The morning call., 1890-06-10

her with sigh OF fatigue. Mrs. Fawcett had
gone out for short drive at her daughter's earn
est persuasion. She seldom lett Helen now, see'
Ing as she did how the grPs lace mad grown
strange of late even to her. her mother who
knew and loved 1t well. Helen had chosen her
brief solitude to write tn, note wnlch accom-
panied a small brown paper package:
Dear Mr.. Beatoun: ask you and others OF my
friends to keep small thing which might prilg @ e
and then to remembrance, and don't know
how much longer have TO live-it can only De
very short tme-so send It now as ohristilas
She folded and iuclosed It, then suddenly her
head dropped on her hands with one long SOD.
The longing she had had to do this thing was
granted, yet she could not say "Nunc dimittis."
% seemed 10 gather ga ri Itself into one passionate stug
gle against that cold tide OF death, Creeping up
ever higher round her w,ion to drag wa. hes Ss
Whom Whom she sA' loved. I which would sun be
his when she was dead. II she could have done
him ever so little good, II would have been less
hard 10 die, but her love had been vain ana use.
less, as useless as her life. Out OF the deeps oi
her love anu her pain and tile awful SHADOW OF
death there had come that pitltul cry not 10 De
wholly foIg gotten when she was dead, which mad
found expression in her poor little gilt 10 Paul
BeatouD. Out OF the deeps now came the I'M
potent voice pleading for help where help there
could be none, but fIom that darkness ana tlat
loneliness OF agony was uttered also tehderer
and inlenser desie-" OH, that he shall be haopy.
that his life might be sweet aud noble 10 the emu,
The cold short note she had written 10 Mr.
Beatoun showed nothing OF this, any more tnal
it said The framed sketch sent with IL was lne
one on which Heen's eyes had best loved 10
dwell so that she liked 10 think his would rest
on II, or that it told the unuttered thousht.
" " i'll he come here 10 say that he has had II? l
do want 10 see him once more, only 0uce more"
The days dragged on, but brought no answer.
Mrs. Fawcett knew nothing OF her child's Chrlst-
mas gift she never learned OF the weary, wist-
ful waiting OF those days OF the question which
filed the glrrs heart, = Has he guessed. and de-
spises me, that he will not answer?"
She struggled 10 appear better than she was,
In the dread OF not being able TO see him II he
came, but the poor effort had 10 be given up. and
she could no lOuger come downstairs, and the
rooms which had once been 30 bright with her
presence seemed to her mother silent aud lonely,
with The silence of death Itself, knowing, as she
did too surely, Helen would never enter them
aean.
There was this dreariness lingering over the
whole house this evening, the last OF the year, as
MRS. Fawcctt went up To Heirn's room where the
girl hay, strange shining In her eyes, a nXeu
color in her cheeks.
Il doE'I like TO leave you dear" Mrs. Fawcett
said, "Out would you miss me II go round TO
the evening service? l shall only be half an
hour"
DO CO." the girl answered faintly. pray for
q happy new year, ar-fOr US al"
The mother could not speak; the choking tears
were 700 near her eyes She only bent down 10
kiss The thin cheek.
So Helen was lift alone, her eyes gazing into
the ed depths of the fire, an aching, passionate
bitterness OF regret and shame in her heart. Why
had lie never answered? Had lie read the reason
OF her request? That the reason she wished him
TO hold her memory WAS that she loved him with
a love as strong as death?
"a letter, Miss Heien.'
She anew tile handwriting seldom as she had
seen II. She would not open 1t before the quick,
curious eyes OF the maid who had brought 1t her.
but her hand kept IL close as with secret ca
iess till the servant had left tile room; then she
opened 1t slowly with a tenderness for the seal
his hand had impressed. the paper IL had
touched.
Dear Miss Fa,ccen- only just back from my
farher's in WarwicGshre, where ! have been for
Christmas, and found your note and the sketch
awaiting me here. What you must think OF my
never having thanked you am afraid to think.
will not take the sad meaning of the gift for be-
lieye and hope you Will live TO gladden. us am
writing this hurriedly with the wish that this may
be glad new year 10 yOu-aS glad as II Will be TO
me If it sees you win back heatn.
May come and see you tomorrow? II l do l
gOod-Dy last. ours ever. PAUL BEAToUS.
She knew there was no new year for her, yet
life held some gladneSs Tor her still; the hope OF
his voice, his eyes the touch of his hand, and
she went to sleep that night, happy hope III her
heart.
But that hope was never realized When Paul
Beatoun called she far too i'll TO receive HIM.
hemOri hege had come on, and the frall lie had
no power 10 resist A lew more Gays ana Hsien
was dead, her secret still her own, though hall
OWNED. with revereut tenderness aud sadness,
by the man who had so unecnScously possessed
her life
Had she sinned against the sweet instinct of
maidenliuess in her desire that her memory
should be something NOR. than cipher 10 the
man she loved or may one Judge gently her pitt
eous ceyce that when his eyes fell on the
sketches she gave him, II might wake falnt re-
membrance OF herseliP
Her judgment and her plea are written ln the
same woIds-she loved Paul BeatOun.-ETHEL
EARL, iu Temple Bar.