The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-03

1 N4<s posu11 tucfu efo Occoupn8 IN HI
vhen Insp % Wisely 70 keep Elsnt
Yes, "ahs said. ar knew hs wouya
grow to be big man. His little Angerl
we're 70 stFopg-he hurt niS snmetimss.
What great mustaohe. ] knew you had
been soldier. And tho skin Of your face
Is brown and q little rough. What is thisf
What y this, Stephen, dea9 Is this a
I Yes" answered the prodigal, speaking
for the FIRST time. "That Is sword cut
got that In the last war. am 9 colonel
In the Chilean army, or was before re-
signed"
There was something wrong, something
subtle, which the dying woman's duller
senses failed to detect. Her son, her Ste-
phen, was quiet and had not much to say
for himself There was no enthusiasm,
but rather restraint In his manner moro
especially toward Joyce.
The girl noticed it, but even her small
experience Of humankind had taught her
that large fair skinned men are often
thus.
After the first excitement Of the return
was over 1t became glaringly apparent that
Stephen had arrived just In time His
mother fell into happy sleep before sun
set. and when the active young doctor
came little later In the evening he shook
his head.
For the, first time Joyce's coursgv
seemed b give way. When she had been
alone, she was bravo enough; but now
that her brother was Vhere, womanlike, she
seemed to turn to him with sudden fear.
Mrs Leach lived through that night In
the same semioomatose state. The two
watchers sat In her room until supper
time, when they left their mother In
charge Of hired nurse, whose services
Joyce had been forced to seek.
After supper Stephen Leach seemed at
last to find his tongue, and he talked In
his quiet, almost gentle voice, such as
some big men possess, not about himself
or the past, but about Joyce and the fu.
ture.
Ina deliberate, businesslike way he pro.
ceeded to investigate the affairs of the dy-
Ing woman and the prospects Of her daugh-
TERN word, he asserted his authority
as brother, and Joyce was relieved and
happy to obey him. .s
At 10 O'Clock Stephen quietly insisted
that Joyce should 90 to bed while he Law
down, all dressed, on the sofa in the dining
room. ~
They went up stairs together and told
the nurse Of this arrangement Joyce re-
manned for some moments by the bedside
watching her mothers peaceful sleep, and
when she turned she found that Stephen
had quietly slipped away.
The next morning Mrs Leach was fully
conscious and appeared to be stronger.
Nevertheless, she knew that the end was
near. She called her two children to her |
bedside, and, turning her blind eyes toward
them, spoke in broken sentences:
II am ready now-I am ready" she
said.
"Dears. am going to your father-and
thank God, I can tell him that have
left you together. always knew Stephen
would come back. found 1t written ev-
erywhere in the Bible. Stephen-kiss me,
deari"
The man leaned over the bed and kissed
her.
"Ah," she sighed, chow wish Icould
see you-just once before die. Joyoer'
she added, suddenly turning to her daugh-
Ter, who stood at the other side of the bed,
tell me what he Is like. Butt know
know-I feel ii. Listeni He is tall and
spare like his father. His hair is black,
Ike his father Sit was black before he
vent away. His eyes, know, are dark
almost black. He Is pale-like Span
ardi"
Joyce, looking across the bed with slow
,orror dawning In her face, looked into a
,air of blue eyes beneath tawny hair, cut
hort as a soldiers hair should be. She
ooked upon man big, broad, fair-Ene-
ish from crown to toe-and the quiet COM
nand of his lips and eyes made her say:
"Yes, mother, yes
For some moments there was silence
oyoe stood pale and breathless, wonder
ng what this might mean. Then the dy-
ng woman spoke again:
kiss me-" she said. lam going.
|tephen frst-my firstborni And now,
oyoe-and now kiss each other-across
he bed want to hear i'll want-to
With last effort she raised her hands,
eeking their heads. At first Joyce hest.
ated, then she leaned forward, and the
Id woman's chilled fingers pressed their
ps tdgether. That was the end.
Half an hour afterward Joyce and this
ian stood facing each other in the little
ming room. He began an explanation
once .,
"Stephen," he said. twas shot-out
lere-as traitor. could not tell her ,
nat! did Lot mean to do this, but what
SO could do2''
At the door he turned to Justify himself. 8
II still think" he said gravely, THAT 1t I
as the best thing to do" r
Joyce made no answer There was a
mething very pathetic in the distress of O
is strong man, facing, as 1t WERE an {
nergency Of which he felt the delicaoy to v
beyond his cleverness to handle t
Last night" he went on, II made all {
Q necessary arrangements for your future
just as Stephen would have made them
as brother might have done. The
ID were brother officers in very wild v
my. Your brother-was not a good a
an. None Of us was. L
They stood thus--he watching her faco ID
tn his honest, soft blue eyes, she failing g
meet his glance. G
May l come back againp' he asked n
ddenly al
She gave little gasp, but made no an d.
err Il
i will come back In six months" he N
nounced quietly, and then he closed the
Or behind him. -Cornhill Magazine.
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