The record-union., 1897-05-12


was illuminating every corner of her
large and well-equipped study. Only
prosperity could have given the indie
Unable air of elegance to all the APP
pointmentS of the room and to the
dress and bearing of its occupant But
only a sudden crushing sorrow could
have thus bowed her head upon her
arms before the professional-looking
desk and brought about a despairing
abandonment to grief, the more strik-
ing because SO alien to her nature.
While she sat, in this attitude, in the
pleasant room, SO silent in its bright
ness, stiff paper fiuttered from her
hand to the floor and lay at her feet.
1t bore the announcement of a mar
rage that had taken place the day be-
fore, the marriage of the man to whom
she had given her final" answer on the
hillside near her home hundreds Of
miles, ages of time, away. Since then,
success, good cheer; ambition satisfied,
usefulness in plenty; city practice, "a
host of friends and admirers. noble
and dominating purpose crowned; and
underneath it all the late but imperi-
Gus awakening of woman's heart.
Then the growing conviction of the
emptiness even of her large and use
fur life; the longing, the unformulated
hope; now, this,
The fire burned brightly and silently
on the hearth the stiffness was un-
broken. AT length she raised her head.
In those few minutes her face had
changed so much that it seemed scarce
ly to belong to the same woman whose
personality had impressed itself in
brightness upon everything about her.
For myself, it is all over" she whis-
pered; but there is still my father. He
is proud of me and loves me-for his
sake"
A soft knock at the door and maid
entered, carrying a little silver tray.
Here are letters for you, DR..
Wayne, she said, and withdrew.
For long time the lonely occupant
of the great room sat buried in deep
and sorrowful thought; everyday life
seemed too difficult and too far away a
thing TO be taken up again immedi-
ately.
But finally, with dreary gesture,
she took up and opened mechanically
one of the two envelopes which had
been laid before her 1t was a letter
from her father, who had gone to a
distant land in search of the health
which at home had failed Sylvia
Wayne read like one who has entered
a chamber of horrors, yet only half
compreherds. 1t was a confession; his
life was nearly spent, and he could not
die without Kidding himself of his bur
den, the burden that had broken him
down in health and sent him away on
his long journey that he might not see
his daughters sincere and trusting
eyes. He was a guilty, dishonorable
man; in his position of trust he had
taken what had not been his he had
been, he was, no better than the COM
monest thief. When he died-it would
be soon-hc would leave a memory of
dishonor for his daughter and a debt
that could never be paid
The other letter, written a few days
later, was from her fathers agent in
Calcutta, giving the particulars of the
latter's death. 1t spoke of a cable mes
sage which he had sent her. and which
she had not received it told of the dis
position which had been made of her
fathers few effects.
Far into the night sat the stricken
woman, q few hours before so young
and buoyant and full Of hope gazing
straight before her into the dying en-
bers of the fire. Her hands lay clasped
in her lap; her face was like a mask
of stone. and her eyes were devoid of
expression of any kind whatever,
whether of sorrow or suffering or even
despair. There is a point beyond which
Il
frame recognizes it's inadequacy to ex-
press the anguish of the spirit. A tiny
clock at the other end of the room gave
the stroke of l, which fell with startling
distinctness upon the surprised silence.
Then Sylvia turned, with a strange
and marked calmness, to her desk
From a carefully selected phial she
took a number of small tablets, and
dropping them one by one into a curl
ously shaped goblet half full of water,
held it up between her eyes and the
light with unshaking hand, and watch
ed the Opaque whiteness dissolve Then
she walked to the nlantel before the
crate, with the glass in her hand, and
stood there looking down. once more.
into the heart of the few remaining en-
bers. Finally, with a sad little half
smile, she raised the goblet to her lips
and held it there for an instant-then,
suddenly, with the old time character
istic shake of her bright head, she in
verted the glass SO that it's contents
Kissed upon the hearth She stood UP
straight and lifted her eyes, and her
face was illumined by the light of a
beautiful courage and resolve.
mo T will liUafv che co;5 - . o1ao..
resonant voice. ITO pay this debt of
his, to clear his name. For honors
sakei"
Thus, unheralded, unrecognized, came
and passed the one sublime moment of
her life, and her early question was an
SWered.
The penciled words on the scrap of