Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-04-29

fora with a heart affection such as
hers. might not the shock OF Hasber-
tons ucu-appearance De too much for
her.
yr51os= one ought 20 believe In
Nemesis. or Retribution. or that sort oil
ching don't. much, but ! confess
that sarnmer morning came nearer
suffering for my sins than had ever
done before or have ever done since
Now you needn't believe what fol-
lows unless you like. / often doubt II
myself. knew something vas TO hap
zen "a heard the sound OF the coming
engine, and. az I watched the train
sweep round the curve OF the line. l
wanted badly 10 run away. but
couldn't. OF course. there are seldom
nany passengers for Chelmsford; this
time there was bat one. ! caught a
glimpse OF his face at the window Of
: carriage where he sat alone. and my
heart seemed 10 stop beating. A mo
mant later be stood before me. II was
HarDerton. He was exactly as ! re-
membered him. There was nothing in
his appearance or name 10 account
for the dread in me. We exchanged
greetings, bet no word passed between
Us. We ~trayersed the Ieafy Lanes as
in a dream; but they aud myself were
visionary-he alone was real And ali
the time the memory OF the telegram
I had omitted 10 send kept recurring
20 my half-paraIyZed brain
Il knew il could not be Harberton,
yet felt convinced it was none other.
Dull wonder whether or not mother
would see as / did ran through my
mind; but I was in reality too stupe-
fed 20 be capable OF anything like con-
secutiye thought.
The path we trod lay through the
orchard into the rose garden. wherein
the low windows Of my mothers sum-
mer parlor opened. As we entered the
garden she saw us-saw himi-and
waved her thin hand la welcome. And
Harberton. or what I took TO be Har-
berton. who till then had done nothing
but make me dread his presence.
waved in return eourteously. almost
gayly.
Il can tell you how that day passed
IL seemed like a long drawn out night
mare. I kept saying 10 myself: Il am
asleep. I shall awake soon HARDER
ton SAT- in my mothers cool. darkened
room. talking of me. as I gathered.
while pacing restlessly within and
without. or smoking In a chair outside
the window. She seemed to speak anx-
iously about my future-I suppose. like
most only sons reared by mothers. I
had been rather wild-and he appeared
to reasure her. She was quite soothed
and happy in his company. I moved
about; | would go to the stables TO
speak 70 the men or wander aimlessly
about, but there was ever that awful
OF all being an illusion I tan
eied | must be mad, and I feared the
sound Of my own voice.
1T was a perfect day. still and balmy
the air being heavy with the fra
GRANGE OF the roses-bus to me IL
seemed endless. Still IL came TO a
elOse at last In the cleaning Harber-
ton bede mother farewell. She blessed
him as they parted. I standing
dumbly by. and be holding her hand
said, gently. with his old. soft drawl:
/ shall return soon.'
AHarberton left as he came. through
the byvays earpeted with moss. and
o~verhung with briar roses, still hold
ing no 5peech with me, who followed
dog like. Midway down the lane the
evening haze caught radiance from a
shan OF the sunset, and intn the glory
OF 1t he passed alone. For a I
dared not enter. When / did he was
gone.
Well. In a short time I was able to
laugh at the occurrence as absurd
Mother seemed to feel happy in some
sort OF deiusion. / didn't care 10 r,dj-
cule. She never asked me to send for
Harberton again. She always said:
When II is time he win come
She got more fragile daily. One
night she looked so ethereal that. fear
Ing TO leave her. I sent the nurse to
bed. and staid in her room. All was
hushed. and / must have dozed OF TO
be reused by mothers voice. saving
gladly: @oh, o 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 a sir
ting position and was looking I'M eag-
erly. joyfully. her thin hands extended
Bending over her. l saw distinctly the
figure OF Harberton. Starting forward
l rushed towards her. but before I
could reach her side she had sun back
inert. Harberton had vanished. and
the moonlight revealed only her dead
face lying peacefully smiling ON the
pillows.
That's a lot OF years ago now. hut
I've never been able to reduce It to
common-sense. Can you, old chap?"-
Black and White.