The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1892-11-19
THE RETURN.

Five minutes ago | drew the window
curtain aside and let the mellow sunset
light contend with the glare from ths
girandoles. Below lay the orchard OF
Vernon Garth, rich'in heavily lowered
fruit trees--yondey q medlar, here a
pear, next a ounce. AS my eyes, unac-
customad to the day, blinked rapidly,
the recollection came Of a scene forty
FIVE wears past, and once more beneath
the oldest tree stood the girl loved,
mischievonsly plucking yarrow, and
despite it's evil omen twining the
snowy clusters in her black hair.
Again her coquettish words rang i'll
my ears: Make me thy lady! Make
me the richest woman in England, and
promise thee, Rupert, we shall be the
happiest Of Gods creatures And | re-
membered how the mad thirst for gold
filled me: how | trusted in her fidelity,
and without reasoning OF even telling
her that | would conquer fortune for
her sake | kissed her sadly and passed
into. the world. Then followed a COM
plete silence until the Star Of Europe,
the greatest diamond discovered in mod
ern times, lay in my hand-a rough, I'M
polished stone, not unlike the Jumps of
spar | had often seen lying on the sandy
lanes of my native country.
This should be Roses own, and all the
others that clanked so m~elodiously in
their leather bulse should go toward full
filing her ambition. Rich and happy |
should be soon, and should | not marry
an untitled gentlewoman, sweet in her
prime? The twenty years interval OF
work and sleep was like d fading dream,
for | was going home. The knowledge
thrilled he so that my nerves were
strung tight as iron ropes, and laughed
like a young boy. And it was all be-
cause my nome was to be in Rose Pas
calls arms.
Icrossed the sea and posted straight for
Halkton village. The old hostelry Was
crowded. Jane Hopgartl, whom | re-
membered as IL rudy faced child, stood
on the box edged terrace, cOnrtesylng
in matronly fashion to the departing
mail coach. An alteration i'll the sign
board attracted my attention; the white
lilies had been painted over with a inter
and the name changed from the Pascal
Arms to the Lord Bishop. Angrily,
aghast at this ~disloyalty, ! cross ques-
toned the o~stlers, who hurried to and fro,
but failing TO obtain any coherent re-
plies | was fain to content myself with
a mental denunciation of the times.
Twilight had fallen before | reached
the cottage al the entrance of the park.
This WAS in a rHinous conditions; here
and there sheaves in the matched roof
had parted and formed creyices through
which smoke filtered. Some of the
tinv windows had been walled up, and
ever where the glass remained snake
like ivy hin!ered any light falling into
their thick recesses.
The door stood open. although the
evening YVES chilly. AZ | approached
the heavy autumnal dew shook down
from the frs and fell uponm my shoulders.
4 bat. swooping i'll an undulation, struck
between my eyes and fell to the grass
moaning ENORMOUSLY. | entered. A
withered woman sat beside the peat fire.
She held IA pair Of steel knitting needles
which she moved without cessation.
There was 10 thread upon them, and
when they clicked her lips twitched as
Il she had counted.
Some time passed before | recognized
D.. PZ,+~. ,,c+har E1iunlnI1 rov1ocu
The russell c0lors Of her cheeks had
faded and left a sickly gray; those
sunken. dimmed eyes were utterly un-
like the bright, black orbs that had
danced so mirthful!y. Her stature, too,
had shrunk. | was struck with wonder.
Elizabeth could not be more than fifty
six years old. j.! had been away twenty
years; Rose was fifteen when / left her
and | had beard Elizabeth say that she
was only tyventy-one at the time of her
darling's weaving. But what a change!
She had such an air Of weary grief that
my heart grew sick.
Advancing to her side | touched her
arm. Che turned, but neither spoke o
seemed aware Of my presence. Soon,
however, she arose and helping herself
along by grasping the scanty furniture,
tottered to a window and peered out.
Her right hand had crept to her throat;
she united the string of her gown and
took from her bosom q pomander set in
a battered silver case. Icried out. Rose
had loved that toy in her childhood.
Thousands Of times had we played ball
with il, Elizabeth held it to her mouth
and mumbled it as if it were a baby's
hand.
Maddened with impotence, | caught
her shoulder and roughly babe her say
where | should find Rose. But some
thing awoke in her eyes, and she shrank
away to the other side Of the house
place. l followed. She covered on the
floor, looking at me with u strange hor-
ror. Her lips began to move, but no
sound issued. Only when | crossed to
the threshold did she rise, and then her
head moved wildly from side to side,
and her hands pressed close to her
breast, asst tic pain there were too great
to endure.
J. lSh ilOAS hi0 PAASEt NV toAAS ~"
look back. In a few minutes | had
reached the bainstraded wall OF the hall
garden. The house looked as if no care
full hand had touched it for years. The
elements. had played havoc with its
oriels, and many Of the latticed frames
hung on single hinges. The curtain Of
the blue parlor hung outside, draggled
and faded and half hidden by a thick
growth of bindwood.
With an almost savage force | raised
my arm high above my head and
brought my fist down upon the central
panel Of the door. There was no need
for such violence, for the decayed fas
jennings 11ede no resistance, and some OF
the rotten boards fell to the ground.
AS / entered the hall and saw the
ancient furniture, once SO fondly kept,
now m;ldewed and crumbling to dust,
quick sobs burst from my throat.
Roses spHet stood beside the door OF
the Withdrawing room. How many
carols had we sung to Its music! AS ]
passed my foot struck one of the legs,
and the rickety structure groaned as if