The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-08-02

gentleman, and a little girl until one OF
the ladies', closely muffled round the face
and gathering white satin skirts about her,
turned her head. bowed slightly to some
one within the building behind her and said
Good night" in a clear and rather high
voice. Then the stranger quickly advanced,
opened the carriage door, and held it while
the ladies and the child stepped in, so that
their skirts brushed him and he felt the
softness of satin on his ungloved hand.
They did not observe him, but he watched
the carriage roll out Of sight so intently
and with such forgetfulness that a police
man ordered him to move on. He moved
on, asking the next policeman he met the
way to DR.. Westlands house, whittier he
betook himself and which he examined
with much interest, slowly pacing the wei
pavement opposite and thinking of many
things.
Were those things sorowful or joyful
sweet or bitter? Oh! rosemary, bitter
sweet, wholesome herbs, you always bring
tears,-idle tears, from the depths of divine
despair whether recalling bliss or woe
sunshine or tempest; your fragrance is the
scent Of unforgotten youth, which was
sweet, and is bitter in retrospect-whch
was fresher than Maydew and is now old,
old as messed, illegible tombstone
which was sad and is now sweet as pressed
rose -leaves-which was despairing, and is
now in the hot, arid meridian Of life-glo-
rious with auroral hues of hope. Grow not
in my garden, tear-watered, mysterious
herb; rather let some tributary of
Lethe flow Silly through it, round the
ming 1OtoS n1ant
float on it's foundation brim! l cannot tell
what the magic herb brought to the lonely
mans mind; it breaks my heart only to
think of him, pacing the wet flags in dark
ness in sight of the lighted house, not quite
alone, but face to face with his past
CHAPTER II.
'Well, now" DR.. Westland was saying,
in the warmth and light within. Singing is
good for the lungs, and digestion. too. so
my dear Ruby, you are expected to be
hungry"
81 am hungry, Arthur; but would rather
not begin with whole partridge. thank
you. Oh, no! 1t isn't at all good Of me to
sing so much and take so many encores.
I delight in singing here-at homeland !
delight in the applause-desperately unjust
L
poor dear Won Strumpschen was so abso-
lutely ignored"
ooh. old Won Strumpschen wouldn't care
for such an audience"
wouldn't he though! He would look
down on their applause of course; but no
body cares to play to a stolid audience.
There was pre-occupied expression on
Ruby's face. Her hearing was acute, even
morbidly so. 1t seemed to her that slow,
solitary footsteps on the pavement kept
time to the conversation.
"Well! dear, your reception agreed with
you, never heard you sing better than to-
night" Mrs. Westland struck in.
.Gratiied vanity. Emmy" her husband
explained.
"You certainly were in hrst-rate form
though, Ruby
II was, but it was not vanity, 1t was az
lection, and 'auld lang syne' and all sorts
of fine feelings that nobody in this house
gives me credit for,-and yet" she add
ed. after a pause and long sigh, cts
very sad"
"sad? Why"
Rosemary - for remembrance that's
sadness. Many things tonight called back
old times"
''That fellows singing Of Ruby for in
stance" said Mrs. Westland, acidly.
"Oh! Ruby, my darling, the small white
hand
That gathered the harebell was never my
own"
she sang with exaggeration and gesture.
while her husband colored darkly and
burst into awkward laugh.
II wasn't the only one that used to sing.
it, En-" he apologized
Dear me, Arthur, you don't say that
you ever sang that wonderful song?" his
wife returned with face of innocent won
der, 81 was so young at the time, dear. I
was told that Ruby got her name from
the ditty sung by her numerous SWANS"
"Yet I was not consumptive, and I GER
tainly didn't die I think took the name