The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-10-20
JNO. R. TREWIN & CO..
UNION ST.. COR. CoRYELL, LAMBERTVILLE, N. J.

! was-to come to us even for day
Mother insisted upon adding n line
sho who had not penned word for
Notwithstanding him to come that she
might have an opportunity of thanking
him for his friendliness toward her son.
| did feel mean when | took the invita-
tion into another room and burned it,
Next morning he was to arrive
meant to fake up II telegram somehow,
giving an excuse for his absence when
| went to the station ON pretense Of
meeting him. My mother was strange
ly we'll that morning Her customary
lassitudc aud pain had vanished She
was reclining on ii couch drawn close to
the open window Her checks were al
most rosy, and there was Il lace arrange
ment over her white hair that made her
look prettier than | had ever seen her
She WAS all impotence to see Harber-
ton and hurried me eff to the station
half an hour too soon.
= New, Yen needn't believe what fol
lows unless You like. | often doubt it
myself knew something was to hap
pen as heard the sound of the coming
engine, and as / watched the train
sweep around the curve of the line |
wanted badly to run away, but could
net OF course there are seldom many
passengers for Chelmsford This time
there was hut one l caught glimpse
of his face ut the window of carriage
where he sat alone, and my heart seem
ed To stop beating A moment later he
stood before me. 1t was HarbertOn Ho
was exactly AS l remembered him.
There was nothing in his appearance
or manner to account for the dread III
me We exchanged greetings, but no
word passed between us We traversed
the leafy lanes as i'll Il dream, but they
and myself wero visionary-he alone
was real, And all the time the memory
of the telegram had omitted to send
kept recurring to my half paralyzed
brain.
II knew 1t could not be Harberton,
yet felt convinced it was mono other.
Dull wonder whether or not mother
would see as | did ran through my
mind, but | was in reality too stupefied
to be capable of anything like consec-
utivo thought.
The path we trod led through the
orchard into the rose garden, whereon
the low windows of my mothers sum
mer parlor opened As we entered the
garden she saw us-Saw him-and
waved her thin hand in welcome. And
ltarherton, or what l took to DO Harber-
ton, who till then had done nothing
but make me dread his presence, waved
i'll return courteously, almost gayly
Il cant tell You how that day passed.
1t seemed like II long drawn out night
mare. l kept saying to myself; L am
asleep. | shall awake soon.' Har-
berton sat in my mothers COOL dark
ened room, talking OF me, rs gathered
while pacing rostlessly within and
without or smoking in chair outside
the window. She seemed to speak anx-
lously about my future-I suppose, like
most only sons reared by mothers, had
been rather wild-and he appeared to
reassure her Showas quite soothed and
happy in his company. l moved about.
would go to the stables to speak to the
men or wander aimlessly about, but
there was ever that awful sense of all
being an illusion, | faneied / must be
mad, and | feared the sound of my own
voice.
"Harbcrton went as he came, through
tho hyways carpeted with moss and
overhung with brier roses, still holding
no speech with mo, who followed dog
like. Midway down the lane the even
ing haze caught radiance from shaft
OF the sunset, and into the glory of it he
passed along, For moment dared not
enter. When did, he was gone.
We'll, i'll short time was able to
laugh at the occurrence as absurd
Mother seemed to feel happy in some
sort Of delusion. l didn't care to ridi-
cule. She never asked me to send for
Harberton again. She always said,
When 1t is time. he will come
She got moro fragile daily. One
night she looked so ethereal that, fear
ing to leave her. l sent the nurse to bed
and staid i'll her room. All was hushed.
and must have dozed off, to be reused
by mothers voice saying gladly: oh.
you have come for me! That is SO good
of you'
The light of the,harvest moon filed
the room, eclipsing the feeble glow of
the night light
Mother had raised herself to sit
ting position and was looking up eager
ly, joyfully, her thin hands extended.
Bending over her l saw distinctly the
figure OF Harberton. Starting forward
rushed toward her. but before could
reach her side she sank back inert. Har-
berton had vanished, and the moonlight
revealed only her dead face lying peace
fully smiling ON the pillows.
That's lot'of years ago now, but
l We never been able to reduce it 10 COM
mon sense. Can you, old chap"
and White.