The Penn's Grove record., 1896-10-30

friendships are formed. hut in sorroa
or suspense. During that long evenlni
this brother and sister suddenly. be
came intimate, more SO than month";
Of prosperous intercourse could hav,
made them. At 10 o'clock stepher
quietly insisted that Joyce should "a
to bed, while he lay down, all dressed
on the sofa In the dining room.
Il shall sleep perfectly IT is not tn
irst time have slept in my clothes.
he said simply.
They went upstairs together and toll
the nurse OF this arrangement. Joyc,
remained for some moments by the
bedside watching her mothers pescefih
sleep, and when she turned she found
that Stephen had quietly slipped
away. Wondering vaguely whether he
had Intentionally solved her difficulty
as to the fraternal good night, she weni
to her own room.
The next morning Mrs. Leach wa
fully conscious and appeared TO be
stronger; nevertheless she knew thai
the end was near She called her tive
children to her bedside and. turning
her blind eyes toward them. spoke In
broken sentences:
II am ready now-I am ready" sh,
said. "Dears, l am going to your faith
Grand thank God, 1 can tell
him that / left you together. I always
knew Stephen would come back. ]
found It written everywhere in the
Bible. Stephen-kiss me, dearr'
The man leant over the bed and kiss
ed her.
"Ah," she sighed, 'how l wish l coul,
see %you-just once before l die. Joycer
she added. suddenly turning TO hel
daughter, who stood at the other side
of the bed, tell me what he is like
But l know +" - l know-I feel IL
Listenl He is tall and spare, like his
father. His hair Is black, like his
~father's-it was black before he went
away. His eyes, l know. are dark-al
most dark. He Is pale-like a Span
iardr'
Joyce looked across the bed with sloH
horror dawnlng in her face, looked into
a pair of blue eyes beneath tawny hair
cut short. as a soldiers hair should be
She looked upon a man big. broad, fail
English from crown to toe-and thu
quiet command of his lips and eye,
made her say:
Eyes, mother, yes"
For some moments there was silence
Joyce stood pale and breathless, won.
dering what this might mean. Then
the dying woman spoke again: kiss
me-" she said. 81 am going.
Stephen f1rst-my first bornl And now,
Joyce and now kiss each Other
the bed! 1 want to hear y
l want to tell . . q
your father"
With a last effort she raised he
hands, seeking their heads. At first
Joyce hesitated, then she leant for,
ward, and the old woman's chilled fin.
gers pressed their lips together. Tha
was the end.
Half an hour afterward Joyce ana
this man stood facing each other In this
tlIc ululuS lOOAu- LS DS6uu HIS "a
PLANTATION at once.
stephen" he said. twas shot-on
there-as a traitor. 1 could not tell hef
that! l did not NEAR to do this, but
what else could l dol"
He paused, moved toward the doc.
with that strange hesitation which sha
had noticed on his arrival. At the door
be turned to justify himself.
81 still think he said graFely, "tha,
1t was the best thing to do"
Joyce made no answer. The tears
ttood in her eyes. There was sometnlrs
very pathetic in the distress Of this
strong man, facing, as 1t were, an emer'
gency of which he felt the delicacy TO
be beyond his cleyerness to handle.
Last night" he went on, 81 made all
the necessary arrangements for yout
future-just as Stephen would have
made them-as a brother might have
done. He and | were brother
officers in q very wild army. Your
brother was not a good man. None OF
US were"
His hand was on the door.
HE asked me to come and tell YOU"
he added. Ishall go back now"
They stood thus. he watching hei
face with his honest, soft blue eyes.
she falling TO meet his glance.
MAY 1 come back againT he asked
suddenly
She gave a little gasp, but made no
answer
81 will come back in six months" he
announced quietly, and then he closed
the door behind him.-Cornhlli Maya.
zine,