Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-09-09

afternoons and nights sat sewing, sew
ing, necessarily sewing, in the little
sitting-room on the first floor. Be
side myself, she was the only inmate OF
the house. As | began to notice her
more | saw that the appearance of age
which had struck me so forcibly at
first sight, was hut an appearance.
There was something about it not real.
If you can imagine anyone who is old,
and yet not old, you will know what
mean when | say that her & was not
zeal. l can't explain it, but l under
stand 1t. Say you knew a woman who
was but twenty, ard in m night on
awful thing would sweep over her
soul which would make her appear
sixty. You would know, then. that her
apparent & was unreal, wouldn't
you? Well, II was so with my hos
tess. She was like one who had been
suddenly stricken. and had not grown
old with years. 1t was, after AL, but
the external appearance of age that
enveloped her like q garment Of sor-
row which covered and smothered
youth.
She was always in the sitting room
wher | came home after the theater.
sewing, sewing, sewing as all III
sew who have no other weapon with
which to fight the wolf than q needle.
Sometimes she asked me to sit down a
few minutes and talk, and | found her
intelligent and interesting in converse
ton, though her grave, serious manner
never changed to animation.
My star was playing 'Enoch Arden
and gave my hostess tickets to the
play. She went. Wher | returned
from the theater that night she was in
the sitting-room as usual, though not
sewing, and she asked me to coma in.
II want to talk to you" she said in
broken tones. and there was a strange
her face quite unusual.
She sat by o table on which q lamp
was feebly burning. The wrap she had
worn to the play hung over the hack
of her char, and her bonnet ha Teen
hastily taken off, leaving her Snuw-
'N''N A"'A bilSll''N hIodl dllf9tNs
Il have been to the play" she sa.,.,
fastening hei eyes upon me with an
intensity of gaze that made me
Portable.
"Ah! | hope you enjoyed it," was my
response, trying my best to get rid of
the burning of those sad eyes of hers.
She said not q word, but sat and
looked at me in tfat fixed, unex-
plicable way for several minutes.
DO those things ever happen?" she
said, her eyes almost burning holes
IN me. AS | had not idea of what
things she referred to, | managed TO
say that did not understand her
meaning.
Why, events like those of this
play she said too excited TO be en-
tirely coherent. do husbands come
back to their homes after years of alb
sence, as Enoch Arden did,"
mo u they do" | answered, cor
tho poet and playwright would net
have thought of it."
She sat silens again for a little while
her eyes lit with q light hat was in
describable.
i wish knew" she said, presently.
"if, outside Of plays and stories. tbcv
ever do. | wish | knew. | wish
knew"
She clasped her Lands and looked at
me as though ! must tell her. At
least, felt that way, and in order 70
turn her eyes from me for a m
| repeated that | thought they did
She hung upon my words with a l)l6
which resembled joy in her face
Il have dreamed of it," she SAID
have hoped for II for years. | nave
'hought of TIC disability of it every
waking moment of my life. | have
IoDged tor 1t with all my soul. Why?
because my husband went away fifteen
years ago-wert in unreasoninr 40
jealous without cause. and ha,,
lstened for his fCotstep every mompn,
CT my life Wel fg life since. bavc
lived in ta,s tOuse, workin. ike 2
save 10 Keep il, II at he might know
"hero TO find me when he ca ~. he !
cause we ''vod here together. Ey.:y
hIsht through all tho long, lonely
years of his absence | have kant
night burning in this room that he
might see it and think | was within
waiting for him. l am not so OH as /
look. am t~hirty-fve, and you might
thlnk me sixty, SO mucn have suf-
fered' Sometimes | dream that he has
come and for a long time after | am
almost sure that he Will; but the year.
90 on and | am still alone. But now
tha1 have seen that play, Enoch
Arden, feel something it hone
growing again in my heart. lie. come
VIVA VIII, will wait right here IN
thls house until he comes or | 20 TO
grave"
looked at her snow-white head and
her delicate, withered face. and felt
my heart swell. | hal read of martyrs
put she was the first one | had ever
seen What words had | for a sorrow
like hers?