
some are gone from US forever,
Longer here they could not stay;
They have reached fairer resion
Far away-far away.
have often asked myself under what leading
Mrs. Ruthven took that strange journey to her
dead son. But l have found no answer.-AL
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