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

the autumn evening W: a; one dropped by
was soft - velvet Sister Janet had tea with
out her cross-over, and We only burned the
very smallest fire imaginable very baby of q
| fire. We could catch the ring Of voices from
the order Of the day. Then came a song, .
pretty, simple melody, in which the boys tenor
| and the mothers soft contralto mingled low
ingly. What happy time it was! How sweet,
| and, ali me! how shortlived.
| After this the old life set in as before. Long,
| lonely evenings; Mrs. Ruthven never asked me
| to be with her in the evenings; those were con-
| secrated to Malcombe or to Watching for him.
or to walks that lasted for hours and from
which my neighbor came in weary and worn.
and over which Hannah shook her head.
''They are keeping that young fellow hard at
II again; they will kill him, Sister Janet would
| say Indignantly.
! made no answer.
foreboding. II it is true, as they say, that
| chill shudder tells you some one walks across
your grave. then must my destined tomb have
lain across the turnpike road.
My outward daily life went on in the same
commonplace way az before. ''One, two, three
and four" had to be counted over and over
| again, as clumsy fingers tumbled one over an
other, and tripped one another up ON the keys;
and yet how changed was l in all that lay be-
| meath the surface!
Il
scious, Of being in a state of waiting and Of ex-
| pectation; conscious Of all life's pulses beat
ing. haltingly and heavily, because of some-
thing that was coming, though knew not
what
| 1t was later than usual, it was darker than
| usual. and L was returning homeward hur-
riedly, fearing that Sister Janet might be get
| ting anxious
| All at once, at the turn Of q street, stood
| STILL uttered a low cry, which it was fortunate
| heard and haetpuad forward 70
| Mrs Ruthven.
You here2" said, as we came face to face,
and held out my hand. She passed me by, not
rudely, but as though she were unconscious of
my presence.
ut has come" I thought to myself.
cannot tell you why thought this. Indeed
I did not think it. knew
The tall figure. with the simple black dress
and long black veil passed on. L noticed more
| than one step aside to let her pass; more than
one turn and gaze after her.
What wonder? The death-white face, the
great, dark eyes, misty and unseeing, fixed as
those Of . sleep-walker-all this had seen a.
she passed me.
took her hand and held it with gentle force.
We were just beneath a lamp, and the light
| shone full upon my face
For moment hers changed. faint smile
touched her lips, her eyes looked as if they
saw.
.Ah!" she said, cit is you. You are always
| good and kind. You are coming with me?
But we are losing time; we must not do that"
She paced rapidly on, with her, my arm
close in hers l soon realized that it was only
when spoke to her that che seemed conscious
| OF my nearness. Something in the set, white
| agony of her face held me silent.
How long, how long did We pace those I'M
| familiar streets! How far did we wander
| knew not wither! Yet in my companion seemed
no indecision. no hesitation, no wavering.
AS II led by some unseen hand she went on,
on with relentless purpose. apparently blind to
| the wondering looks bestowed upon US by those
around U.S.
Where are we going to, dear?' I ventured
| to say at last.
She ignored my question, answering to her
| own thoughts. not to my words.
/ Il am so glad to have you with me; you are
| always good to me. have felt your sympathy
| night. knew something Was helping me, and
| making me strong, long before knew what it
was. God is very good"
She could say ths-and her life what it was
| one long heart break. one long. weary watching.
On We paced the streets we traversed grow
| ing narrower and more squalid. Here and there
we passed groups OF men and women. drunken
and dissolute, the men blear-eyed and sodden-
| looking, the women painted and haggard Yet
| somehow they hushsd their laughter, and the
| ribald jest was silenced passed.
In the midst of this labyrinth of streets, full
| OF gaslight and noise, we crossed the mouth of
little cul-de-sac, and here, gathered about
| street singer, was a better kind of crowd. The
| woman had child in her arms, and her voice
| was thin and wiry, yet not without pathos
What she sang was this:
''some are gone from us forever.
Longer here they might not stay;
They have reached a fairer region
Far sway-far away"
I saw a change pass over Mrs Ruthven's face.
Her lips quivered and she passed her hand
across her brow. That sad refrain seemed to
| pursue. Far away-far away!' Long after
| we could hear the words Of the rest that cry
| rose above the stir OF many feet and the distant
| murmur of the great city, Ear away-far
| away" Suddenly Mrs. Ruthven gripped nv
arm close and turned toward me.
Il have made an idol of my boy-an idol; do
| you hear? But do not be hard upon me- I
have Notwithstanding else"
When come to look back upon this strange
| episode in my life recognize that this was the
one only hint ever had of what had been the
life of the woman whom l loved with a pas
sionate tenderness and knew for so short
| time. As listened to her words. as met the
| sad, pathetic, far-off gaze Of her dear eyes, my
| own grew dim while the lamps of all became
blurred and dazzled, like many watery
| moons. Yet no fear that should stumble NY
| companion led me on too firmly for that 1t
was a long, long while since had walked 80
| far or SO fast; yet my limbs knew no wearness
1 was as one under a SPELL lifted out of COM
mon life by an experience beyond all prece-
dent.
When and where would this journey of ours
| end? What was our ultimate destination?
Under what leading was this strange compan-
| ion OF mine acting in so strange a manner?
| That she was under some exceptional and i'm
perative influence l could not doubt But here
my inventive faculty failed me. 1 could but
grope blindly.
Have you ever been this way before?" I
| ventured timidly.
| She turned upon me with a gentle sort of
pity.
| "Only in a dream" she said, and felt q
shudder shake her whole frame, "only in Q
dream"
By this time we had got into neighborhood
! in which instinctively felt no lady had any
| business to be at ALL Each moment 1 feared
some open insult would be offered 10 us. Once,
as three half-tipsy fellows reeled around q
corner, singing and shouting, my heart gave q
heavy thud Of fear, but, strange to say, they
| swung aside to let pass. one standing or
rather swaying in the roadway, to stare after
| my companion with sort of maudlin awe and
| wonder.
On, still Oh, the same white-stricken face by
my side; the same misty. unseeing- looking
| eyes gazing straight ahead; the same untiring
| footsteps hurrying to 1 knew not what goal
| what ghastlv trvst-what terrible bourne.
Suddenly her hand grasped mine with pain
| full pressure-she drew her breath heavily
| and, thus linked together. we turned down
| side street, street dotted here and there with
groups Of shabby, Haunting women and shabby,