The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-28
asked few questions of the man in

charge and presently returned.
''The remainder of the passengers are
at the farm, he said. pointing to house
at little distance, and without further
delay we began to scramble up the steep
embankment and Chamber over the stone
wall Of the bridge into the road. Nv
mind was full Of other things, but 1 re-
member still the number of people as
sembled on the bridge, and how a man
was standing up in his donkey cart to
! view the scene.
It was Saturday, and there were guam
titles of village school boys sitting
astride on the low wall, or perched on
adjacent hurdles, evidently enjoying the
spectacle, jostling. bawling, eating
oranges and throwing the peel at the
engine. Some older people touched
their hats sympathetically and one went
and opened gate for US into field,
through which many feet seemed to have
come and gone, but for the greater
number the event was evidently re-
garded as an interesting variation in the
dull routine of everyday life, and to the
school boys it was an undoubted treat.
Ralph and Charles walked on in front,
following the track across the field. 1t
was not particularly heavy walking
after what we had had earlier in the
day, but Ralph stumbled perpetually,
and presently Charles drew his arm
through his own and the two went on
together. the police inspector following
! with me.
In few minutes we reached the farm
and entered the farmyard, which was
the nearest way to the house. A little
knot of calves intrenched on mound of
straw in the center Of the yard lowered
their heads and looked askance at us as
we came in, and party Of ducks re-
treated hastily from our path with
! chorus of ordinations. while thin
colly dog burst out of barrel at the
back door and made series of gym
nastics at the end OF chain, barking
hoarsely, as if he had not spared himself
of late.
An elderly woman with red arms met
/ Us a1 the door, and on whisper from
the police inspector first shook her head,
and then, in answer to further whis-
per, nodded st another door, and voice
calling Der from within hastily disap-
peared.
The inspector opened the door she had
indicated and went in, with him.
Charles, who had grown very grave,
hung back with Ralph, who seemed too
much dazed to notice anything in heaven
above or the earth beneath. The door
opened into an clubhouse, roughly paved
with round stones, where barrels, slaves
and divers lumber had been put away.
There was straw in the further end
Of it, out Of which yellow cat raised
two cleaning eyes, and then few up a
ladder against the wall and disappeared
among the rafters. In the middle of tho
floor, lying little apart, were three fig
ures with sheets over them. Instructive
ly we felt that we were in the presence
OF death. looked back at Charles and
Ralph, who were still standing outside
In the falling snow. Charles was bare
headed, but Ralph was looking absently
In front of him, seeming conscious of
nothing. The inspector made me sign.
He had raised one of the sheets, and now
withdrew it altogether Ny heart SEEM
ed to stand still.
1t was Aurelia! Aurelia changed in
the last great change Of all, but still
Aurelia. The fixed artificial color in the
cheek consorted i'll with the bloodless
pallor OF the rest of the face, which was
set IN look of surprise and terror. She
was altered beyond what should have
been. She looked several years older,
but it was still Aurelia. Those little
gloTed hands, tightly clinched, were the
same which she had held to the library
tire as we talked the day before; even
the dress was the same. Alas, she had
been In too great q hurry to change il
before she left, or her thin shoes. Poor
little Aurelia!
And then-I don't know how it was.
but in another moment Ralph was
kneeling by her, bending over her,
taking the stiffened hands in his trem-
bling clasp, i,nploring the deaf ears to
hear him, calling wildly to the pale lips
to speak to him which had done with
human speech could not bear it, and
L turned away and looked out through
the open door at the snow falling. The
inspector came and stood beside me. In
the silence which followed we could
hear Charles speaking gently from time
to time, and when at last we both turned
toward them again Ralph had flung
himself down on an old bench at the
further end of the clubhouse, with his
back turned toward us, his arms resting
on a barrel and his head bowed down
upon them. He neither spoke nor moved.
Charles left him and came toward us.
and ne and the inspector spoke apart for
moment, and then the latter dropped
on his knees beside the dead woman and.
after looking carefully at a dark stain
on one of the wrists, turned back the
sleeve. Crushed deep into the round.
white arm cleaned something bright.
1t was an emerald bracelet which we |
both knew. Charles cast hasty glance
at Ralph, but he had not moved, and he
drew me beside him so as to interpose
our two figures between him and the in
spector. The latter quietly turned down
the sleeve and recomposed the arm.
81 knew she would have them on her,
If she had them at all" he said in low
voice. "We need look no further at
present. Not one will be missing. They
are all there"
He gazed long and earnestly at the
dead face, and then to my horror he sud-
denly unfastened the little hat. made
an involuntary movement as if to stop
him, but Charles laid an iron grip upon
me and motioned to me to be still. The
stealthy hand quietly pushed back the