Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-02

The boy. in bed was fifteen. From his
white lips the words came with over
whelming command. His dark eyes
cleaning strangely with mingled in
sistence and the struggle for breath
that was his present trouble also en-
phasized his decree. 4 pale, serious
face his was, With the mouth drawn
sadly downward.
The girl stood I'D before him on the
largest space of carpet there was in tho
room.
mo shoes, Muriel," said the boy.
She stopped and removed her slip
pers.
The stiffness of the evening, the
child's graceful attitude as she stood in
readiness TO dance n pretty mazurka
step she was learning at her class; the
absence Of outside distractions Of any
kind-for where the rimy trees stretch
ed bare arms into the air outside no an
sWering wind caressed them-seemed to
formulate into a ghostly picture-into a
series rather. Yet there was life in
them, and there was sound and move
ment and change of light. The boys
lGbored breath was plainly to be heard;
the girl fitted here and there in rhyth-
mic undulation; the fire threw varying
lights and shades over the whole scene.
Moreover, strangely eXpectant as the
normal atmosphere of that room was,
charged with the unnatural, but by
those who were in the attitude Of look
ing forward o Il, very present and bat
thing forces Of death and life, where the
boy was fast breathing toward MS last.
and every step the girl took only
Strengthened her vitality, there was 10
apparent unusualness about it. As it
had been yesterday, 80 it was to-day, so
il seemed likely would it be to-mor-
row. Thus life and death, ghostliness
and the corporeal, were amicably link
ed and blended.
There was soon a third person in thu
room to share with the lad, who knew
his condition quite well, the expectancy
of death. While the child danced she
entered it, gently closed the door be-
hind her and rearrangad the curtain
that hung across it. Her son saw her
though her daughter did not. He
caught the quick, anxious glance Of her
eyes toward him, and upheld feeble
finger playfully, to indicate that the
dance must not be stopped.
So she stood where she was, beaut-
full faced creature, With an eager, low
ing brightness OF expression that must
have suCceGded-S0 would any one Of
observation who thought q moment
have deciGcd.-One which had before
times been terribly troubled and wor-
riod. The picture was now complete.
There they We're, a perfect trio. The
mother felt the moments absolute sat
isi3ctiOi. One day later she sat in that
room when the picture was very differ
ent, and wept FOR JOY that she had got
this IN her mind. She said to herself
at q later period still that, for the sake
of that picture and many others as per-
feet, she was glad that she had lived.
The child drew her right foot upward
arching Ike inst5D, then brought it
back to the other leg, while She made
the maZurka spring. She gracefully
curved and uncurved her arms, the
while keeping her balance by these
means and with every movement Great
ing a series OF lovely attitudes. The
boy in the bed was too breathless 10
hum; in his head, however, he sang the
half dangerous, half sprightly air OF tho
piece Of music to which ne knew she
danced at the school. He also had
danced there What q pretty air it
Was When Lance heard it, it remind
ed him OF a morning he reccollected out
at sea. He had always been suscepti-
bic to beauty.
A gentle knock at the door called the
mother IRON her children. 1t was evil
dent that she had expected the sum-
mons. She slipped behind the dancing
child, and, taking some rolls OF manu-
script from her table, left the room as
quietly as she had entered it.
ut was very kind of You to take the
trouble to call upon me-" she said,
with her peculiarly winning charm Of
manner. TO the man she found in the
room below. win you be seated?'
Now. said he after an Introductory
preamble. which seemed 10 suggest he
was not i'm haste to bring the visit 10 @
close. 81 offered to call upon you be-
cause your work is promising
She bowed her head. in her fair
ana gOVlOLUl CHEEKS q lltllt uA'llf ~
slight as TO be invisible to his percep-
ticn, was conscious 10 herself
- thought it would Da 20 much easier
to tell you personally what we require
for the CottonsUlle Chronicle. The
things you have sent Us are very nice,
or / should no. be here but they weren't
quite our style. Are You altogether q
heavy woman?'
She faced him brayaly smiled at him
as if she appreciated the aptness Of tho
expression. yet would prove to him
that She wasn't altogether a heavy
woman" conclusively and once for all,
by her sparkling, lippant countenance
7 can see you are not he said. Got
anything thero?'
She handed him the manuscripts,
ana cringed while he looked them
through. That the papers she had
bu.ial herself over should be scanned
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TABLES-G. MENDEL G co.