Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-17

myself than know he is ashamed Of
mel"
All this was poured out with such
rapid utterance l could not interrupt
her by one word, and l might as well
have tried to catch butterfly as to
touch her as she paced up and down.
And now l set his teeth on edge!
l was not listening. heard him as l
came in. never bought things before.
They told me at the stores what to buy,
and all they showed me were pretty!
Why did he not come, too. and tell
me? l hate him! OIL love him! l
love him, and he is ashamed of me!
She was gleeful as a child when Basil
praised her dress at tea time. having,
at my suggestion, worn soft, white
null, with scarlet flashing in her jetty
braids at her throat and belt. She
pouted little, because l would not al
low but one bright color, but was
obedient.
But after that, watching them both,
l knew there could be no happiness in
the hasty marriage. The glamour was
gone from Basil's eyes, and he was
ashamed of his wife. His love cooled,
and his perfect gentleness and tender
care never deceived her for one mo-
ment.
l think If he had beaten her and then
caressed her she would have borne 1t
better than she bore his unvarying
kindness, after his love was gone.
"He does not love me! He has
wearied of my beauty, and had moth
ing else to Lowell"
That was ever the refrain OF her
piteous plants, and Basil vainly tried
to revive the dead love in his heart.
"She has but mel" he said to me
once. IF made a mistake it was no
fault of hers, poor darling. She shall
never know have one regret!"
And he might as we'll have tried to
hide bonfire under a napkin. BY the
intuition of love, Nell knew the change.
She had been a year married, wearing
herself out with her own vehemence,
when her baby came to her. hoped
motherhood would soften her, would
tame her, for she was wild and beauti-
full as leopard.
With the same fierce, unreasoning
passion that gave her life every i'm
pulse, she loved her boy, a sickly,
feeble child, that she would almost
smother with kisses and caress so vio-
lently that he would whimper, as II
being hurt.
Every day she talked about the boys
future, the grand things to be done
for him, the education he was to have,
that Basil might never be ashamed
of him as he is of me-" Her whole
hope lay in the child's life, and we
knew the feeble spark would never live
20 be bright light.
As the child dropped the mother
faded She would be we'll soon, soon
she told me every day, and every day
the little form lay more lightly upon
my arms; the little face grew more
pinched and wan.
One morning she drew me down up
on the pillow her head had never left
since her boy was born. and whispered:
Basil kissed me with his heart this
morning. He loved me in that kiss
All. il / could die now before he ceases
to love mel"
She sobbed. not with the old pas.
sion. she was too weak for that, but
feebly, as If from breaking heart.
"You do not wish to die and leave
your boy?" l said.
81 would not leave him! He would
60 with mel" she said, with quiet con.
viction.
And we knew it would be so. There
was nothing to build health upon, the
doctor told us, and Ellen faded away
not quickly, but surely
But. lying upon her deathbed, day
after day, she was intensely happy
not with the fitful flame of old, bu
with a calm, deep joy infinitely
pathetic to witness.
Basil loves mel"
That was the keynote to her happi
ness. He had never failed in gentle
ness. but, realizing that he must soor
lose her, his love came back to comfor
her He could not have deceived her
weak as she was. Only the true low
she had lost, the love that was her life
could have answered the hunger of he
heart. And Basil gave it, kissing he
with his heart, as she told me, gentl.
smoothing the dark road she was tread
ing by every loving device, seldom
leaving her, and never for any length
of time.
He was holding the puny babe in nj
arms, close to the mothers white
wasted face, when the boy shivered
gasped and died. l looked in terror
Ellen. but she smiled into my eyes
"He will wait for me!' she said, soft
", and nestled against Basil, as tool
the little one away.
did not return for long time
When | did Ellen's eyes were closed
: and her face had changed, with
change that chilled my heart.
,, "She is asleep" l whispered.
But will never waken!" Basil said
solemnly, and even before he spoke