The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-06-14
HER SECRET.

death. No longer was it the abode of
laughter, for tears had taken it's place,
md real sorrow had usurpcd seeming
Joy. Carriages still drove up, but it was
over the straw covered road they came,
and their occupants only tarried for in
quiry.
The mistress of the house lay sick un-
to death, she who was so beautiful and
so glad. Strange that she should be sum
moncd when there were others. sorrow
marked and stricken III Years, who wait
ed for the call and prayed it might come
quickly, yet waited and prayed i'll vain
There were others, too not old nor gray
before their time, who might havo slip
ped away into the unknown almost I'M
noticed, while this woman had 80 many
tics to bind her to carth-her husband,
her child, her relations, her legion Of
friends
Itwas hard sho should he called away
so early from the rich banquet that lay
spread before her.
Xet the angel Of death was expected.
His emissaries had arrived and told of
his approach, which may not be staid-
nay, nor even long delayed
The doctor, who knew too we'll the
signs of these fateful ENJOYS, shook his
head gravely III reply to tho anxious
queries of those who loved her bcet-hcr
sisters, her mother, her husbund-but
he gave 10 CLEAN Of hope, for she lay in
deadly lethargy from which it haG
been impossible TO rouse her. In vain
her mother spoke to her as she had done
Ill days long gone by, when she was vet
Il child. In vain her husband stood by
her side and took hcr hand and called
her by every cndearment she knew so
we'll In vain her child clutchod her
breast and cried for her mother to look
at her and talk to her again.
Surely if it We're possible to bring her
back from the edge Of the grave these
dear ones could do it. DUt there she Law,
stonily impressive, with her great eyes
staring into space, cold and unhoeling
rs tho sphinx. She gavo no sign Of life,
and the hours fraught with hope sped
slowly on, and each oxle registered step
nearer the grave.
One by one they withdrew from the
chamber Of death, the husband being
tho last to obey the Doctors orders, and
now mono was left in the room but the
physician and tho nurSe-her old scrv-
ant, tho one upon whose knee she had
climbed 20 years and more ago.
How slowly the hours passed for tho
watchers; and yet surely they passed too
Quickly-just SO many hundred moro
vibrations of tho pendulum, just few
strillings of the hour, and all would be
over for her so richly endowed with ell
that should make life worth living
The doctor never left her side. He
sat there with his keen, observnnt eye
fixed upon her, ready to note any change,
but there she lay impasSive, and the
watcher could scarcely see that she
breathcd.
Her beauty seemed even more perfect
now than he had thought it.
Absolutely faultless was the chiseling
of those clear cut features. Her dark
hair waved loosely around her Grecian
brow and trailed across her shoulders, n
fit setting for the marvellous whiteness Of
her face. The great violet cyeS-her
chief glory-wero wide open, staring
with terrible fixity into nothingness, OF
was it into tho something beyond? Her
ilN' ioot tilCil NINltl COlOl, DuU lillS
was scarcely Il fault; her hands were
outside the covcrlet, white marble faint
ly marked with blue, her wedding ring
the one diScordant note
For long there had been no sound in
tho room save the cracking of the fire
and the faint ticking of the clock.
Suddenly the doctor bent eagerly for
ward. Her lips moved With eagcrness
he listened. "Linlcy," she scarcely
more than whispered. Then all was ST
lcncc again.
The nurso rOHc hurriedly from her
chair by the fire. She had only heard a
sound
The doctor raised his hand, and she re-
sumed her seat. Long, long he waited
hoping for another sound of returning
consciousness, but mono came.
At last he came over To the nurse
Did you hear her.
what did she say, sir?"
Zone word only-'Linley. ,"
The nurse suppressed an Involuntary
exclamation.
What did it mean, nursc?"
But the woman only shook her head.
Strange" nuttcrcd the doctor, as
with knitted eyebrows he reflected and
strovo to catch some clew. Then he re-
turned to the bedside. There she lay as
impassive rs before
"Linley! Linlcy!" he kept repeating,
"What did she mcan?'
The nurse made no reply, but sat
looking into the fire.
Nurse, tell me, p" he said at length,
"have you an idea what the mistress