The morning call., 1890-09-22
DEATH AND
A LIVING LOVE.
BY WALTER LITTLEFIELD.

BY WALTER LITTLEFIELD.
III Had been absent about two months, Two
BS short months, and yet they seemed years.
M Slowly and with inscrutabe WEAKNESS L
:" ascerded the crealilng, narrow, old stairway
10 my office. Pausing on the landing moment
for breath glanced out through the dus-cov-
cred panes down upon tie busy street beneath.
A few strcaks of bright July sunshine struggled
through the window and fell upon the ll0or III
long strips of dUsky yellow light. Then went
on. II seemed that it had never taken me so
long before to climb those two flights. All, but
then l yUunger-two months younger;
reached my door and the next moment hau
turned the key and entered.
How dark everything seemed. could scarcely
see my hand before me, ana moving CAUTIOUSLY
| along / reached the window and undd The shut
lers. In a second tile room was hiled WIN llshI
| aud | could look about Inc.
Yes. yes, the place is very mitch as left it:
| There is lie heavy antique bookcase that mad
| been NY lalheI'S, and behind lis hafaised cur
| lain lch sight Of the >omber volumes OF his
| school. Above little shelf is an array OF
| vials the labels OF Which bear his handwriting.
1t was years since lie placed them there with us
parting advice aud yet, IL seems but yesletua!
and liz Is gone. On the other side OF The room
stands my book case, and through th u,
| glass doors | read the titles Of many books OF
| or modern school OF medicine and above, under
| an oval globe is my microscope. How Vividly l
recall the day, but three years ago, when had
bought il WIN I}y own money, lie first money
| that mad earned myself AS / look over the
room thousand recOllections pass through my
mind of things long gone by. thousand IOTIhS
and faces Irnup In endless confusion before my
eyes, pIcurrs appear aud vanish and Teappeaf
again. Tie breath that enters at the window
seems 10 WHY them, then II rouSes me, ana WIN
sigh | drop into chair, and, with my hdndS
clasped before me, my head sunk upon my breast,
! remain motIouess and Ill deep thought.
Suddenly start. No, no, | heard nothing. 1t
was only the leaves ruSliiGG among the trees
outside my window perhaps And yet there IL
| hA1r mi l.
ing nealer aud neaIer, that luslle agaln, ana al
my door.
Slowly the door swings back on its hinges, then
closes again, as If one had entered, yet saw
nothing. A strange feeling steals over me that
peneIraIes through every fiber OF my body,
feeling of nameleSs dread II eXerts itself upon
NE and soon am completely III lis power Now
as | look up | start indeed.
All YES, you have come. You startled me.
l did not know a. first. All, you come 10 see II
| have kept my promise. No fear OF that m annie.
Ha, na, you shall see; you Will think II beautiful
as do perhaps but you must not love ii for II is
mine now; mine. aud you no longer have any
right to it. No, no; you must not forget 1t was
your dying wish. HaIk remember your very
WORDS: Mamie, / love you more than my life,
and yet l can do nothing nothing; but after l
am dead promise me that you will do that Yes,
those were your words and | have Kept that
promise, oh, faithfully. You dOubt-0ut no,
that cannot be; and yet--well, will show you"
arise and approach the table which lies
large handbag that had set down there on my
entrance. Sprlaglng back The clasps open IL,
and draw forth all object carefully enVeloped
in linen.
Removing the wrapping with the greatest care,
piece by piece at length the object Itself ap-
peared In view and second later l. hold IN
my hand human skull. 1t is small skui! aud
of perfect proportions. The bone Is polished
almost to reflection; the teeth are set in perfect
symmetry, and CLEAN like Ine purest pearl. l
hold II 10 my face and press my lips TO those
teeth. kiss those stony cheeks ana those mol
low caverus, where once had burned the lights
that flashed into my very soul.
sill holding The skull tightly claSped In my
cir m
Two mouths-two years-two centuries. It's
all the same.
Once more that strange feeling asserts itself
upon me, and once more give way 10 its pres
sure l feel like one fascinated by fatal charm.
l lift my head. A strange picture haunts my
gaze.
The dusty old Office is shrunk into long and
narrow one. Two rows OF seats line the sides
though which behold rapidly shifting scenes.
| There are forests, meadows, long stretch OF
sand with the sea. beyond, and then The
so quickly before my eyes. Now am
in thai great city. l see IL all - tie broad,
| sunny avenues, the stately mansions, lie wal>s
shaded with pa!metios, The carriages passing,
the children playing under tile tees, and above,
The pale blue sky. Yes yes / remember
have called myself an Invalid and now In this
far-on Southern city will enjoy life aud will
live fancy peaSes. go TO tile theater, go
to the OPERA there ave midnight scenes over lie
green table, there are luxurious dives In the
park 10 the afternoon, when the sun, struggling
through the yapOrs which arise from the liyeT,
appears ike 4 DloGd-Ied Dali, ana cool DIellu
is waited nufthward from the gulf. ! have let
tiers, too. and soon mud myself attending Iecep-
lions calling at beautiful villas, or sipuing tea
in some shady nook among the oranges and
One night, amid the flowers and the music of
the ball, she comes. She, Tor whom have been
waiting long and patiently; she, my ideal.
Her black eyes search for second into these
gray ones Of mine, for an instant her lingering
hand tIemb!es.
We have met that Is all.
Yet again and again we meet. We walk to-
rether through the Old garden by The sulien
river The atmosphere is dull and heavy; the
sun beats down with unrelcnting fety0r; my
brain seems stlied in lie mistS OF doubt and
hope.
banks Of cOpper-tinted clouds. These sink with
IT, aud suddenly lurid light creeps over all;
then The edges OF The conds are tinted and
streaked with paIti-coortd flames, light floating
masses appear, of various shades and tluts;
dazzling beams fash forth across the sky, and
illuminated with itch orange light the eastern
landscape. All, the glory of that Southern sun
set And IN the calm aud peaceful twilight we
retrace our steps.
to where the cotton trees Use Ike phantOms
from the rivers bank. we hear the wall of the
curlew sounding forlorn and mournlu on the
night air; breath steals upon Us from the
young willows, filling the atmosphere with
delicate perfume OF lotus flowers. Far away
on the western shore al the swamps OF the cy
press aud below is tie bright Hight Of the boat as
it turns the bend In tile liver; We can hear the
throD OF her engines as she steams away toward
There at my side she stands, my Ideal. All
doubts aud fears are over now, and with fingers
locked in each others clasp, we gaze into The
beauty OF The night and in dream into the life
beyond. Bending my face toward her, i
whisper: "You love me, mame?"
A moment she stands erect in all her majesty,
then gently her head sinks forward until IL rests
upon my breast. ] hold her 10 me, waiting,
waiting. Al length falnt. sweet murmur
reaches my ear: More than my life"
Two weeks OF JOY. heavenly joy; Tor that brief
space l seemed a mortal tasting The bliss OF I'M.
| mortality.
Then the fever.
| Day after day the torrd sun pours down, and
night after night the lamps give lorIh their fever
| ish gimmer the dark forms that pass like
| wlthers between the iiaggiug, and the market
| place Is silent aud deserted. The graves in
| crease by tens. by scores; YET, STILL DAY upon
| day the sun gives forth Its fatal heat
Oh Is there Il God?
In a second, In fash Of light. she is stricken
| from my side. She is not dead but fingers on
from day 10 night. from night 10 day, fading, fad
| ing, fading. Why cannot my love make her
| stay2 Night comes Oh.
II am going. am going" she whispers. IRE
| member, remember, 1t Is my parting wish Come
| closer TO me that / may whisper il TO you. An,
| why do you start? IL is the only thing that
| can give you III annie. You have been kind
and good, and L have done nothing, nothing.
Promise me. You cannot, ali, but do II. II Is my
RENE mbrance to you, my gift; you must keep IL
| with you always. Prom" and her voice ceases,
tiemor creeps over her; then suddenly the life
| that is about TO 90 returns, and, stating up her
| eyes fixed upon some object before her, she
| ciings 10 my hand, While l battle her with my
| tears.
Promise me. promise me-" she gasps
| bow my head. An ineffable smile lights up
| those wan features and shines forth from those
| sunken eyes, full OF The wonder OF the tomb Is
IL Ter departing spirit that speaks? ION, never,
never, part with ii. and will watch and guard
you. Here shall be buried; there 1 shall live
| always"
Isprlng from my chair. The room whIrls like
lightning, and, dazzied, siuk back Gradually