The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-01-11

ing Of the lips changed suddenly to Il
quick, conyulsive struggle. and in an
instant both were by the bedside. To
gether they watched and waited till
the brief agony was Stilled.
Il will send you up the laundrcsS."
the doctor said, land then % had
better so home; it. is no use stopping
here. l know his solicitors. and will
write to them, that they may commu-
nicate with his relatives. if he has amy.
They can see NE about the arrange
ments they want to make
She nodded without speaking. and
he loft with a CHEEKY "Good-by." tell
ing her to be certain that the door was
locked ere she left. AS he went down
stairs he said to himself she was
working too hard and needed Il
change, and made a mental VOW to
send her with his next patient ordered
to the seaside. She remained at the
foot Of the bed until the heavy al,-
proach Of the laundress reused her.
n she went s%huddering to the chair.
where she sat shadiCg her face. while
the woman laid out the body. after the
decent fashion of people. When
she had gone she locked the door.
Then she pressed her hands over her
eyes and trembled slightly, remaining
still n Borrowing for some minutes.
Presently she went to the bed. and,
uncoyering the face, began to smooth
the hair from the forehead, speaking,
in Il low murmur:
Harry, dear" she whispered, 'thc
world could not divide us at the last.
though it is so big. We are together.
vol and 1. as we used to be in the he
ginning. Do you mind now that YOU
knew that l vas with you? You are
not angry. dear. because after all
these years God has let me see YOU
again. and call you by your name. and
-oh-yes-'
She bent to kiss him, but shook her
head sadly. instead. and knelt by his
side.
Let nc talk to you just as if it were
the same again, ana as if nothing had
happened. and we were boy and girl
once more. l won't say anything about
her to make you angry. l won't re-
member it, and you must forget it,.
too. Can you forget, l wonder1 DO
YOU forget now? You forgot me while
You we're alive; are you forgetting me
now you are dead"
The tears gathered into her eyes.
and she sobl,ed softly. She looked in
to the white face, and said quickly:
But l won't ask you to forget. Har-
ry. won't ask it: it isn't mine to ask.
1t was all a mistake. dear. and we
have both suffered: perhaps she has
suffered. too. 1t was hard you We're
not happy; YOU We're so good. and
loved so much. We have both loved
much. have we not? Where have you
been all these years I wonder if you
ever thought OF me as l have thought
of you. and remembered the old days.
II YOU had met me-. l wonder il You
would have taken me in your arms
and kissed me as you did in the mead
ows at Langly. ! would have let you.
Harry. as l did then: you know l
would. Were you too proud to come
back to me? Oh, my dear, l would
have lain Mt your feet, had you wished
IL. and begged you to look down and
smile at me. But it's too late now:
there's no hope for either of lis. ] felt
that there could not be after the day
you wrote me: but I would have faced
everything and dared everything it
YOU had come back. Never mind. Gear.
it is good to look back upon and think
of and love. and nobody can take it
away from is. Don't think of it if it
makes you angry; but l can't help re-
Numbering; and 10Y Pm telling YOU.
with no one else to hear"
The bright sun beat through the
window blinds, and filled the
with a radiance thick and hot. She
bowed her head OH the bed and re-
manned kneeling with her arms
stretched across the body. Presently
she arose and began to move softly
about the room. touching his books
and little treasures. The white figure
on the cross hung. in its infinite pa
1hos. over the bed. She took it from
it's place and was about % lay it OH
his breast. With. a quicE gesture she
stopped and replaced it OH the wall.
Then she turned to his writing table.
and took up the faded photograph in
the Oxford frame.
"You We're his then" she said. in
gentle. even voice. ''aEI you are his
still. You have the right; l have none.
Perhaps you, living in your great
world to-day, have quite forgotten.
but l know he has remembered. and"
her voice shook a little-''lle would
wish it,"
She laid the photograph on the body
where she had turned back the sheet
and smoothed the creases away from
it. Her hands clasped before her. she
stood looking at the strange pair--thc
dead man, with his peaceful face. and
the picture, with its saucy eyes and
antiquated fineries. The wicked orbS
seemed mockingly to tell her of IL bar
rier she must not pass. a right OF pos
session she dare not dispute. She
sighed, as if submissively, and turned
to the window, fitting a corner of the
blind to scan the well-nigh deserted
thoroughfare. A coster passed with Il
basketful OF cowslips, and She remem-
bered a morning in Langly mead
Ows, where Harry made Il wreath and
crowned her his queen of the cowslips.
Going to the door, she called Hannah,
and. giving her some pennies, sent her
to puy a bunch of the flowers. She
took them back to the room and began
to strew them over the coverlid. Tho
knocking eyes appeared to follow her
with ~unconcealed derision, and hastily
she swept the yellow blossoms togeth-
or again. Filling a large Jar with
| water, she arranged the flowers in IL.
and put it on a table by the head Of
the bed. She picked up O. few sprays
from the bunch and laid them for a
moment on the cold lips. Then she took
them and. uEdoing a button in her
bodice, hid them at her breast. With
out looking at him again, she crept
noiselessly out Of the room, locking
the door and giving the key to the
laundress: as the doctor had directed:
In the smoking room of a West End
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